In Love with Lemon

It has become my habit to start my morning with a glass of warm lemon water in the last five month.
I've read the benefit of drinking the mix of lemon and warm water since couple of years ago, but had not taken it seriously. As usual, we often ignore good advices until something bad hits, and it happened to me too when my Mom had some problems with her health. At first it was her poorly-controlled diabetes, then that affected her heart, stomach, cholesterol level and currently it looks like she is prone to allergy. Illness is really time-and money-consuming, and usually when we're not careful enough, we'd fall to money-sucking doctor or hospital! So it's best to stay away from illness.

photo by Dodo-bird

That's how I started to look for some green health solution, things that come from nature, something that won't pile up unnatural chemical residue inside my body. I am in favour of prevention than of medication. My Mom since her illness until now has had to depend on her medicines, she consumes seven pills in the morning, three to four after lunch, and seven in the evening. She's been warned about her kidneys condition cause her creatinine level is high, and that could end up in renal failure. That news really scares us cause two of my close cousins died at a young age because of renal failure. One nephrologist told me and my Mom that she will eventually must undergo dialysis -God forbid.

Though some of the doctors that I asked said that it's a very small to no chance that her high creatinine level is caused by the amount of medicines that she consumes everyday, I still suspect that way.

Lemon is believed brings good impact on digestion, and I believe healthy digestion is a start of healthy body. A book that I bought also says that lemon reduces the risk of cancer.I also read that drinking warm water with lemon regularly will preserve liver. There are many more good sayings of the routine on the internet that made me decided to adapt it to myself and to my Mom.

The result is promising, I have never caught a flu for almost a year ever since I consume lemon plus warm water regularly. My Mom's monthly lab result is improving, though her creatinine level only drops a bit, but  in general she's better. She still consumes her daily intake medicines, but gradually I hope she will gain back her health completely and will be free of that medicines.

A warning though, lemon corrodes teeth, just gargle to rinse the teeth and mouth immediately after drinking it, or use a straw.

Transportation is the Key to Freedom

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have a wheelchair at home, but since a year ago it's never been in use because Mom is strong enough to use both of her legs to walk, after a long period of hospital stays. Mom was lucky because she's always had one of us, the family and also her private nurse, acted as her caregiver, helping her moving in a wheelchair. As for driving, she is happy to be also a dependent person, even in her youth days :)

That situation is different to independent people’s who have to be bound in wheelchair because of their physical limitation, either by their disability or by their age. They need to learn from experts and qualified associates on how to claim their freedom back and how to be able to get their personalised transportation.

They need NMEDA, the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. NMEDA is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, drivers rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals who make possible people with disabilities to drive or be transported in special modified vehicles that suit individual’s need, because there’s no two people with a disability are identical.

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Goodluck :)

Seeking Comfort

At last...my first entry for this 2009 :), sorry to all EC dropper who visited this blog, and to bloggers who left messages that I hadn't had time to visit back. I didn't have mood to write before because since 26 Dec last year, there has been stressful moment in my family that is due to my Mom's health problem.

Anyhow, today she's going to have small surgery. It's a small one, but yet since my Mom has a bit problem with her current weak heart, we're all still in a state of worry. So, anyone, friends or strangers who read this please kindly pray for my Mom's wellness ok :))

Some say that when in time of trouble some people tend to be more religious, meaning, their dosage of pray is more than usual :-P and it seems I'm one of them.

I can't write much, because I have to go to hospital soon. The surgery will take place today around 1 pm. I searched the internet before for some songs that I usually sing at Church, and here's one of my favourite:

Almighty God my redeemer
My hiding place my safe refuge, no other name like Jesus
No power can stand against You.

My feet are planted on this rock
And I will not be shaken
My hope it comes from You alone
My Lord and my salvation

Your praise is always on my lips
Your word is living in my heart
And I will praise You with a new song, My soul will bless You Lord

You fill my life with greater joy
Yes I delight myself in You
And I will praise You with a new song, My soul will bless You, Lord

When I am weak, you make me strong
When I'm poor, I know I'm rich for in the power of Your name
All things are possible
All things are possible
All things are possible
All things are possible

Squatting is Better

I was at an Indian resto and reading a random yogi magazine when my eyes hit a small insertion on one of the pages. It's an illustration picture of a person squatting. I smiled, maybe because that simple pose reminds me of the way traditionally people answer the call of nature.

At first I didn't see that there's actually a connection between that elimination pose-like and health. Then as I read it, it says that the pose is good for preventing colon problem. At that point, I still think that the ground is only familiar to those who are in touch with yoga's world, and it has nothing to do with why traditionally people do that pose when they're evacuating.
Or it does have?

Maybe it has. I found out about it after I visited my second world, ie this internet.
The article that I found says that squatting gives at least 7 benefits to whoever does the pose when answering the call of nature. Here are the benefits:

1. Helps you to do the job faster, easier and more complete, thus this helps prevent "fecal stagnation," a prime factor in colon cancer, appendicitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
2. Protects the nerves that control the prostate, bladder and uterus from becoming stretched and damaged.
3. Securely seals the ileocecal valve, between the colon and the small intestine. In the conventional sitting position, this valve is unsupported and often leaks during evacuation, contaminating the small intestine.
4. Relaxes the puborectalis muscle which normally chokes the rectum in order to maintain continence.
5. Uses the thighs to support the colon. This helps to prevent hernias, rectoceles, and diverticulosis, which are often caused by years of straining in the sitting position.
6. A highly effective, noninvasive treatment for hemorrhoids, as shown by published clinical research.
7. For pregnant women, squatting avoids pressure on the uterus when using the toilet. Daily squatting helps prepare the mother-to-be for a more natural delivery.

What a loss then that the healthier squat toilet has become a stranger in today's household ever since the discovery of sitting toilet.

Since the throne in my bathroom is a regular nowadays toilet, I wonder if by doing that yoga squatting exercise before doing the elimination chore will at least smooth the way too? ;-P

Or should every bathroom with non-squat toilet needs an additional furniture like the following? O la la.. :))


I think the yoga idea is a better option.

Source: Seven Advantages of Squatting