Covid 19, How to Avoid Getting Infected.

I do not have a formal education in medicine and I do not claim to know more than any expert in the field of medicine  but  I believe experience is the best teacher, prevention is better than cure  and natural treatment is almost always the best choice.

Since Covid 19 is the talk of the whole world today.   let us talk about how to avoid getting it and if you have it , how can you help yourself.

All the methods mentioned here have been proven effective by a number of people who had close contacts asymptomatic Covid positive. While others were infected those who do these methods (by God's grace) were not.  Therefore, it is wise to conclude that these methods should be done by everyone unmindful of whether you go out of your house or not and all the more if you go out  for whatever reason.  Take note that even if you don't go out, you can still get the virus through the things that were bought outside like grocery items and the likes. 

1.   Gargle with warm salt water 3 or more times a day. Dissolve a spoonful of salt in a full glass of warm water and gargle the solution not just within your mouth but up to your throat for a few seconds before spitting it out. Repeat the procedure until the full glass is done.

2. Drink boiled ginger while it is yet warm in the morning and before you go to sleep. ( A mixture of white and yellow ginger is healthier).  The pungent and spicy taste of white ginger can strengthen your throat and can kill the virus while it is still in your mouth while the yellow ginger is packed with health benefits that can boost your immune system.

3.  Drink pure calamansi or lemon juice.  If your stomach is not sensitive to its very sour taste then good for you because the sour taste can also kill the virus in your mouth.  If you can't drink this puree then add warm water with salt. 

4.  Have a daily intake of Sodium Ascorbate(generic or branded whichever fits your budget),  two capsules a day will help a lot.

5. Take Malunggay or Moringa smoothie every day or every other day. This is packed with all the necessary vitamins that boost your immune system.  To neutralize the strong bitter taste of moringa you may add lemon juice or any better tasting fruit like avocado, apple or whatever is available in your kitchen.  Put a handful of moringa with a little water and your desired fruit in a blender then make a smoothie and drink immediately.  This will undoubtedly strengthen your immune system.

6.  So much has been said about eating well-balanced  diet wearing mask, washing hands with soap and water, sanitizing with alcohol and the likes so I need not explain this but this is very necessary so never skip them.

Please note that the above procedures are not just for prevention but also for those who already have Covid but asymptomatic.  Let me tell you about 3 of my friends who got infected  but were asymptomatic. They chose to be isolated at home instead of going to the hospital but with proper monitoring by the Health Emergency Response Team of their community.  They do these procedures each day and by God's grace,  they got negative results sooner than expected.

Those who have health issues  such as diabetes, asthma, pneumonia and other lung and even heart disease must do these to avoid acquiring the corona virus.   It is sad to say but based on facts, they are the ones who find it hard to recover from Covid so why risk your lives when you can do something to avoid the virus?

The above procedures may sound too time-consuming and will require some effort on your part but it will definitely protect your.  Covid-19 is no joke so let us be serious in fighting against it lest we end up being delivered in a jar.

Above all God is our shield and protector.  Let us trust Him and keep begging for his mercy and grace. He alone can keep us safe and He alone can put an end to this pandemic.

Be safe everyone and God bless you all.

How To Whiten Underarms

The Internet has a lot of suggestion on how to whiten dark underarms.  I also have one and his does not use any chemical. An all natural way is always the safest although it will require more labor and will not yield an instant result. But I assure you that if you will use this method religiously, you will yield a positive result.

You will need baking powder, lemon juice, and powderized tawas crystals (alum). Make sure the Tawas is as fine as baking powder to avoid irritating your underarm and worsening your underarm condition.

Make an equal mixture of  finest Tawas powder and Baking powder. So if you will use one tablespoon of Tawas, you will also use one tablespoon of baking powder.  Mix thoroughly, then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Mix well to make a smooth paste.  If you need to add more juice to get the desired consistency then do.  After shower, apply this mixture on your underarms, just as how you apply deodorant cream. This mixture will actually keep you safe from underarm odor as well.  repeat at least three times a day. Do it religiously and in a month you will surely see great result, keep doing it and soon your underarms will be as white as you desire. Try it ladies, you will not regret.  You want an evidence?  Look below.  Sorry I am just too shy to show my face so I have to hide under smiley's  face.

My Underarm on Display

Review of EasyMaxx Mosquito Killer from ShopTV

So you read  from my title the clear warning, don't you ever buy EasyMaxx Mosquito Killer that ShopTv has been selling.   This is a friendly advice to anyone who might be allured by this seemingly fake product. I assure you that this product is a big waste of money. I bought one and I truly regretted it. This product does not effectively kill mosquitoes at all.  It could only kill one or two by chance but not exactly how it was described by ShopTv's ads.  

Unfortunately, I was unable to return it because I tried to give this product the benefit of the doubt.  I thought I might not be doing the instructions correctly because the instructions are written in foreign language, it might be German perhaps.  There is very limited English instructions though which I followed to the letter.  But still I got no satisfactory result from this Easy Maxx.  So after 2 days of not getting the promised benefits, I called ShopTV's CSR twice to ask about how to use the product, and how to charge to make sure I am following the written instructions correctly. So I found out I was doing it correctly but how come lots of mosquitoes are still lingering around my room at night when this product is fully charged and and its blue light glowing well?  Again, I gave the product some more chance to prove its worth only to find out later that the 7 days return period has already lapsed.  Sorry for me.

Easy Maxx Mosquito Killer

 The picture above is that of EasyMaxx Mosquito Killer.  I bought this item from ShopTV,  a 24/7 shopping channel in the Philippines.  Below is a screenshot of the how it was advertised on ShopTv's website:

It was also written in that same Ad the following "Benefits" of this product:
BENEFITS: 
• Effectively protects home against airborne insects
• Killing mosquitos prevents diseases, like dengue and malaria 
• No chemicals or scents
• Solar power saves electricity 
• Cordless 
• Easy to attach to the window with its suction cups
• Easy to clean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Diei4Kst6Wo

And what more? They even posted the video ad at YouTube This actually made me decide to buy.  I thought this is truly the solution to my mosquito problem.

I BELIEVE THIS PRODUCT IS FAKE 

Why do I think this product is fake?  Because in the written instructions, it was written that If there is question about this product just contact the CS department: www.service-shopping.de.   And googled the said address and here is the page that I got as a result:   https://www.dspro.de/kundenservice/

So excited was I,I  thought this site could answer my queries about the product.  The site is in foreign language so I had it translated to English by  Google.   I could not find any link that will lead me to customer service, so what I did is to click the link to the list of their products to see if EasyMaxx Mosquito Killer is listed.  But I spent long hours searching the whole household product page but found no such kind of product there.  There were other EasyMaxx products there but no Mosquito killer at all.  What is this?  Is EasyMaxx Mosquito Killer a fake product hiding a borrowed brand?  Now I know for sure that I was scammed.  So may this serve as a warning to all of you.  Don't be scammed like me ok.   By the way, I wrote review on ShopTv website about this product but up  to now they have not posted it. 

EasyMaxx is lighting but not able to catch mosquitoes at all

The Product Manual are mostly written in foreign language

EasyMaxx Packaging

Review of Bokuk Mix and Go Blender from O Shopping

I am so disappointed with this defective Bokuk Mix & Go Blender that I bought from O Shopping.  It made me hate this product and O-Shopping while blaming myself for being so trusting.

It was delivered to me on November 7, 2018.  When the product was delivered to me, I noticed the box was not sealed anymore so I checked the box.  Upon opening the box, I saw all the components there: the Green and White Base Body, 2 Green Tumblers with lid, one Stainless Steel Blade Assembly, and two Free Tumblers in Blue and Orange color. 

I then paid the delivery man the amount of P1,511.30.  This product was on sale so I got it at lower price.  Upon receiving the payment, I asked the delivery man if he needs some drink, he then asked for some water so I immediately refill his water jug with cold water and gave it to him. The he thanked me and left immediately.

Did I miss doing something. Yes!   I did not test if the product was working before paying him. I was so trusting, I was thinking they will not deliver defective product but I was wrong.  It was too late for me to realize that I should not trust when it comes to products purchased online.  I kind of blamed myself for not doing the most important thing before paying the delivery man. For the record, I've purchased some kitchenwares from O-Shopping for two times already but this is my first time to buy small kitchen appliance from them.  

 I was already familiar with how to operate this Mix and Go Blender because I kept watching the video on how to use it at Youtube even before I purchased the product.  But even before operating it I checked the enclosed User Manual just the same to make sure I was operating it correctly,

             

                       The User Manual

                                

                                  The Method of Use

I put slices of cucumber and melons in one of the tumblers, fastened the blending lid and closed it tightly and made sure there was no spillage. I then, placed the tumbler on the blender base as instructed. I made sure the arrow on the lid was aligned with the arrow on the base.  Upon securing the tumbler I pushed it downward and twisted.  Upon locking the tumbler in place this Bokuk Mix and Go Blender should immediately start the job of blending but it did not.   I checked  if the power chord was plugged correctly and it was. I tried over and over again to operate Bokuk but it would not respond.  I got so exhausted and blamed myself for not testing this product before paying the delivery man.

Then I remembered my sister. She has this same product which she purchased several months back.  I drove my way to his home carrying my Bokuk and upon reaching her place,  I tried using her Blending Base to blend the fruits on my tumbler but it did not work.  Then we tried using my sister's Blending Base on my tumbler. Upon securing it on my Blending Base, I twisted it and as it locked, it blended immediately and completed the job.  So the problem was detected. It was the Blending Lid. This is obviously defective.

The Blending Lid is the defective part the prevented this product from blending

So what would I do?  I called O Shopping Customer Care Hotline of course to report the problem.  And what was their response after hearing my problem?   The CSR told me it would take some 12 days or more before this product will be picked up for replacement.  OH MY GOD!!!!  

So here I am, it's been 5 days and I have yet to hear from them.  It looks like I had to wait for 12 days indeed and if not, I must report this to the proper authorities.

Update on this product after 8 months:

In fairness to O-shopping, I got the replacement in 12 days and the product worked well for quite sometime.  But unfortunately after barely 8 months now... just this morning when I was making cucumber smoothie, it just stops spinning.  I thought, I would just throw away this product and buy another blender, but after few days I realized I should call O-shopping about this. Well, they told me the product is still under warranty and so I should wait for 5 days and someone will come to me to pick up this defective product for replacement.  Well, that impressed me. At least they are not like this poor ShopTV that will require you to pay for the cost of shipping of broken products when it is already past 7 days even if the product is still under warranty period. 

So I will just update you if they will indeed replace this broken Bokuk.  

Update on O-Shopping's promise  to pick up my broken Bokuk.  

They  picked up the defective Bokuk after more than  a month finally.  I called them on the second week of July regarding the problem but the product was picked up only yesterday, August 19.  Now my next problem is when would they deliver the replacement for this product?  Will it take them another month, or more?  Well, I just have to wait and see.

Final update on my Broken Bokuk   

This time I must say O-shopping was able to please me.  The replacement comes to me in 5 days.  Just this morning, August 24 a new Bokuk was delivered to me and it is working well.   So I must say everything is okay now.  I just hope this replacement will last long.

Comparison between O-Shopping and Shoptv

I could not help but compare the services of these two Online Shops in the Philippines.  O-shopping although not perfect is far better, they give fair deal to their customers as far as my experience is concerned.  Like in this case, they pulled out the broken Bokuk and delivered a new one  to me without charging me any shipping fee.  This is so unlike 0-shopping who delivered me 2 broken Mosquito repeller and when I asked them for replacement, they told me I need to send back to them at my expense.  So beware of  Shoptv.  If you want to know more about my experience here you can refer to this blog  http://myhealthyplanet.blogspot.com/2019/07/beware-dont-buy-easymaxx-mosquito.html

Review of Sclerotherapy at D'Spa and Skin Care Center

The Cheaper Deal for Sclerotherapy at Metrodeal Enticed Me

I visited the internet some few weeks ago and saw a cheaper deal for Sclerotherapy at Metrodeal. I have been scouting for a cheaper deal for this procedure because I have varicose veins and spider veins on my legs. I already inquired from another clinic, the Skin Station, about Sclerotherapy and they charge PHP2,000 per session.   So I got so excited upon seeing that this deal from D'Spa and Skin Care Clinic was for PHP699 per session only.  (By the way this D'Spa and Skin Care Clinic is also selling vouchers at Metro Deal under the name of Eslendre Body Sculpting and Slimming Center. I had this conclusion because they are operating in one and the same office and they have the same staff.)

Getting a Schedule for my Treatment Took Some Two Weeks

Before buying a voucher, I called first their Alabang branch  to book a reservation because based on my previous experiences on their  facial treatments deals  I know  that booking an appointment will not be that easy. Well, I was told that the doctor was then in America and would be back within the week.  They told me they'd call me back to give me a schedule.  I was also told that I have the option to just pay directly to their clinic instead of buying vouchers from Metrodeal because they also charge the same  amount even without voucher.  So I decided to take this option.

After some two weeks of waiting, I finally got a call from D'Spa about my appointment with their doctor so I went there as scheduled. 

I Made the Mistake of Signing an Unexplained Waiver

 Upon arrival, the doctor was not yet in but  I was a given by an attendant, a waiver to sign.  The waiver states the Doctor has explained the stated facts there about the procedure to be done on me. I was quite hesitant  to sign because there was nothing explained to me yet.  But, I thought, maybe this is just to facilitate the procedure and that the doctor will explain when she arrives and so I signed the waiver. By the way, the name of the doctor is Rosemarie Arellano Deles.

 Unfortunately the doctor came very, very late. Instead of 4:00 PM, she came at 6:00 PM and when she arrived she did not explain anything at all. She just instructed an attendant to lead me to a bed where I was asked to lie on my back. 

No Local Anesthetic 

 I was lying on my back, the attendant wiped my legs with alcohol while the lady doctor was busy talking with another patient in a nearby bed who was undergoing a laser treatment. I asked the attendants if they will apply local anesthetic but they said the pain is tolerable and there is no need for such.  I was somewhat shocked because the doctor from the skin clinic where I first inquired assured me that she will apply topical local anesthetic on my legs before the procedure. Believe me, I did not know if I would back out or proceed, I was somewhat worried and scared the pain won't be that tolerable. But since the attendant told me it was not painful, I stayed.

The Rude Doctor Offered a Package

When the doctor came to me, she examined my spider veins and told me I should rather get a package so I can save because one or two sessions will not be enough for my legs.  I asked her how much is the cost of the package and I was told PHP10,000.00.  I could not believe it was that much because the first clinic which charges PHP2,000.00 per session was charging me PHP12,000.00 so obviously this doctor was cheating me when she quoted PHP10,000, considering the fact that her price per session is only PHP699 and no local anesthetic at all?  So I told her I don't have that much money and  then she said, she will give it at HP8,000.  But I told her I only have PHP4000 on hand so I was kind of asking her if she will accept 50% payment.

I Felt Mishandled By this Rude Doctor

Now this doctor without even answering my question started injecting my veins on my left leg.  The first injection was like a bite of ant so I tolerated it, but as she went on injecting, it was becoming painful so I was telling her about the pain. But she was unmindful and and then later she asked me if I  have Hematoma as she noticed, the injections on my legs turned to dark bruises.  She then stopped and in uncaring tone told me she could only do that far and I had to just come back next  time because of that. Then her two attendants then put bandage on my left leg.

This Rude Doctor has the Habit of Not Explaining 

This doctor was so uncaring and not even telling me the details of what will I do next not until I asked her.   She told me I had to take a blood thinner  for a week and handed me some capsules and ointment without even explaining why and how and then made herself busy with another thing.  I was all along trying to control my temper.

The Rude Doctor OverCharged Me and Issued no Official Receipt

And  then she was charging me. PHP4,700.  She said I had to pay for the 4 sessions of Sclerotherapy which she just did on me and the rest is for the cost of the medicines. Before paying, I asked her when will I return and she replied after two weeks. Then I asked her if my spider veins one the injected part will vanish and she answered me, it all depends.  So this means I could not be given an assurance at all even if it is very clear that their advertisement states "sessions of sclerotherapy can do a lot to dramatically make protruding, too-obvious red, purple, and blue blood vessels shrink, flatten, and basically disappear from your skin’s surface" but she was telling me on that particular hour that it all depends.  I felt so devastated.  This doctor is not worth being trusted. She did not even issue official receipt so I am kind of tempted to report her to the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 

The Rude Doctor Showed More Rudeness

When I asked her what would I do to help myself,  she coldy told me to wear compression stockings and even if I was about to make a follow up question, she went to another room without even excusing herself. She was so rude.  I promised myself never to return for the succeeding sessions anymore.

Overpriced Medicine and Ointment 

To make sure she could not cheat me any further I rejected all the medicines and ointment she was asking me to pay. (Photos attached below.)   I thought  I can buy those medicines in the drugstore  for cheaper amount perhaps, so I told her I don't have enough money so I returned all the medicines and asked her to just give me a Prescription so I can buy later..  She did but did not even complete the writing of the Prescription so I complained and it was her attendant who wrote the name of the ointment. 

When  I went to the drugstore, I was able to confirm that she was really charging too much on medicines because  I was able to buy the blood thinner, Vessel Duo for only PHP50.50 per tablet and ointment for only PHP201.75. 

Vessel Duo tablet - the blood thinner. 

Hydrocortison Cream

Progress on my Legs after 11 Days

It has been 11 days now since the procedure but apart from the disappearance of bruises, it looks like the spider veins were not even reduced.  Of course I know I still have to go through some more sessions but I hope I should at least see some signs of vanished spider veins from the 4 sessions.

Here are the relevant photos you may want to see :

This is my left leg 4 hours after the 4 sessions of Sclerotherapy as I removed the bandage

On the 4th day.  My bruises were starting to lighten.

On the 7th day. The bruises were almost gone.  Note that my right leg has not yet been treated

In conclusion, I would say that this clinic is giving very low rate for Sclerotherapy just to entice people to buy vouchers.  Low price is equal to poor service as far as this rude doctor is concerned.  The rude doctor's trick is obviously to make buyers of cheap vouchers to come to her office so she could offer them  much more expensive package along with overpriced medicines and ointments.  Avoid being another victim, don't buy at all.

Andrographic Peneculata, or Serpentina Effective Herbal Cure for Psoriasis

Of course you know what Psoriasis is.  If you are reading this blog, it is certainly because you have Psoriasis or any of your friend or loved one so you are interested to read this post.  I am  not here to explain or detail what this skin disease is, neither would I take time to talk what causes this disease. I am certain you already know a lot about those issues.

I am here to share to tell you how a friend of mine was cured  of  this chronic skin problem.  He was almost hopeless, have lost self-confidence, and have avoided social life because he was so embarrassed with his ugly skin until one day, he accidentally discovered the healing effect of Andrographic Peneculata  which is more commonly known in the Philippines by the name of Serpentinata

A neighbor gave him a Andrographic Peneculata or Serpentina plant which he planted in his backyard.  The plant is know to cure Urinary tract infection, kidney problem, cough and even hypertension in the neighborhood.  One day my friend had a bad cough and he remembered the Serpentina plant.  He took around seven leaves of the plant, crumpled them and place the crumpled leaves in one cup of hot water and drank it. It was very bitter but he managed to finish the whole cup and repeated drinking a cup two more times within the day.  For 3 days he was drinking this concoction thrice a day and he felt better. In a week time, his cough was gone.

But the good news in not only his cough was cured  but he noticed his skin texture is also improving. He thought this could be caused by Serpentina so he decided to make it a daily habit to drink the Serpentina concoction.  Day after day, he could notice  his skin was getting better and better.  After some two months, his skin turned almost normal.  He kept drinking the concoction and few months  more he was totally healed.

So those of you who have Psoriasis, you better just drink Serpentina concoction.  I hope you have this plant in your garden.  I saw one blog that talks of Serpentina but the photos in that blog did not match the appearance of the Serpentina plant that healed my friend.  For your guidance, just please take note of the photos displayed in this post so you will not get confused.

The Joy of Breastfeeding

Surveys show that many women do not like breastfeeding. Some are concerned with maintaining the shape and firmness of their busts while others are unable to bear the pain that goes with it. Apart from these reasons, many can't afford to be just tied up with the child until his weaning period for one reason or another.

 My own experiences proved that breastfeeding takes some sacrifice indeed. There were pains involved and some liberty to give up but I was resolved to give the best milk to my baby at all cost. I have no regrets. I learned breastfeeding is a beautiful sacrifice. It was so painful at first. I would be honest enough to admit that through the pain there were times I was tempted to surrender. At first, my breasts were not seemed ready to give out the milk. My child kept sucking but was not getting enough and my breasts were hurting. He was hungry and crying but my breasts could not satisfy him. That was very bothersome. Should we just both quit? Would it not be better if I put my breasts to rest in favor of bottled milk for his benefit?

 But I decided not to quit. If there is a will there is a way. I gave my baby bottled milk for the time being. but I did not stop there. I went through one-time traditional breast massage to stimulate the production of milk and I consumed lots of boiled malungay (moringga) leaves soup. Then it was like magic. My breast was soon overflowing with milk and ready to nourish my baby boy. Each time I'd breastfeed my child, I'd experience a heavenly endearing connection with him.  It all the more proved that this child of mine is part of me. It was a beautiful union of mother and child, so beautiful beyond my lips could describe. One thing was so sure though. Our love for each other grew more and more.

 Every time I’d feel his tender hands touching my breast I knew he was dependent on me. He needed me more than anyone and for that he loved me more than anyone. I loved him even more and felt all the more obligated to keep feeding him to the last drop of milk from my breast. It is true that mothers can be great mothers even if they don’t breastfeed. However,  the experience of sustaining the healthy life of your child with the milk that flows out of your own breasts is beyond compare. I am blessed that I did not miss this wonderful part of motherhood.