Is it safe to go swimming when pregnant?

Yes. Swimming is considered to be safe in pregnancy. If you have a healthy pregnancy, you should aim to do regular excercise. Just be sure to check with your doctor, physiotherapist or midwife before you start if swimming is new to you. 

Swimming helps to keep you fit, which will make it easier to adapt to pregnancy. It may also help you to feel better about your changing body. 

Swimming is a particularly good exercise in pregnancy, as the water helps to support your extra weight. This can be a huge relief, especially in the third trimester. And unlike some other forms of aerobic exercise, swimming helps you to feel cool. 

The pool water should be no warmer than 32 degrees C. But don't worry, as most public pools are cooler than this, unless they've been heated for a specific class. You may want to ask about the temperature of the pool if you are abroad, though. 

A day at the Beach

If you were a regular swimmer before you became pregnant, you should be able to continue with your usual routine. Even if you've never exercised before, swimming is safe to take up during pregnancy. Swimming in a chlorinated pool is not harmful to you or your baby. It's usually safe for you to swim throughout your pregnancy, right up until your baby's birth. 

Whether or not you are a seasoned swimmer, you should start slowly and gradually work up to sessions of up to 30 minutes long. Make sure you warm up and cool down gradually, and don't over-exert yourself. You should always come out of the pool feeling that you could do more. 

Choose a stroke that you enjoy and feels comfortable. Alternating between swimming on your front, and floating on your back, while gently kicking your legs, will give you a good all-round workout. Take care not to arch your back. 

Choose a swimming stroke other than breaststroke if you have any problems with pain at the front of your pelvis, as it may make the pain worse. You may want to ask your doctor  or midwife to refer you to a physiotherapist. Some women find they can swim breaststroke again following treatment. 

If you feel unwell, or experience any unusual symptoms such as pain or bleeding, stop your swimming sessions and talk to your doctor or midwife.

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What is Henna and is it safe?

Henna Tattoos on Kids

Henna or Mehndi is more than 5,000-year-old form of body art which uses henna paste made from powdered leaves of henna plant, a slightly acidic liquid such as lemon juice and often essentials to temporarily stain the skin. The same paste can also be used to permanently dye hair, fur and fabric.

Henna, a coloring made from plant, is approved only for use as a hair dye – not for direct application to the skin, as in the body-decorating process known as mehndi. FDA has received reports of injuries to the skin from products marketed as henna.

Those temporary black henna tattoos may look super cool, but they could seriously mess up your skin. ... That's because the extra ingredient used to blacken henna is often a coal-tar hair dye containing p-phenylenediamine (PPD), an ingredient that can cause dangerous skin reactions in some people

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Purging Nut Tree... Beware of its poisonous fruit!

Tuba Tuba or Kasla

Also known as Tubang Bakod in Tagalog, Purging Nut Tree or Physic Nut in English or interchangeably tuba-tuba or Jatropha. The latest craze to hit the agri-business in the Philippines. Cultivated primarily for its oil to produce biodiesel. The Tuba-tuba has been planted in the Philippines for quite some time but it was used mainly as fencing since it animals do not eat the leaves -even the insatiable goat would not eat the leaves. The ever increasing price of petroleum prices has triggered interest on the Tuba-tuba or Jatropha.

Jatropha is a drought resistant perennial shrub or small tree that produces seeds up to 35 years but can live up to 50 years. Jatropha grows fast with little or no maintenance and reaches the average height of about 3 meters but it can grow up to 8 meters. 
Tuba-tuba is one of the most promising sources of bio-fuel today. About 30% of the Tuba-tuba nut is composed of oil. 3 kilos of Jatropha seeds can produce about 1 liter of crude Jatropha oil that can then be processed into biodiesel fuel. This oil can be easily be processed into fuel that can replace or mixed with petroleum based diesel to save on imported oil and most importantly increase local employment and help the economy to grow.

Since the Jatropha plant's average height is about three meters, harvesting is easy and the plant can be grown practically anywhere (ordinary soil, sandy, gravely or rocky soil) and adapts easily to different climates. Jatropha is resistant to droughts -it can stand up to two years without rainfall. The tree also has a short gestation period, it will bear a several fruits starting at about 6 months old and be fully fruit bearing between one to two years.

- Aside from using the seed oil as biodiesel, the extracted oil can also be used in making soap. 
- The Jatropha/Tuba-tuba leaves can be used for fumigating houses to expel bugs. 
- The root extract of Jatropha plant can be used as yellow die while the bark extract as blue dye. While the seeds when pounded can be used for tanning. 
- The roots, flowers and latex of the Jatropha plant are said to have medicinal properties. 
- Planting Jatropha reduces soil degradation, erosion and deforestation of the countryside.

But beware of its fruit as it is so poisonous!

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Benifits of Horseradish

Malunggay

Widegrown plant in the Philippines, malunggay is a plant with the scientific name Moringa oleifera. It is simply called “moringa” by English speakers.

Moringa is a tree known as sajina in South Asian countries like India. In English, it is sometimes referred to as horseradish tree or horseradish plant, although it’s a different species from the horseradish that Westerners know. The tree grows fast and survives well in drought conditions.

Malunggay leaves are said to increase lactation in nursing mothers. Filipinos like to say that malunggay is “the most nutritious plant in the world.”  It is rich in vitamins A and C and iron. A study recently found that malunggay increases sperm count in men.

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Balimbing!!!

Balimbing

What is balimbing fruit? As obvious as it looks it is called in English as Star Fruit!

Filipino fruit balimbing has the scientific name Averrhoa carambola. It’s called a star fruit in English because when you cut it crosswise, the shape you see is is that of a star. (To compare, when you cut a watermelon in half, the shape you see is a circle.)

It is a good provider of dietary fiber and a calorie count that ranges between 22 and 40 calories. Researchers claim that balimbing contains reasonable quantities of magnesium, potassium and folic acid as well. The fruit has also been found to have antioxidants in high concentrations

They have a tart, sour undertone, and an oxalic acid odor. The taste is difficult to compare, but it has been compared to a mix of apple, pear, grape, and citrus familyfruits. Unripe starfruits are firmer and sour, and taste like green apples.

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Are you familiar with Cotton Fruits?

Cotton Fruit

The Santol fruit tissue is mostly sub-acid or sour in nature. When the fruit is unripe, this tissue is even more sour. The Filipinos like it even in sour condition and generally eaten with some salt. In the local markets of the Philippines the santol is always for sale in normal quantity. Santols are also used to make marmalade.

The external pulp of the santol fruit can be awfully inedible and harsh when the fruit is in an unripe but miraculously transforms itself into a sweet taste and tasty ripe specimen. Average fruits are bigger than a softball shape and the flesh and seeds were incredibly sweet/tart and gravely habit forming. The youthful fruits are candied. The ripen fruits have a vinous taste.

Several parts of the santol plant have anti-inflammatory properties. They are used for the treatment of diarrhea and dysentery. These are also used vinegar and mixture of water as a carminative. It is also used for tanning fishing nets. The aromatic, caustic root is also a potent remedy for diarrhea. The root is a tonic for stomachic and antispasmodic.

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What is a Canistel Fruit?

Canistels or Tisa

The canistel grows up to 10 meters high and produces orange-yellow fruit, and is commonly known in almost all regions in the Philippines as TISA. Canistels are edible raw, it is sweet and its texture is often compared to that of a hard boiled egg yolk, hence its colloquial name "eggfruit".

Canistels or Tisa is rich and is a good soure of vitamin C, calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Just like any other fruit, people often try to eat canistels when it is woefully unripe. It is also delicious when mixes with milk products, making it perfect for milk shakes, ice cream and natural smoothies. The fruit can be eaten fresh of course...

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What is Tambis?

Tambis or Watery Rose Apple

TAMBIS... It's a fruit! The word "tambis" is in Visayan language  (regional language spoken in the Philippines). In english it is called "Watery Rose Apple" , "Java Apple" , or "Java Rose Apple"

Tambis or watery rose apples are rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin A, calcium, thiamin, niacin, iron, sulfur, and potassium.  In terms of organic compounds, rose apples contain jambosine, betulinic acid and friedolactone.

When eating rose apples try them sprinkled with a little sugar for delicious dessert!. Rose apples bruise easily. Look for fruit firm to the touch without bruises, cuts or abrasions. Eat immediately after harvesting or preserve in jellies and jams.

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