Getting to know triglycerides

My BFFJosie forwarded the following important health information.  I am posting verbatim including the sources that the data came from.  Thanks, Josie!

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Blood triglycerides may be an important factor in your risk for heart disease. Your doctor may become concerned if your cholesterol level is too high. But another type of fatty substance found in the blood, known as triglycerides, may also need to be monitored in the effort to prevent heart disease. That is because research has identified high triglyceride levels as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, even when cholesterol levels are normal.

What Are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a form of fat present in food, human body fat, and blood. Blood triglyceride levels are affected by dietary fat and are manufactured in the body from other energy sources, such as carbohydrates. Triglycerides are also stored as body fat.

An elevation of blood triglycerides is referred to as hypertriglyceridemia . The blood test to measure triglyceride levels is easy and can be done along with a routine blood test that also measures various types of cholesterol. (The most accurate results are obtained when a person fasts before this test.) Triglyceride levels can be quite variable, so several measurements may be needed to provide accurate baseline values.

How High Is Too High?

An elevated triglyceride level can be an independent medical problem or can be due to another existing medical problem. For instance, people with poorly controlled type 1 or type 2 diabetes often have elevated triglyceride levels. Elevated triglycerides can also be brought on by thyroid disorders , kidney problems, obesity , excess alcohol, and taking certain medicines.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) classifies the ranges of fasting triglyceride levels in the following way:

§     Normal—less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) (1.7 mmol/L)

§     Borderline high—150-199 mg/dL (1.7-2.2 mmol/L)

§     High—200-499 mg/dL (2.3-5.6 mmol/L)

§     Very high—more than or equal to 500 mg/dL (5.7 mmol/L)

Studies have found that high triglycerides levels may increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other conditions. There are steps that you can take, though, to lower your levels.

Ways to Tame Triglycerides

Here are some tips from the experts:

§     Increase physical activity —Aerobic exercise can help with weight loss and can decrease triglyceride levels at the same time. Aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days of the week. But, first get approval from your doctor.

§     Maintain a healthy weight—Studies have shown losing weight and maintaining an ideal weight to be associated with decreased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.

§     Cut down on carbs —Carbohydrates are basically divided into two categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates tend to be sweet, such as soft drinks, desserts, candies, and syrup. Complex carbohydrates are found in bread, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. If recommended by your doctor, reduce your intake of simple carbs.

§     Eat more fruits, veggies, and low-fat dairy products—Include these choices as part of your healthy diet.

§     Choose fats wisely —Instead of choosing foods high in saturated and trans fats, pick food that contains unsaturated fat. Examples include certain oils (eg, olive, corn, canola), nuts, seeds, avocados, and food with omega-3 fatty acids (eg, fish, flaxseed).

§     Eat more fish —Omega-3 fatty acids are found in all types of fish, but are more abundant in fatty fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herring. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include tofu, soybeans, flaxseed, canola oil, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

§     Limit alcohol —According to the American Heart Association (AHA), small amounts of alcohol can increase triglyceride levels.

RESOURCES:

American Heart Association
http://www.americanheart.org/

National Cholesterol Education Program
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep/index.htm/

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca/

Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/index_e.html/

REFERENCES

Austin MA, et al. Cardiovascular disease mortality in familial forms of hypertriglyceridemia: a 20-year prospective study. Circulation . 2000;101:2777-2782.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity for everyone: how much physical activity do adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html. Updated May 10, 2010. Accessed June 15, 2010.

DynaMed Editorial Team. Hypertriglyceridemia. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php. Updated June 10, 2010. Accessed June 15, 2010.

National Cholesterol Education Program website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep/index.htm .

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov .

Triglycerides. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4778. Accessed June 15, 2010.

Rock salt vs high blood pressure

I feel very fortunate to have people in my life who make this page a worthwhile stop in the course of their daily business.  My appreciation to Rollie (BFF Josie's friend) for constantly contributing must-read materials like the following... 

Rock Salt or Sea Salt                                              
by Jimmy Dy-liacco, DMM                                                                         

                                                                    

STRESS RELIEF... Is salt bad for hypertensive?

What is bad for hypertension is iodized salt, which is a fake salt.  It is made up of only 3 synthetic chemicals, sodium, chloride, iodine. It does not melt in water (glistens like diamonds), does NOT melt in the body, does not melt in the kidneys, gives kidney stones, and raises blood pressure. However, it is the salt favored by the synthetic drug-based doctors who say it is very clean and sanitary, pointing to how white it is and how it glistens like diamonds. The fake salt is man-made in a factory.                                          
                                                                       
The true salt, which comes from the sea and dried under the sun and commonly called rock salt, has 72 natural minerals including natural sodium, chloride, iodine. It melts in water, melts in your body, melts in the kidneys, do not give kidney stones, and best of all brings down blood pressure and stops/prevents muscle cramps, numbness, tingling. If you get muscle cramps in the lower legs at night, just take 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt and a glass of water, and the cramps with its horrific pain will be gone in 5 minutes.         

The highest BP that came my way was in a woman who had a BP of 240/140 and came to my house at 10:30 pm on what she said was a matter of "life and death" because the high BP was already giving her a crushing headache, especially the back of her head. She could not walk up the 6 shallow steps to my porch. Two men had to help her, one on each side, in addition to the cane that she needed to prop herself up.

I muscle-tested her and found that underlying her BP of 240/140 and the crushing pain in the head, her body's water content was only 6% (normal is 75%), salt content was zero, potassium was 96% deficient, and cardiac output (blood flow from the heart) was only 40% (normal is 100%). So the blood supply to the head was 60% deficient.

I gave her one 6" long green 'sili' (hot pepper), 1 raw ripe 'saba' banana, 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt and 3 8-oz glasses of tap water. The sili was to normalize cardiac output and shoot blood to the head, the saba banana was for the potassium deficiency and to have food in the stomach because pepper will give a stomach ache if the stomach is empty, and the rock salt and the water were the first aid for her severe dehydration which was causing her arteries to be dry and stiff  and her blood to be thick and sticky, because they were dehydrated.

After 5 minutes, she said, "The pain in my head is gone." We took her BP, it was 115/75, and cardiac output was up to 100%. 

She walked out of the house to her car without the men helping her and without the cane. 

She has been taking 2.5 teaspoons of rock salt, 15 glasses of water, 6 saba bananas and 3 of the long pepper daily since then (beginning September 2009), and her BP and cardiac output have been normal since then.

Two months later, in November, at a PCAM roundtable forum on hypertension in Club Filipino, she gave her testimony, followed by her brother who said that he grew 2 inches, because the salt and the water had refilled his compressed disc spaces in his vertebral column. The disc spaces had become compressed because they had become dehydrated since the fluid filling up these discs are 95% water. 

Why salt?  Because without salt the body cannot retain water no matter how much water is drunk. You will still be dehydrated because you will just keep urinating and sweating the water out. 

This is not an isolated case. When BP is rising high but there is little or no headache but there is stiffness of shoulder and neck muscles, all you need to normalize the BP and remove the stiffness and the pain in 5 minutes is 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt and 3 glasses of water. If there is crushing pain in the head, it means blood supply to the head is lacking, and you will need the sili to normalize it and shoot blood to the head and remove the extreme pain.

Jimmy Dy-liacco, DMM  

                                                            
PLEASE SHARE, IT MAY HELP SOMEONE.

The Golden People's Must-Have List

Thanks to Rollie (BFF Josie's friend) for passing this on.

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As I was waiting in line behind an older gentleman at Wendy's recently, I heard him ask for his senior discount.

The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over 55 gets 10% off everything on the menu, every day.

This list may not only be useful for you, your friends and family, but it might also be appreciated by your clients. You might consider sending them an e-mail about it and link to our site in the e-mail, or maybe include it in your newsletter.

Hmmmm, Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it for free.

Restaurants
Applebee’s: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Arby’s: 10% off (55+)
Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan’s: discount varies by location
Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+)
Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)
Chili’s: 10% off (55+)
CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Culver’s: 10% off (60+)
Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+)
Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)
Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+)
Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior pla tter (55+)
Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off (55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)
KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)
Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations (55+)
McDonald’s: discounts on coffee everyday (55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
Shoney’s: 10% off
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
Subway: 10% off (60+)
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off (55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy’s: 10% off (55+)
White Castle: 10% off (62+)

Retail and Apparel
Banana Republic: 10% off (50+)
Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month (50+)
Belk’s: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)
Big Lots: 10% off
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days (55+)
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
Clarks: 10% off (62+)
Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)
Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kmart: 20% off (50+)
Kohl’s: 15% off (60+)
Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+)

Grocery
Albertson’s: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)
Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55+)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)
Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55+)
Rogers Market pla ce: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
Uncle Guiseppe’s Market pla ce: 5% off (62+)

Travel
Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
Alamo: up to 25% off for AARP members
American Airlines: various discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
Best Western: 10% off (55+)
Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to 20% off for AARP members (50+)
Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)
Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members
Greyhound: 5% off (62+)
Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance
Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending on location (62+)
Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
Motel 6: 10% off (60+)
Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members
Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up
United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Activities And Entertainment AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)
Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off memberships (62+)
Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
Regal Cinemas: 30% off
Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)
SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Cell Phone Discounts
AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service (50+)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+)

Miscellaneous
Great Clips: $3 off hair cuts (60+)
Super Cuts: $2 off haircuts (60+)

I have already been told that A&P supermarkets offers 5% off to people over 55 every Tuesday. If you know of any other senior deals that aren't on the list, please add them.

NOTE: I usually delete requests to forward the message but this is an exception. Please notify everyone who might be affected so they can take advantage.  Thank You.

Steve Ray's Open Letter to Pinoy Catholics

A big Thank You to my BFFJosie for sharing this piece...

Here's something very positive written by a foreigner named Steve Ray about Filipinos.

Steve Ray authored many best-selling books, among which are, 'Crossing The Tiber' (his conversion story), 'Upon This Rock' (on the papacy), and just recently, 'John's Gospel' (a comprehensive Bible study guide and commentary).

STEVE RAY'S OPEN LETTER TO THE FILIPINO CATHOLICS: 

We stepped into the church and it was old and a bit dark.  Mass had just begun and we sat toward the front.  We didn't know what to expect here in Istanbul, Turkey.  I guess we expected it to be a sombre Mass but quiet and sombre it was not -- I thought I heard angels joyously singing behind me.

The voices were rich, melodic and beautiful.  What I discovered as I spun around to look did not surprise me because I had seen and heard the same thing in other churches around the world.  It was not a choir of angels with feathered wings and halos but a group of delightful Filipino Catholics with smiles of delight and joy on their faces as they worshiped God and sang His praises.

I had seen this many times before in Rome, in Israel, in the United States and other countries.

Filipinos have special traits and they are beautifully expressed as I gazed at the happy throng giving thanks to God.  What are the special traits which characterize these happy people?  I will share a few that I have noticed -- personal observations -- as I have travelled around the world, including visits to the Philippines.

FIRST, there is a sense of community, of family.  These Filipino Christians did not sit apart from each other in different isles.  They sat together, closely.  They didn't just sing quietly, mumbling, or simply mouthing the words.  No, they raised their voices in harmony together as though they enjoyed the sense of unity and communion among them.  They are family, even if they are not related.

SECOND, they have an inner peace and joy which is rare in the world today.  When most of the world's citizens are worried and fretful, I have found Filipinos to have joy and peace --  a deep sense of God's love that overshadows them. They have problems too, and many in the Philippines have less material goods than others in the world, yet there is still  a sense of happy trust in God and love of neighbour.

THIRD, there is a love for God and for His Son, Jesus, that is almost synonymous with the word Filipino.

There is also something that Filipinos are famous for around the world -- their love for the Blessed Mother.  Among the many Filipinos I have met, the affectionate title for Mary I always hear from their lips is "Mama Mary."  For these gentle folks, Mary is not just a theological idea, a historical person, or a statue in a church -- Mary is the Mother of their Lord and their mother as well, their "Mama."

The Philippines is a Catholic nation -- the only such nation in Asia -- and this wonderful country exports missionaries around the world..  They are not hired to be missionaries, not official workers of the church.  No, they are workers and educators, doctors, nurses and housekeepers that go to other lands and travel to the far reaches of the earth, and everywhere they go, they take the joyous Gospel of Jesus with them.  They make a sombre Mass joyful when they burst into song.  They convict the pagan of sin as they always keep the love of Jesus and the Eucharist central in their lives.

My hope and prayer, while I am here in the Philippines, sharing my conversion story from Baptist Protestant to Roman Catholic, is that the Filipino people will continue to keep these precious qualities.  I pray that they will continue loving their families, loving the Catholic Church, reading the Bible, loving Jesus, His Mother and the Eucharist.  As many other religions and sects try to persuade them to leave the Church, may God give them wisdom to defend the Catholic faith.

As the world tempts them to sin and seek only money and fame and power, may God grant them the serenity to always remember that obedience to Christ and love for God is far more important than all the riches the world can offer.  

May the wonderful Filipino people continue to be a light of the Gospel to the whole world! 

Be a proud Filipino and share this with your family and friends!

Pepita's Lechon... Philippines' best

Being "made in the Philippines," I have the great pleasure of promoting anything and everything that originates from that country.  Although it remains politically and economically challenged, the Philippines enjoys year-round abundance in cuisines.

It's been a very long while (almost three decades to be precise) since I have eaten this native delicacy fondly called lechon (pig roast).  The truth is, my mouth salivates from just looking at the pictures.  My BFF Josie forwarded these gustatorily delightful visuals (thanks, amiga!). 

There is a dinner story behind the pictures, but I'll let your imagination savor this extraordinary dining experience for yourself.  Eat your heart out!

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There are two ways to have Pepitas Lechon.  First is to come over to Dedet’s home and she will prepare a degustation meal with 3 lechons of your choice for 14 people.  Bring your own bottle of wine if you wish, sodas come with the dinner.  The second way is to just order the lechons from her and serve it in your home or parties.

That evening, she hosted our dinner.  Good thing I didn’t eat the whole day! I didn’t know they were going to serve 4 lechons!  I love the fact that everything in the menu is PINOY!  Even if it has a twist, the dishes are using PINOY ingredients.

Our degustation!  

Pinoy Pate made with balut

Pinoy caviar made with fish roe ( bihod )

This was supposed to be rellenong bulaklak but instead this crispy lumpia wrapper with quesong puti and melon was served

Pinoy pasta - Carbonara pasta with chicharon

You go to the terrace where there is a lady waiting by the lechon….waiting for us to come so she can cut the lechon

And here it is 

Always made with love 

Back to the table.  Dedet’s table normally fits 14 people but we were a little more than that that evening 

There is a palate cleanser after each lechon.  A Pinoy salad with mango, Chicco and longgan with a sampaloc brandy dressing

The next lechon was the GERMAN lechon 

Stuffed with herb, garlic, potato and pandan leaves!  YUMMY!!!  Dedet saw my plate and told me to go back to make sure I got the roasted garlic inside!  It made a world of difference so make sure not to forget the roasted garlic.

Palate Cleanser Calamansi Sherbet 

 

Third Lechon - CHINESE LECHON which had Machang rice inside - cashew nuts, castañas and mushrooms.  YUMMY!

Sabachara

And the last lechon

Dedet took me out to show me her pugon ovens where the pigs were cooked 

She has 4 pugon ovens!  These are all made by special order and takes about 3 months lead time to produce  

The last and my most favorite lechon was the FRENCH lechon with truffle rice.  YUMMY!!!

All the 4 lechons we had that evening!  WIPED OUT!!!  I think that a lot of the taste comes from the rice inside so I recommend that you eat the lechon together with the rice and do not eat any on its own or else you might say the rice is too salty or the lechon did not have much taste.  Have the complete experience by eating it together.

Dedet said that at the end of the day, all the leftover from the dinners, she divides it among the staff at her place so they can take it home to their family.

 

Cholestreol Sweeper - Champorado made with oats 

Dedet’s daughter, Darna, who prepared her special concoction called Darna’s Surprise  

I liked it! Darna will be selling this in her booth in the upcoming BEST FOOD FORWARD

Homemade Sorbetes - Guava ice cream  

Special Dessert which Dedet explained she dumps all her favorite sweets on this - it’s sticky rice with Choc Nut, pastillas, peanut brittle etc etc  

Dedet gives a comment card at the end of the meal to everyone, I wrote her a Thank you note Thank you Dedet for discovering a great way to serve lechon! 

Snapshot of US history

Thank you, Josie (my awesome BFF), for sharing this piece!

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1910 Ford Model R 



Show this to your friends!   This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine! 

The year is 1910, a little over one hundred years ago.  What a difference a century makes! 

Here are some statistics for the Year 1910:

****************************************************************************************************

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years. 

Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only. 

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. 

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. 

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads. 

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. 

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower ! 

The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour. 

The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year. 

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian  between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. 

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME. 

Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.' 

Sugar cost four cents a pound. 

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. 

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. 

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason. 

The Five leading causes of death were:
  1. Pneumonia and influenza
   2. Tuberculosis
   3. Diarrhea
   4. Heart disease
   5. Stroke 

The American flag had 45 stars. 

The population of Las Vegas , Nevada , was only 30! 

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet. 

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. 

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. 

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. 

Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.' 

( Shocking? DUH! ) 

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help. 

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U. S. A. ! 

I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself.
From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD -- all in a matter of seconds! 

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Increasing our capacity to enjoy life

Right off the bat, let me state that I LOVE the following piece.  This blog site came to life post-Thanksgiving in 2010 promoting the value of gratitude.  Since then contributions from caring friends and family have graced this page, a blessing I am sincerely thankful for. 

My goal in keeping up this site is to be the Voice of positive minds and grateful hearts.  Believe me, as every Google publisher knows, it is not an easy routine to keep a blog site alive!  My hope is that I am succeeding by inspiring hope, joy and gratitude.

BFF Josie's friend Rollie contributed this awesome material for which I am deeply grateful.  Thanks, R&J!

* * *

Increase Your Capacity To Enjoy Life

Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalms 34:8)

Yes, God is good.

But do you taste His goodness?

Do you savor it? Do you feel it? Do you experience it? Do you delight in it? Revel and dance and sing in it?

God isn’t only good to you, He also wants you to enjoy His goodness.

If God gives a man wealth and property and lets him enjoy them, he should be grateful and enjoy what he has worked for. It is a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 5:19)

Did you notice? The words “grateful” and “enjoy” happen at the same time.

Here’s God’s big message for you today: The more grateful you are, the more you’ll enjoy your blessings!

Two years ago, someone came up to me, asking for prayers.

With much anger, this person said, “Please pray for me, Brother Bo. I feel so bad. My heart is so heavy. I’m a salesman. I got P350,000 in commission…”

I looked at the person in a funny way. I wondered to myself, “what’s so bad about that?”

As if to answer my question, the person said, “It should have been P500,000! But I didn’t reach my quota by just a few pesos. Because of that technicality, I didn’t get half a million. I got P350,000 only…”

After praying for the salesman, I went backstage.

A friend of mine was waiting for me there.

When I saw her, she was smiling from ear to ear. She said, “Bo, I’m so happy! I just received a P3000 increase in my salary!”

I laughed.

Why was one person complaining about P350,000—and another person enjoying her P3000?

There was only one difference between these two people: Gratitude!

Let me say it again: The more grateful you are, the more you’ll enjoy your blessings.

Your gratitude is directly proportionate to your enjoyment.

The more grateful you are, the more enjoyment you feel.

The less grateful you are, the less enjoyment you feel.

Are you grateful?

Warning:

When You’re Not Grateful For The Blessings,

You May Lose Them

A man came up to me, totally broken.

He was very open to me. He said, “Eight years ago, I had an affair. I broke up with my wife of 16 years. I also left my 3 children. I chose this younger, sexier girl. At that time, I really thought I was doing the right thing.”

He went on. “Recently, that younger, sexier girl is now seeing a younger, sexier man.” Suddenly, he was tasting his own bitter medicine.

“Bo, I regret what I did. Eight years ago, I had it all. I had a wife and kids. We were happy together. I didn’t appreciate what I had. Now, I’ve lost everything.”

This is very common: We don’t know the blessings we have until we lose them.

To Enjoy A Blessing,

You Need To Know It’s a Blessing

Learn to enjoy what you have.

Do you have a baby at home? When you have dirty diapers to change, that’s a blessing. Because that means your baby can pee and poo. Believe me, if one day, your baby can’t poo, you’ll be crying non-stop, praying on your knees until he poos.

And when your kids are noisy, that’s a blessing. Yesterday, my son celebrated his birthday party at home with 583 kids. Actually, there were only 5 kids. But they sounded like 583. And the amount of toys littered on the floor, you’d think it was a battlefield of Armaggedon. Grrrrr!

I repeat: When your kids are noisy, and you feel irritated, that’s a blessing. First of all, that means your kids are still at home. A day will come when your kids will grow up and leave you. And one day, you’ll be living in an empty, quiet house. And you’ll be praying for the noise to come back! Oh, enjoy the noise while it lasts.

And when you have a pile of stinky laundry in your laundry basket, that’s a blessing. That means God has blessed you with nice clothes to wear.

When you have dirty dishes to wash in your sink, that’s a blessing. That means God has blessed you with delicious food to eat, and family and friends to eat with you.

When you have to pay taxes, that’s a blessing. That means you earned money. So many people don’t have money.

When you have problems with your boss, that’s a blessing. That means you have a job. So many people are looking for jobs and can’t find any.

Remember, there are two kinds of blessings…

Two Kinds Of Blessings

Not all blessings are created equal.

Some blessings are temporary.

Some blessings are permanent.

In 2009, my friends—a married couple—lost everything they owned when typhoon Ondoy ravaged their home. The flood rose up so quickly, they couldn’t save a thing—not their cash, not their jewelry, not any of their appliances, or furniture, or clothes…

But they were able to save their kids.

When I visited them, all they possessed were the clothes they were wearing. But the father told me something very moving, I’ll never forget what he said.

“Bo, we lost everything,” he explained, “but today, as we hug our kids, we feel as though we have everything.”

What happened?

My friends realized the difference between permanent blessings and temporary blessings.

Yes, our loved ones do die. I lost my father three years ago, but I still love him. And I know that I’ll meet him again. Because death is temporary and Heaven is permanent.

Here’s what I realized: When you enjoy your permanent blessings (love, people, relationships), you’ll be able to also enjoy your temporary blessings.

Let me explain.

Because I love being with my wife, my kids, and my friends, I take 10 small vacations a year.

If I didn’t enjoy my relationships, it wouldn’t matter if I take my vacations in Paris or London or Moscow or Monoco—I still won’t enjoy them.

But if I enjoy my relationships, we can take our vacation in Luneta Park (public park in Manila), and I’ll enjoy it!

Enjoy Your Greatest Blessing

Let me end with one last story.

One day, a young man was graduating from college.

Before his graduation, he told his father (in many indirect ways) about his dream car. He told him the brand, the model, the color…

The father never told him he was going to give him a car as a graduation gift—but the son was expecting it. He knew his father was rich and could afford it.

After the graduation ceremonies and family dinner, the father said to the son, “I love you so much son. I’m so proud of you. And I prepared a very special gift for you.”

The son’s heart was filled with expectation.

The father led his son to the master’s bedroom. He then handed to him a small box.

The son was disappointed. But out of curiosity, he opened the box. When he lifted the lid, he saw a leather Bible inside with his name embossed on the cover.

The son shook his head and became very angry. He shouted, “With all your money, this is all you could give me?”

He threw the gift on the floor and stormed out of the room. He stormed out of the house. He stormed out of their lives.

He left home and travelled far away. He found a job in another city. The parents tried to reach him, but he never answered their calls.

A couple of years later, the son received the news that his father had died. Convicted, he decided to visit the family.

Upon returning home, his heart was filled with sadness and regret. He walked into the bedroom of his father.

And he saw, at the side-table beside the bed, was a familiar box. He opened the box and saw again the Bible with his name embossed on its cover.

With tears, he picked it up and began leafing through the pages.

As he did, he felt something sticking at the back.

He turned the Bible over. And there he saw, taped on the back cover, was a key.

The father gave him his dream car, after all. But he didn’t enjoy this “temporary gift” because he didn’t enjoy the “permanent gift” his father gave him—a relationship with God.

God isn’t only the Blesser.

He is also the Greatest Blessing you’ll ever receive.

Enjoy Him!

May your dreams come true.