Many people are able to control their weight just by kicking the snack habit. The calories you get from snacking can add up to an extra meal—a big one at that.

I find it hard to write on this topic because I, myself, love to eat snacks anytime of the day. Nonetheless, reminders such as this could make us realize the hazards this could bring, especially if it gets overboard.

Stop for a moment and think of the foods you snack on. Do you reach for a banana, or do you unwrap a chocolate bar? Do you munch raw vegetables, or tear into a bag of chips? Most people opt for high-sugar, high-fat, high-salt goodies to get them from one meal to the next. If you want to lose weight, you must deal with that snack habit. Here are some hints to help make you change:

- Don’t snack for the wrong reasons. People snack for many reasons besides hunger. Some people use it as a way to release stress. Others feel guilty taking a break. To them, eating something is a way to legitimize a needed  rest. Do you snack only when you’re hungry, or do you use snacks to meet other needs? Think about this, then write down some of your reasons for snacking.

- Start with good breakfast. Beating the snack habit begins with a hearty breakfast. It should provide plenty of complex carbohydrates for lasting energy. Let whole grains, which are high in these carbohydrates, form the core of the meal.

- Watch out for triggers. Many habits, snacking included, are linked to signals from your environment. For example, you might get the urge for a candy bar whenever you pass a convenience store at work. Or there might be a certain television commercial that makes you want to open a bag of chips. What triggers your urge to snack?

- Develop alternate behaviours. How do you fight a snack attack? By doing other things that disrupt the pattern. If you are bogged down in your work and need a boost, go for a quick walk to the corner and back. Drink a glass of water rather than the usual soda. If you must eat something, try a piece of fruit or some raw vegetables.

Dr. Joy Bareng

Doctor’s Prescription to Health

Most people don’t realize that common, over the counter drugs can have unpleasant or even dangerous side effects. In the medical world, new and more effective wonder drugs are being discovered and introduced almost daily, while older ones improved and refined. Yet the perfect drug still eludes us the one that will do its job with absolutely no deleterious side effects. People who need these drugs often must test several different kinds before they can find one they can tolerate. The point is, no drug is safe. Even life saving antibiotics carry potential problems such as nausea,vomiting,diarrhea and allergic reactions .

While most of today’s diseases respond to lifestyle measures (such as a better diet and regular exercise),doctors who advocate these principles often find themselves rowing upstream. People are impatient; they want quick fixes rather than real solutions. If one doctor doesn’t produce desired prescription, they often seek another who will. Simply put, people today too often want to believe there is a magic potion for their particular problem. Anyone taking drugs must always balance risk against need. If you have a serious bacterial infection, for instance, the risk you run by taking an antibiotic is outweighed by the risk you run if you do not take it. If you have a tension headache, on the other hand, you would be probably better off taking a brisk walk or a nap.

A good rule of thumb is to reserve drugs for specific, identifiable needs that cannot be met by lesser measures. Don’t use a big-gun medicine like antibiotics for instance, for a fly-swatter problem like headache or cold. Likewise a warm bath or a cup of herbal tea is better than a sleeping pill if you can’t go to sleep. And if you don’t want to go to sleep, a cold shower or a brisk walk is better than a wake-up pill. When you do take a drug, be sure you know exactly what it’s supposed to do. Understand its risks and side effects, and how and when, and the signs of dosage. Don’t mix medicines, and do not risk psychological dependence or physical addiction by taking any drug longer than needed. If you have more than one doctor, make sure your main doctor knows all the medications you are taking. In short give drugs the respect they deserve. Save them for times when they are truly needed.

Author: Dr. Joy Bareng

Summer will soon be over and classes will open 1 to 2 weeks from now but the heat is still unbeatable and as intense as ever .I might just as well inform you about heat stroke. Heat stroke is a form of hyperthermia, an abnormally elevated body temperature with accompanying physical and neurological symptoms. Unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two forms of hyperthermia that are less severe, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not properly and promptly treated.

The body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and is usually able to dissipate the heat by either radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to 106 F (41.1 C) or higher. Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise. Those most susceptible to heat strokes include infants, the elderly, athletes and outdoor workers.

What are heatstroke symptoms? Symptoms of heat stroke sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heat exhaustions before progressing to heat strokes. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and dizziness. However some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly.

Gift of Healing

Saviour’s Medical Centre

OUR VISION
To be the clinic of choice in the Ilocos Region.

OUR MISSION
We are committed to provide free excellent and effective service to meet the health needs of Filipinos.

OUR VALUES

Valuing God

Valuing People

Delivering the highest standard of work

Learning and Improving

Contributing to our community

February 26th, 1991 the doors of the Saviour’s Medical Centre swung open to the public. The clinic provides free medical consultation and medicines for the unprivileged is manned by a full time resident physician, Dr. Joy Bareng and Liza our nurse. An average of fifty patients utilizes the clinic daily from Mondays to Fridays. Operation hours are from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Every afternoon the nurses together with our pastoral staff visits the home of the patients to check on their well being. From time to time we conduct medical outreaches throughout the Philippines depending on the availability of medicines and needs. Currently we hope to put up a dental clinic and to purchase a van for a mobile clinic. The ultimate plan for the clinic is to build a fifty bed hospital.

Our Mission Statement
- Our inward mission: to create a platform for the five-fold ministry to bring seasonal words, nationally, to fulfil our Antioch calling.

- Our outward mission: to plant and/or to co-plant mission churches in Asia.