15 diet tips

Best Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.
"If you don't like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories," says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Best Diet Tip No. 2: Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
"It sounds like a lot, but it is well worth it, because at the same time you are meeting your fiber goals and feeling more satisfied from the volume of food," says chef Laura Pansiero, RD.
You're also less likely to overeat because fruits and vegetables displace fat in the diet. And that's not to mention the health benefits of fruits and vegetables. More than 200 studies have documented the disease-preventing qualities of phytochemicals found in produce, says Pansiero.
Her suggestion for getting more: Work vegetables into meals instead of just serving them as sides on a plate.
"I love to take seasonal vegetables and make stir-fries, frittatas, risotto, pilafs, soups, or layer on sandwiches," Pansiero says. "It is so easy to buy a variety of vegetables and incorporate them into dishes."

Best Diet Tip No. 3: Consider whether you're really hungry.

Whenever you feel like eating, look for physical signs of hunger, suggests Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry?
"Hunger is your body's way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn't come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it," she says.
When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.
"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably," says May.
Keeping your portions reasonable will help you get more in touch with your feelings of hunger and fullness.

Best Diet Tip No. 4: Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Mindless eating occurs most frequently after dinner, when you finally sit down and relax.
"Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit," says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Malena Perdomo, RD.
Either close down the kitchen after a certain hour, or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream. Once you find that you're usually satisfied with the low-cal snack, try a cup of zero-calorie tea, suggests Perdomo.

Best Diet Tip No. 5: Enjoy your favorite foods.

"I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers 'rebound' overeating," says Sass.

Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.

"You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation," says Sass.

Best Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.

When you need a treat, Ellie Krieger, RD, host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite, suggests taking a walk to your local ice cream parlor or planning a family outing.
"By making it into an adventure, you don't have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight," says Krieger.
And for those times you just can't get out? Krieger stocks her kitchen with fresh fruit, which she thinks can be every bit as delicious as any other dessert.

Best Diet Tip No. 7: Eat several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you're hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging.
"Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight," says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.
She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day -- dinner should be the last time you eat.

Best Diet Tip No. 8: Eat protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control.
"Dietshigher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss," says University of Illinois protein researcher Donald Layman, PhD.
Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Best Diet Tip No. 9: Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied.
"Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won't eat as much," says Perdomo.
When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.

Best Diet Tip No. 10: Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.

Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.

Sass stocks her kitchen with:

• 94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, and you can make it in two minutes or less)
• Frozen vegetables
• Bags of pre-washed greens
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Canned beans
• Whole-grain wraps or pitas
• Pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts
• A few containers of pre-cooked brown rice

Within minutes, she can toss together a healthy medley.

Best Diet Tip No. 11: Order children’s portions at restaurants.

"When you are eating out, order a child's pizza or a small sandwich as an easy way to trim calories and get your portions under control," suggest Perdomo.
Another trick is to use smaller plates. This helps the portions look like more, and if your mind is satisfied, your stomach likely will be, too.

Best Diet Tip No. 12: Eat foods in season.

"If you don't love certain fruits or vegetables, it could be because you ate them out of season when they have little taste or flavor," says Pensiero. "When you eat seasonally, fruits and vegetables are more flavorful, at their best, and I promise you won't be disappointed."
At GiGi's Trattoria, her restaurant in Rhinebeck, N.Y., she serves simple fruit desserts, like naturally sweet strawberries topped with aged balsamic vinegar, or low-fat yogurt or fresh berries in a compote.

Best Diet Tip No. 13: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

Simply by eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.
"You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables," says Sass.

Best Diet Tip No. 14: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a stressful situation. Instead of turning to food for comfort, be prepared with some non-food tactics that work for you.
Sass suggests reading a few chapters in a novel, listening to music, writing in a journal, practicing meditative deep breathing, or looking at a photo album of loved ones.

Best Diet Tip No. 15: Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don't use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to "earn" the right to eat more.
"When you do, it sets up a negative thought pattern, which is why so many people say they hate to exercise," says May.
Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleepand how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.

The Three Surprisingly Simple Keys to Success

“You need talent, luck, and persistence. Pick any two.”

It’s probably been twenty years since I heard those words, but I still think of them all the time. They don’t just apply to getting book deals, of course.

Whether you want to paint, write, play music, raise a happy kid, design beautiful houses, or run an online business that makes you happy and rich, you can reach your goals with just two of those three.

At first glance it might seem like two of them are out of your control. But let’s look at that more carefully.

Talent

What most people call talent is usually nothing more than passion.

If you love it, you’ll do it all the damned time. And the more you play, the more you write, the more houses you design or symphonies you compose, the better you get.

Yes, there are a few “effortless talents.” There are people to whom the words come so easily you just want to smack them in the head. There are people who play music as easily and naturally as I eat ice cream.

But more often, that sense of ease comes from passion and nonstop, almost obsessive practice.

If you have absolutely zero talent for your chosen field, you’re going to have a tricky time. But usually, it’s a matter of fanning a spark of innate talent until you start to become quite impressive.

The more you work, the more talented you get.

Luck

I’m quite a lucky person. I was born in an extraordinarily wealthy country, at a time when women could do pretty much what we like, and in an era of vaccination and modern medicine that kept me from being carried off by some infectious disease at the age of 3 or 4.

Those are all massive strokes of luck. They had nothing to do with anything I did — I just lucked into them.

But what most people call luck is very different. It’s “being in the right place at the right time.” Having things just fall into place. Coming up with opportunities just when you need them. Knowing the right people.

This kind of luck comes from a few different places.

You can improve your focus. Just like you suddenly see red convertibles everywhere once you buy a red convertible, once you start focusing on luck and opportunity, they pop up like dandelions after a spring rain.

Nothing magic makes that happen. Those opportunities were there all along – you were just looking at something else.

You can improve your frequency. If you want to roll a pair of sixes, you’ll have much more luck doing that with 10 dice than you will with 2.

Pitch a guest post to 10 A-list blogs and you’re a lot more likely to get a spot than if you pitch 2.

Talk to 1000 prospects, rather than 200.

Audition for 10 gigs, rather than 2.

You can improve your likeability. Who “wins” the customer, the juicy contract, the retweet, the great job?

Sometimes it’s the one who’s the most “talented” — the one who’s producing the best output.

More often, it’s the one who’s better liked.

Be nice to people. Make yourself helpful. Don’t throw tantrums (public ones, anyway). Don’t build yourself up at another person’s expense. Make generosity a habit.

That successful raging jackass we all know? He may build some temporary success for himself, but everyone’s rooting for him to lose. His karma is gaining on him, in the form of a whole lot of people who would rather distance themselves.

The more you work, the luckier you get.

Persistence

This is the simple one.

Just don’t give up.

Keep writing. Keep making music. Keep blogging.

When something works well, do more of that. Learning from failure can work, but learning from success is even better. Big successes come from nurturing your little successes.

If there’s someone in your life making you feel dumb for your “pipe dream,” stop talking to that person about your goals. Possibly stop talking to that person at all.

Watch out for what’s sometimes called “inventor’s syndrome.” That’s what happens when you’ve invented some product or system or service that you think ought to change the world, but which, sadly, nobody wants.

Stay light on your feet. Find the story that you want to tell and that your audience wants to read. Find the intersection between passion and service.

Be too damned stubborn to quit, but not so stubborn that you won’t try new approaches.

And will you succeed?
Yes you will indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
~Dr. Seuss

Make your own talent, make your own luck, and activate your stubborn streak, and there’s nothing that can stop you.

Know what goes great with talent, luck, and persistence? Some first-rate marketing information. You’ll find it in the Copyblogger newsletter, Internet Marketing for Smart People. Lots of practical advice you can put into place right away, to make yourself so talented and lucky that you can’t help but succeed.

10 TIPS FOR A GOOD RELATIONSHIP

10 TIPS FOR A GOOD RELATIONSHIP  By Dawn J. Lipthrott, LCSW

1. Every morning make a conscious commitment to eliminate blame, criticism, and invalidation from your side of the relationship. If it leaks out, acknowledge it, and apologize to your partner. 2. Pay attention to and express appreciation for positive things your partner says or does--no matter how small! 3. Ask your partner to write down what makes him/her feel loved and special. Do the same for yourself. Exchange lists. Then, every day, no matter how you feel about him or her, do one loving/caring behavior for your partner! 4. Honestly look at the things YOU do that you know are not helpful to the relationship. If you want something different, you need to do something different! 5. Develop compassion for your partner and for yourself. Reactive, defensive thoughts, words and behavior are ways we protect ourselves from "danger". Watch yourself reacting and ask yourself, "What does this remind me of from my own past?" and, " What can I do differently at this point to become safer for my partner?" 6. Ask very specifically for what you need and say 'why' it is important to you. Your partner cannot read your mind and actually experiences life differently than you do! 7. Learn new skills that make communication safe and effective for both of you. 8. Know that both romantic love and the power struggle are not the destination, but are stages on the road to 'real love'. Frustration and conflict are keys for healing and growth for both of you! 9. Read Getting the Love You Want, by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D., for new understanding of underlying issues that fuel frustration in your relationship and of ways to co-create a better relationship. 10. Most relationships can be 'saved' and transformed, and getting rid of the partner does not get rid of the 'problem'! If you think you need help, call for an appointment or come to one of our workshops or classes. You can create the relationship you want. source:http://www.relationshipjourney.com/relationshiptips.html

Building a Healthy Relationship from the Start

The Beginning Stages

While the early months of a relationship can feel effortless and exciting, successful long-term relationships involve ongoing effort and compromise by both partners. Building healthy patterns early in your relationship can establish a solid foundation for the long run. When you are just starting a relationship, it is important to:

Build. Build a foundation of appreciation and respect. Focus on all the considerate things your partner says and does. Happy couples make a point of noticing even small opportunities to say "thank you" to their partner, rather than focusing on mistakes their partner has made.

Explore. Explore each other's interests so that you have a long list of things to enjoy together. Try new things together to expand mutual interests.

Establish. Establish a pattern of apologizing if you make a mistake or hurt your partner's feelings. Saying "I'm sorry" may be hard in the moment, but it goes a long way towards healing a rift in a relationship. Your partner will trust you more if he or she knows that you will take responsibility for your words and actions.

As the Months Go By: Important Things to Recognize as Your Relationship Grows

Relationships Change. Changes in life outside your relationship will impact what you want and need from the relationship. Since change is inevitable, welcoming it as an opportunity to enhance the relationship is more fruitful than trying to keep it from happening.

Check in Periodically. Occasionally set aside time to check in with each other on changing expectations and goals. If a couple ignores difficult topics for too long, their relationship is likely to drift into rocky waters without their noticing.

What to Do When Conflict Arises

Disagreements in a relationship are not only normal but, if constructively resolved, actually strengthen the relationship. It is inevitable that there will be times of sadness, tension, or outright anger between you and your partner. The source of these problems may lie in unrealistic/unreasonable demands, unexplored expectations, or unresolved issues/behaviors in one partner or in the relationship. Resolving conflicts requires honesty, a willingness to consider your partner's perspective even if you don't fully understand it, and lots of communication.

Healthy communication is critical, especially when there are important decisions regarding sex, career, marriage, and family to be made. The following are some guidelines for successful communication and conflict resolution.

Understand Each Others' Family Patterns. Find out how conflicts were managed (or not managed) in your partner's family, and talk about how conflict was approached (or avoided) in your own family. It is not unusual for couples to discover that their families had different ways of expressing anger and resolving differences. If your family wasn't good at communicating or resolving conflict constructively, give yourself permission to try out some new ways of handling conflict.

Timing Counts. Contrary to previous notions, the best time to resolve a conflict may not be immediately. It is not unusual for one or both partners to need some time to cool off. This "time-out' period can help you avoid saying or doing hurtful things in the heat of the moment, and can help partners more clearly identify what changes are most important. Remember - if you are angry with your partner but don't know what you want yet, it will be nearly impossible for your partner to figure it out!

Establish an Atmosphere of Emotional Support. Emotional support involves accepting your partner's differences and not insisting that he or she meet your needs only in the precise way that you want them met. Find out how your partner shows his or her love for you, and don't set absolute criteria that require your partner to always behave differently before you're satisfied.

Agree to Disagree and Move On. Most couples will encounter some issues upon which they will never completely agree. Rather than continuing a cycle of repeated fights, agree to disagree and negotiate a compromise or find a way to work around the issue.

Distinguish between things you want versus things you need from your partner. For example, for safety reasons, you might need your partner to remember to pick you up on time after dark. But calling you several times a day may really only be a "want."

Clarify Your Messages. A clear message involves a respectful but direct expression of your wants and needs. Take some time to identify what you really want before talking to your partner. Work on being able to describe your request in clear, observable terms. For example, you might say, "I would like you to hold my hand more often" rather than the vague, "I wish you were more affectionate."

Discuss One Thing at a Time. It can be tempting to list your concerns or grievances, but doing so will likely prolong an argument. Do your best to keep the focus on resolving one concern at a time.

Really Listen. Being a good listener requires the following: (a) don't interrupt, (b) focus on what your partner is saying rather than on formulating your own response, and (c) check out what you heard your partner say. You might start this process with: "I think you are saying..." Or "what I understood you to say was..." This step alone can prevent misunderstandings that might otherwise develop into a fight.

Restrain Yourself. Research has found that couples who "edit" themselves and do not say all the angry things they may be thinking are typically the happiest.

Adopt a "Win-Win" Position. A "win-win" stance means that your goal is for the relationship, rather than for either partner, to "win" in a conflict situation. Ask yourself: "Is what I am about to say (or do) going to increase or decrease the odds that we'll work this problem out?"

Healthy and Problematic Expectations in Relationships

Each of us enters into romantic relationships with ideas about what we want based on family relationships, what we've seen in the media, and our own past relationship experiences. Holding on to unrealistic expectations can cause a relationship to be unsatisfying and to eventually fail. The following will help you to distinguish between healthy and problematic relationship expectations:

Respect Changes. What you want from a relationship in the early months of dating may be quite different from what you want after you have been together for some time. Anticipate that both you and your partner will change over time. Feelings of love and passion change with time, as well. Respecting and valuing these changes is healthy. Love literally changes brain chemistry for the first months of a relationship. For both physiological and emotional reasons, an established relationship will have a more complex and often richer type of passion than a new relationship.

Accept Differences. It is difficult, but healthy, to accept that there are some things about our partners that will not change over time, no matter how much we want them to. Unfortunately, there is often an expectation that our partner will change only in the ways we want. We may also hold the unrealistic expectation that our partner will never change from the way he or she is now.

Express Wants and Needs. While it is easy to assume that your partner knows your wants and needs, this is often not the case and can be the source of much stress in relationships. A healthier approach is to directly express our needs and wishes to our partner.

Respect Your Partner's Rights. In healthy relationships, there is respect for each partner's right to have her/his own feelings, friends, activities, and opinions. It is unrealistic to expect or demand that that he or she have the same priorities, goals, and interests as you.

Be Prepared to "Fight Fair." Couples who view conflict as a threat to the relationship, and something to be avoided at all costs, often find that accumulated and unaddressed conflicts are the real threat. Healthy couples fight, but they "fight fair" - accepting responsibility for their part in a problem, admitting when they are wrong, and seeking compromise. Additional information about fair fighting can be found here.

Fighting Fair

Maintain the Relationship. Most of us know that keeping a vehicle moving in the desired direction requires not only regular refueling, but also ongoing maintenance and active corrections to the steering to compensate for changes in the road. A similar situation applies to continuing relationships. While we may work hard to get the relationship started, expecting to cruise without effort or active maintenance typically leads the relationship to stall or crash! Though gifts and getaways are important, it is often the small, nonmaterial things that partners routinely do for each other that keep the relationship satisfying.

Outside Pressures on the Relationship

Differences in Background. Even partners coming from very similar cultural, religious, or economic backgrounds can benefit from discussing their expectations of how a good boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse behaves. What seems obvious or normal to you may surprise your partner, and vice versa. If you are from different backgrounds, be aware that you may need to spend more time and energy to build your relationship. Take the time to learn about your partner's culture or religion, being careful to check out what parts of such information actually fit for your partner.

Time Together and Apart. How much time you spend together and apart is a common relationship concern. If you interpret your partner's time apart from you as, "he or she doesn't care for me as much as I care for him or her," you may be headed for trouble by jumping to conclusions. Check out with your partner what time alone means to him or her, and share your feelings about what you need from the relationship in terms of time together. Demanding what you want, regardless of your partner's needs, usually ends up driving your partner away, so work on reaching a compromise.

Your Partner's Family. For many students, families remain an important source of emotional, if not financial, support during their years at the university. Some people find dealing with their partner's family difficult or frustrating. It can help to take a step back and think about parental good intentions. Families may offer well-intentioned advice about your relationship or your partner. It's important that the two of you discuss and agree on how you want to respond to differing family values and support one another in the face of what can be very intense "suggestions" from family.

Friends. There are some people who seem to believe that "I have to give up all my friends unless my partner likes them as much as I do." Giving up friends is not healthy for you or the relationship, except in circumstances where your friends pressure you to participate in activities that are damaging to yourself and the relationship. At the same time, keep in mind that your partner may not enjoy your friends as much as you do. Negotiate which friends you and your partner spend time with together. You might ask: "Which of my friends do you enjoy seeing and which ones would you rather I see alone or at other times when I'm not with you?"

Eight Basic Steps to Maintaining a Good Relationship

Be aware of what you and your partner want for yourselves and what you want from the relationship.

Let one another know what your needs are.

Realize that your partner will not be able to meet all your needs. Some of these needs will have to be met outside of the relationship.

Be willing to negotiate and compromise on the things you want from one another.

Do not demand that a partner change to meet all your expectations. Work to accept the differences between your ideal mate and the real person you are dating.

Try to see things from the other's point of view. This doesn't mean that you must agree with one another all the time, but rather that both of you can understand and respect each other's differences, points of view, and separate needs.

Where critical differences do exist in your expectations, needs, or opinions, try to work honestly and sincerely to negotiate. Seek professional help early rather than waiting until the situation becomes critical.

Do your best to treat your partner in a way that says, "I love you and trust you, and I want to work this out."

Top 10 Philippine Street Foods and other Filipino Delicacies

Top 10 Philippine Street Foods and other Filipino Delicacies

The 3 main reasons why local street foods are popular here the Philippines are because they are very cheap, they can be found almost in every street corner, and of course Pinoy street foods are very tasty that’s why they are loved by many Filipinos.

I like to eat or sample out different kinds street foods. Probably it stems out during my college years in P.U.P when me and my classmates have no money to eat burgers and fries at Jollibee or have sizzling pork chops in SM Center Point. We would either go to back alleys near our campus and eat tukneneng and siomai, or go to Kalentong to eat lugaw and lumpiang togue.

That was also the time when my Mom injected me with my first Hepatitis B Vaccine. LOL

During my travels and various work assignments, I always wander around ala Street Food Gourmet and have a taste of some of the regional favorites. Some notable Philippine delicacies sold only in the streets in some parts of the country are Pansit Habhab in Lucban, Quezon, Empanada of Vigan and Batac in Ilocos and Ngohiong and Tempura in Cebu.

But I always try to look around first and see if the place is clean or the food is made in a hygienic manner. I don’t want to eat my heart out and be sick later in the process.

Below is a list of my 10 favorite Pinoy Street Foods in no particular order. 

Top 10 Filipino Street Foods

• Fish Balls 

Nothing beats freshly cooked fish balls placed on a stick then dipped in sweet and spicy sauce. Fish balls are probably the cheapest among the street foods here in the country. They provide a quick snack during the afternoon 15-minute break in the office. For me the best fish balls are those sold in the Makati Commercial District along Ayala Ave. Also try Kikiam, Squid balls and Chicken Balls.

• Kwek kwek

Kwek kwek are hard boiled eggs, dipped in an orange colored flour batter and then deep fried. Smaller version of it is the Tukneneng where quail eggs are used instead of chicken eggs. It can be enjoyed with spicy vinegar or the special sauce used in fish balls. They are also known as IO or Itlog na Orange in the more upscale colleges and universities.

• Balut

The true test of being a Filipino, eating balut is a challenge for many people. Balut are hard boiled duck eggs with already developed embryo inside. It is commonly sold during the night time because of its apparent aphrodisiac effects. Its popular counter part is the Penoy or unfertilized duck eggs. The city of Pateros and also the town of Victoria in Laguna are popular balut producers for Metro Manila residents.

• Taho

Soy bean custard is a favorite breakfast and early morning snack of small children or those coming up late for the office. Taho has even reached the mainstream and is sold inside malls in different variants like Frozen Taho and in other flavors like chocolate, strawberry and bubble gum.

• Puto at Kutsinta

Pot-pot-pot, no there’s no need to be alarmed, that’s just Manong coming with his puto and kutsinta. Puto and kutsinta are varieties of native rice cakes. Puto are basically like small puffy cakes, while kutsina is more of the sticky type, and is orange in color. Both are best served with freshly grated coconut. The town of Calasio in Pangasinan is best known for their version puto at kutsinta and popularly known as Puto Calasio.

• Halo-halo and Dirty Ice Cream

The best way to beat the summer heat is to order Halo-halo. It is shaved ice with a dozen or more ingredients such as beans, evaporated milk, different colors of gulaman, langka, pinipig, chick peas, ube, and leche flan. You must also try the local ice cream known as Dirty Ice Cream, with different flavors like cheese, ube, langka and other fruits in season.  Most Dirty Ice Creams are not dirty at all and is very safe to eat. Dirty ice cream is served in cups, cones, or placed inside hamburger buns.

• Sago’t gulaman

No street food adventure is complete without Sago at gulaman. It is a popular drink consisting of ice cold water with caramelized brown sugar, gelatin bits or black gulaman, sago or tapioca balls, and banana essence for flavoring.

• Banana Que and Kamote Que

Deep fried Saba or Banana and Kamote (Sweet Potato) with caramelized brown sugar or panutsa then placed on sticks. Banana que and Kamote que is best for hungry people on the run.

• Siomai

These dumplings are every where. Gone are the days when you need to go a Chinese restaurant to have your fill of dimsum and dumplings. Now siomai is sold together with other street foods like siopao and fish balls. It also becomes an industry of its own, attributing to the success of the various franchising businesses here in the country.

• Pork BBQ and Isaw ng Manok

Mostly sold in the afternoon or early evening, pork bbq and isaw ng manok (chicken intestines) provides students and workers to grab a quick snack before heading back home and brave the rush hour traffic. Other grilled favorites on sticks are Adidas (chicken feet), Betamax (coagulated pork’s blood cut into squares) and Helmet (chicken head).

So if you want to know more about the Philippines, try out these local favorites.

The Ten biggest problems facing the Philippines today

In order to find any solution, one must know the problem. So let us make a list of the biggest problems facing our country today. Here is my list of 10 and everyone is invited to tell me which problems I missed or which problems should have been not included:


1. Heavy Traffic
2. Trash
3. Flooding everytime there is rain
4. High crime rates
5. Drugs
6. Poor Educational System
7. Poverty as seen in the squatter areas
8. Too much politics
9. Pollution
10. Poor healthcare


So there it goes. One by one, let us find solutions to solve them, won't we?

The Problem of Rural Education in the Philippines

The Problem of Rural Education in the Philippines


March 2, 2010 by Josh Weinstein


In this journal, I have discussed the relationship between education, poverty alleviation, and economic development. The link is critical and the three are self-reinforcing. Education creates greater opportunities for the youth, who go on to work decent jobs in cities like Bacolod, Manila, and Cebu. The children remitmoney back to the parents, who spend on home improvements and the tuition fees for the younger siblings. College-educated individuals are much less likely to end up impoverished (about 1 in 44). Trade schools also create opportunities, with only one in 10 people with post-secondary degrees living below the poverty line. Unfortunately, the ratios drop precipitously after that. One in three high school graduates and half of elementary school grads are impoverished. Here are the sobering education statistics:


The long-term outlook for poverty reduction doesn’t look good either, unfortunately. We all know that there is a very strong link between education (or lack of education) and poverty—two-thirds of our poor families have household heads whose highest educational attainment is at most Grade 6. Well, the education statistics (all from the NSCB ) tell a very sad tale: elementary school net participation rates (NPR)—the proportion of the number of enrollees 7-12 years old to population 7-12 years old—have plummeted from 95 percent in school year (SY) 1997-98 to 74 percent in 2005-2006, as have high school NPRs.


Cohort survival rates (CSR) have also dropped: Out of every 100 children who enter Grade 1, only 63 will reach Grade 6, down from 69 children in 1997-1998. In high school, CSR have dropped even more: from 71 to 55. Which means, of course, that school dropout rates have increased. Which is one of the reasons why, in 2005-2006, for the first time in 35 years, total enrollment decreased in both elementary and high school: although private school enrollment increased, public school enrollment went down more.


The correlation is not difficult to see, but fixing the problem presents a challenge for several reasons. According to some observers, the Department of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) in the Philippines is one of the most corrupt government entities in the country. It has a budget equal to 12% of spending, but is riddled with graft from procurement (buying textbooks and other supplies), grease money, and bribes for just about any sort of movement within the bureaucracy. The impact on the education system is detrimental:


Embezzlement, nepotism, influence peddling, fraud and other types of corruption also flourish. Corruption has become so institutionalized that payoffs have become the lubricant that makes the education bureaucracy run smoothly. The result: an entire generation of Filipino students robbed of their right to a good education.


This corruption leads to poor allocation of resources. Teachers are underpaid and treated poorly. In 2005, the Philippine government spent just $138 per student, compared to $852 in Thailand, another developing country in Southeast Asia. But graft and corruption are not the only issues. Poverty is a vicious cycle that leads traps generations of families.





Lunchtime at "The Environment-Friendly School"


About 80% of the Filipino poor live in the rural areas of the country. These are towns located deep in the mountains and the rice fields. The population density in the rural parts of the country is low, and there is a corresponding deficiency in schools and classrooms. Public school is free, but families still cannot afford to send their children for a complicated network of reasons. In this editorial for the Pinoy Press, one author delineates the key issue:


With around 65 million Filipinos or about 80 percent of the population trying to survive on P96 ($2) or less per day, how can a family afford the school uniforms, the transportation to and from school, the expenses for school supplies and projects, the miscellaneous expenses, and the food for the studying sibling? More than this, with the worsening unemployment problem and poverty situation, each member of the family is being expected to contribute to the family income. Most, if not all, out-of-school children are on the streets begging, selling cigarettes, candies, garlands, and assorted foodstuffs or things, or doing odd jobs.


Beyond the selling goods on the street, children in farming families are expected to work in the fields during harvest time. In agriculture-based communities where farming is the primary livelihood, having children around to help with the work means more income for the family. In a recent trip to Valladolid, someone told me that children are paid 15 pesos for a day’s work in the blistering heat. They are pulled from school for two or three months at a time and are irreparably disadvantaged compared with their classmates. So, they may have to repeat the grade, only to be pulled out of school again next year.


Transportation is another big problem. Kids walk 2-3 kilometers or more to and from school every day. They have to cross rivers and climb hills with their bookbags. The ones that can afford it take a tricycle, but that is a luxury. Schools are sometimes too far for the most remote communities to practically access. So the families can’t afford to pay and the children are pulled from school.





The walk to school.


It seems like an intractable problem. Corruption in the education bureaucracy and a lack of resources make delivering a high-quality education to all Filipinos a challenge. Microfinance is one way to help. With the assistance of microcredit loans, women can pay for the education of their children – to purchase uniforms, textbooks, lunches, and rides to school. Also, by creating another source of income other than farming, the children do not have to come help the family work the fields. When I talk to NWTF clients about their dreams, they unfailingly say they hope for their children to “finish their studies.” History has shown that it is an achievable goal. But real systemic change needs to come from above. As long as corruption and bureaucracy paralyzes the system, the goal of delivering a decent education to children – which pays dividends to the country in the long run – will remain out of reach.


For the rural poor, non-profits exist to help in the mission of education. While looking up pictures for this post, I came across a Filipino organization called theGamot Cogon (“Grass Roots”) Institute:


The Gamot Cogon Institute (a non-stock, non-profit organization) is an Iloilo-based cultural institution working to transform society through human development approaches including education and training. GCI also prototypes or demonstrates alternative approaches to education, agriculture, health, and full human development.


Very cool stuff.

source: http://www.vernongo.com/2009/02/what-is-filipino-pride.html

What Is Filipino Pride?

What Is Filipino Pride?

MOVEMENT , CEBU , FILIPINO , PHILIPPINE HISTORY , PHILIPPINES ,REFLECTION

Filipinos leave the country every year in pursuit of more gainful employment abroad. They’re laying pipelines in Siberia, mining diamonds in Angola and sailing ships in all the world’s oceans. They clean thousands of homes a day from Hong Kong to Dubai to London; Bahrain’s prime minister employs some 50 Filipinos in his own household (Philippines: Workers for the World, Newsweek, Oct.4, 2006.) The Philippines is currently the world’s leading exporter of nurses, with 164,000 or 85% of the country’s trained nurses are working abroad, with doctors becoming nurses. About 200 hospitals have recently closed down across the country because of a lack of doctors and nurses with another 800 hospitals considered to be “partially closed” due to the lack of qualified health personnel


As Barth Suretsky, an American expat who lived and died in the Philippines lamented, the fundamental thing wrong with this country is a lack of pride in being Filipino. “All Filipinos want to be something else. The poor ones want to be American, and the rich ones all want to be Spaniards. Nobody wants to be Filipino.” No pride, no identity, no recollection of his glorious past that can project him in leading the future of his country. “A people without a sense of history is a people doomed to be unaware of their own identity.”
George Farwell, a Brit who went to the Philippines several times, left an interesting study before he died. In his book, Mask of Asia: the Philippines, he said that one of the mysteries of Asia, at least from the Western viewpoint is the small role assigned to the Philippines in international affairs… “The West’s colonial godsons, rebelliously or not, have now come of age. They have inherited much of our materialist desires, impeded only by industrial inexperience and corroding poverty.”


The focus and priorities of millions of Filipinos going abroad are not necessarily “FOR THE COUNTRY”. While we look for gadgets and toys (pasalubong to beautify our image), the Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and the Koreans would go to the West and gather TOOLS to equip themselves by getting the best educationin the great learning institutes so they could invent a new mobile phone, design a new car, or create their own business at home. They brought with them things that could be used to improve their situation and in effect those around them, whichever place they choose to stay. They brought with them better skills and funds that could assist their family and their society back home.


Until we are able to dream correctly, dream selflessly, and train utterly, we will forever remain a funny mystery to the world as a barren land of gold and supreme, silly natural and intellectual resources.


We are very much capable of solving our own problems, we were once envied by our neighbors which has now overtook us, we must look more inwards than outwards and we must have the courage, the will to change for the better. Do it not for yourselves but for the next generations of Filipinos.


Note: Some text were taken from the http://www.thebrownraise.org/

By Vernon Go

Pinoy loves to Eat

A Filipino’s Love Affair with Food

To say that a Filipino likes to eat is an understatement. ‘Like’ is not quite the term to use to describe the relationship between a Filipino and food.
Consider these truths. An average Filipino eats at least four times a day. The daily meal is consists of: breakfast, lunch, snack, and supper. Snack is somewhat not just an optional meal. It is part of the daily meal for the Filipino. It is a need and not just a want. Sometimes, these four meals stretch to six meals! The daily meal will then be consisted of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, supper, and finally- snack.
This is not yet mentioning the “mini”, “in-between”, and “informal” eats a Filipino does during the day. He or she is about to go home after a long day at work. He or she sees a food kiosk of Chinese dumplings in the train or bus station. Guess what happens next? He or she buys four pieces, eats them, and takes another order to go to bring to the family. He or she then is greeted with the smell of supper, takes out the Chinese dumpling, and starts eating with the family.
‘Like’ never describes a Filipino and its relationship with food. To say that a Filipino loves food then is a better description. However, it does not still encapsulate the whole truth. A Filipino has a love affair with food.
An affair describes a commitment, status, and a mutual understanding between two parties. In effect, a Filipino does not just have a one way relationship with the food; the food loves a Filipino too!
The food ‘loves’ a Filipino because of its ‘concern’ that a Filipino does not go hungry. This is very evident with thousands of different food chains all over the islands of the Philippines. This is not yet counting the number of restaurants or the number of food kiosks in the nation. Wherever one looks, especially in the cities, a food shop or a restaurant is always open to satisfy one’s cravings.
In addition to this, the food loves a Filipino for being present even at home. More than 80% of advertisements and commercials whether on the television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and on the internet is about food or something that has to do with the food industry. There is always a reminder about food whether a Filipino rides a jeepney, or a bus, or a cab, and even on trains. The lingering memory of the food, its aroma, and of course its taste is everywhere!
The food industry also has a lot of impact even to very young children. For the Philippines, gone are the days when a baby’s first word is, “Daddy” or “Mommy”. It is a normal phenomenon that a Filipino’s first word is, “Jollibee”, which is the most famous fast food chain in the Philippines.
Eating is also the best family (and even among friends) bonding. Ask the children what they want to do for the weekend and the reply will be, “Eat out”. For a Filipino, eating strengthens the family ties because issues of success, accomplishments, and even pains, and struggles come out over the table. For a Filipino, it is not rude or a bad manner to discuss problems and difficulties over the table. It is in fact either expected and anticipated, or most welcome.
Eating is also the best form of hang-out for most Filipinos even with the young adults. Before they even think of partying or clubbing, they most likely will suggest that they eat first. After a long party night and heavy drinking, they cap the dawn with an early breakfast before going home.
A Filipino is never stressed for he or she knows the best de-stressor: food. Stress levels and the emotions accompanying the stress are best measured with the gauge of food. Many Filipinos unload the burden by eating. To them, it has a soothing and calming effect. Heavy eating equals heavy problems.
A Filipino’s love for food is also evident when he or she travels either for business or leisure. Ask him or her favorite part or memory of the trip and the answer will be about the food or the delicacies in a certain area. The stories about the adventure or sealed business deals are just the next bullet point to a long outline of food.
In addition to this, it is a Filipino’s culture to bring gifts or presents back to their families or loved-ones after a travel, may it be a two-day trip or a one week trip. “Pasalubong” is the Filipino term for this culture. And for the average Filipino, they know that food is the best pasalubong to bring back home.
A Filipino may not be well versed with geography but he or she certainly knows what the best food there is in a certain province or city. Give a city name and even if he or she cannot point it in a map, he or she knows what best foods are there on that place.
Finally, a Filipino’s love for food is most evident in occasions and celebrations. Celebration is equated with feasting and food for the Filipinos. Even if he or she lacks money, feasting should still be in the itinerary. There should be no excuse in celebrating with a lot of food. No food, no celebration. Food sometimes becomes the center of the occasion more than the celebrant even. Sometimes, Filipinos find a reason- even the minutest and simplest just to celebrate.
Food is a basic need of any individual. It keeps the human body going. But for the Filipinos, food is not just a basic need. Food is something that defines who they are. Food is a very big part of the Filipino culture. It is a common denominator for Filipinos rich or poor.
At the dinner table, a Filipino becomes who he or she really is. There are no pretensions. To some extent also, food brings the family and loved-ones together.


source:http://asianfriends.com.au/philippine-culture-a-filipino%E2%80%99s-love-affair-with-food/