Our Lifestyle and its Music: For Overseas Filipino Workers in Thailand

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017 Edencita Olaer Filipinos in Thailand. OFWs in Thailand, Lifestyle, Music

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I was prompted to write this because the number of mortality of Overseas Filipino Workers in Thailand due to health issues is increasing. Most of the causes are hypertension and heart related diseases. Our Thailand-based online magazines such as The Pinoy Legacy and Pinoy Thaiyo have kept us abreast with the situation of our kababayans here in the kingdom. Can you imagine yourself getting sick and be confined in the hospital with no one else to take care of you because you are alone in a foreign land? And even if you have lots of friends, most of them have work. That situation alone is terrifying enough to imagine. No one likes it to happen in his own self.

Dahil Overseas Filipino Workers tayo, bawal magkasakit. Agree or not, it’s about time to reassess ourselves on these following songs:

Read: Philippines tops skilled workers list in Thailand

Too Much Food (by Jason Mraz)

Our fate is in our plate. Have you tried bearing in mind the nutrients, calories, fats, sugar, cholesterol etc. our plate contains every meal? How about when we treat ourselves after a long month’s work with sumptuous dinner? The monthly birthday parties here and there, and other occasions which are celebrated with food are just wow! And to justify it, we usually say “minsan lang naman to.”

While our tongue and our palate are appreciating all the goodies we munch, lest we forget that our hearts and intestines are also burdened. Meaty and fatty foods give much work to our grinder, which are our intestines, and the cholesterol they take along narrowed the vessels where our blood flows during the circulation process.

Try to use the search engine in your computer and type “junk food” image. You will be amazed because the food that will appear on the screen ay yong mga paborito mo. Well, these foods make you overfed yet malnourished.

Let’s get Physical (Olivia- Newton John)

I don’t know why mostly in the afternoon when we are very tired from work, all we want to do is just eat and sit while scrolling our phones, or just watch TV. When was the last time you walk, jog, sit-up; or do aerobics, Zumba, lift weights etc.? If you did it just yesterday, then I would congratulate you! How often you’ve been doing this? If your answer is twice or thrice a week, then cheers to you! You are indeed a health or body conscious individual.

Dr. Amen in his book “Use Your BRAIN to Change Your AGE” mentioned that physical ability improves your heart ability to pump blood through your body, which increases blood flow to your brain. Better blood flow equals better overall brain function. Or I should say better body condition.

Something in the Water (Carrie Underwood )

Have you tried drinking one liter of glasses every morning? If you used to eat “junk food,” salty and richly seasoned food, and drink colored drinks such as cola and other unnatural drinks and to mention alcoholic beverages, it’s about time to bathe your kidney with pure water. Try one liter of water after waking up, just be sure it is still 2 hours before you go to your work place for you will eliminate a lot of it later. No one is exempted in this health law, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. One important thing to consider is avoid drinking water while you are partaking your meal. Drink one glass of water 30 minutes before meals to help digestion and one hour after meal to absorb the nutrients.

Good day Sunshine (The Beatles)

While people in other countries experience only once in a blue moon sunshine, here in Thailand we are over exposed with it. Mostly in tropical countries, the early part of the day or from 7 am to 10 am is the best time to get vitamin D, for beyond 10 am UV rays are higher. The major function of Vitamin D is to help our body absorbs calcium and phosphorous, which are very important for our bones and teeth. As stated by Dr. Amen, low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with obesity, depression, cognitive impairment, heart disease, reduced immunity, cancer psychosis and all levels of mortality.

Self – Control ( Laura Branigan)

Self-control is the synonym of temperance and it comes in many forms. Not only in our food intake but it applies pretty much to everything. Anger is one thing we need to control. Time is an indispensable commodity that is mostly wasted. God give it to us fairly and freely but it is the most abused goods. We lost our control when we use it especially for entertainment and self –satisfaction. We tend to forget what’s necessary because we are lured of the things we are into, and we abused our body once we lack sleep. Facebooking, Youtubing, on-line gaming are good example of those. As the saying goes, ”Everything that is too much is a sin.”

No Air (Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown)

If you are living in a highly urbanized cities, I’m sure you are deprived of fresh air. Pure air is a first class food. Raul Escobar in his book “Health Now” states that pure air feeds the body by supplying the chemical, solar, electrical and the vital energy our body needs. Even though we are working in this hot place especially on summer days and the only way to soothe the hotness of the body is to lock ourselves in air-conditioner powered room, we still need to go out under the trees and get plenty of pure air. And if you are smoking you are depriving your own self from being healthy parang kanta lang na “ Killing Me Softly,” much more you are allowing your friends and others to be second hand smokers.

I Need a Break ( Andrew Applepie)

Ang buhay ng titser is full of challenging tasks, the teaching per se, lesson preparations, unmanageable students, paper checking, the bosses and more. It’s hard to imagine how do you make it not to mention the extra classes after work, the fully loaded schedule during Saturdays and Sundays, buti na lang may pang love-life time pa si titser. If our bodies can speak up, I’m sure they would shout,” Give me a break, please.” We need REST. One of the fastest ways to age is by getting less than seven hours of sleep at night, Dr. Amen remarked. People who typically get six hours of sleep or less have lower overall blood flow to the brain, which in turn hurts its function. God has given us seven days a week, why not spend one day to rest. For your health sake, come’ on guys pahinga na man.

Lead Me Lord ( Gary Valenciano)

Raised and born in a Christian county, most Overseas Filipino Workers have this “Trust in Divine Power” which is the most powerful sandata why we survived in a foreign land. Our connection with Him must be maintained in a daily basis. That’s why we need to read HIS WORD (Bible), talk to him in prayer, go to church and listen to His words. All of these would help us grow spiritually and have a closer relationship with God. And when hard times strike, we can still sing “Kung wala ka ng maintindihan, kung wala ka ng makapitan …” If we want God to lead us, we must also have the initiative to COME TO HIM.

Most importantly, we also need to know our vital statistics, such as our blood pressure, sugar count, weight, our waistline and others. Aba, bakit kasali ang bewang dyan? Because the measure of our waistline is an indicator if a person is in a good or bad shape. Basic Math teaches us the concept of proportion. If your waistline is not proportionate to your height, weight, bust and hip lines then this is alarming. It’s time to go over again to the things mentioned above.

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