Still Life - Bouquet

Dr Abe V Rotor

Old Bouquet in acrylic by AVR 2005

Still life - one says, when life comes to a stand;

     another, scripted life on the table.

Still life - favorite subject of artists old and new,

     hanging on the wall, forgotten.

Still life - when we cease to move along,

     to be center of attraction,

unmindful of Salvador Dali's Melting Clocks,

     and Massenet's Meditation.

Still life - beauty captured and soon lost,

     freshly plucked, bound together

into bouquet for fleeting admiration,

     orphaned from the Garden forever.~

Enigmatic Aphid - Master of Survival

Dr Abe V Rotor

A colony of aphids (Aphis gossypii) on cabbage

By sheer number, you are statistically stable,

by the rule of the multiplication table.

Ensconced in your host's leaves and flower,

you're safe from enemies and the sprayer.

Generations, one after another, under a roof,

offspring in various stages is the proof.

Winged, the males visit other colonies

to share and bring in new genes.

Parasitic by habit, yet you spare your host

from untimely demise at all cost.

But when food supply threatens your colony,

your young is forced to mature early

By the mysterious process of paedogenesis;

and sexless parthenogenesis.

And by symbiosis with the fierce red ant,

food you give, protection its grant.

No other creature I know can you be compared,

your kind I think, will be spared

The morning after, from the Armageddon,

when the earth is barren and alone.

And life after people, you are likely a survivor,

all because Nature is in your favor . ~

Farming with Nature

The whole world is going green and organic.The world organic market has been growing by 20% a year since the early 1990s, with future growth estimates ranging from 10%–50% annually depending on the country.
Dr Abe V Rotor

Eat more fruits and vegetables, those grown organically – without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, antibiotics, and the like, and above all – not genetically modified. You will live a healthier and longer life - and kind to Nature, too.
We are growing plants and animals without chemicals or pesticides!
www.alohahouse.org

It is true. The whole world is going green and organic. It is the current Green Revolution that provides the foundation of sustainable agriculture, balanced ecology, and healthier and longer life.

Here is a basic comparison between conventional farming and organic farming:

Conventional farmers vs Organic farmers

• Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. /Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. 

• Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease. /Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease.
   
• Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds. /Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds.
   
• Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. /Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

As one who grew up in a farm and practitioner of organic farming, here are other features of organic farming, which I would like to contribute.

1. Minimized wastage. Example: gleaning of grains is done by chicken.

2. Milling of grains practically leaves no waste, even the hull is ground with bran to serve as natural fiber and roughage for animals and fish.

3. Less mess and odor on the farm through efficient recycling. Farm wastes – crop residues and animal waste - immediately go to composting.

4. Organic farming is key to tri-commodity farming – crops, animals and fish farming.

5. Agribusiness is highly profitable through organic farming. Farm produce is immediately processed like natural fruit puree, natural vinegar, natural fish sauce, and the like.

6. Freshness of farm harvest and products is enhanced, hence requires no preservatives.

7. Community-based farming is ideal with organic farming.

8. Direct marketing linkage with outlets and endusers.

9. lesser risk to human health.

10. More environment friendly. It enhances ecology, that is, it promotes welfare of the ecosystem.

11. Less dependent on fossil fuel, favors tapping alternative and renewable energy sources.

12. Integrated with farm life, managed by family or by small and medium enterprise.

13. Aesthetics and quaintness of farm life through organic farming.

14. Farm becomes a tourist attraction as model in agriculture, ecology and sanctuary of wildlife.

15. Low technology, affordable and practical, thus less expensive.
Organic food has higher nutritional value and better taste.
Results from Quality Low Food Input (QLIF), a 5-year integrated study funded by the European Commission, confirmed that the quality of crops and livestock products from organic and conventional farming systems differs considerably. Specifically, results from a QLIF project studying the effects of organic and low-input farming on crop and livestock nutritional quality "showed that organic food production methods resulted in:

(a) Higher levels of nutritionally desirable compounds (e.g., vitamins/antioxidants and poly-unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3);

(b) Lower levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds such as heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and glyco-alkaloids in a range of crops and/or milk;

(c) A lower risk of fecal Salmonella shedding in pigs.

Regarding taste, a 2001 study concluded that organic apples were sweeter by blind taste test. Firmness of the apples was also rated higher than those grown conventionally. In the market, organically grown fruits and vegetables look fresher and more solid.

Organic food may also have potentially higher amounts of natural biotoxins like solanine potatoes, as to compensate for the lack of externally applied fungicides and herbicides.

Organic farming favors community farms where the produce is geographically closer to the consumer. Local food is seen as a way to get fresher food and invest in one's own community.

Facts and statistics about Worldwide Green and Organic Movement.

• While organic food accounts for 1–2% of total food sales worldwide, the organic food market is growing rapidly, far ahead of the rest of the food industry, in both developed and developing nations.

• World organic food sales jumped from US $23 billion in 2002 to $52 billion in 2008.

• The world organic market has been growing by 20% a year since the early 1990s, with future growth estimates ranging from 10%–50% annually depending on the country.

• Organic food is the fastest growing sector of the American Food market. Organic food sales have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years while sales of conventional food have grown at only about 2 to 3 percent a year.

• In Canada, organic food sales surpassed $1 billion in 2006, accounting for 0.9% of food sales in Canada. Organic food sales by grocery stores were 28% higher in 2006 than in 2005.

• In the European Union 3.9% of the total utilized agricultural area is used for organic production. The countries with the highest proportion of organic land are Austria (11%) and Italy (8.4), followed by Czech Republic and Greece (both 7.2%). The lowest figures are shown for Malta (0.1%), Poland (0.6%) and Ireland (0.8%)

• In Austria 11.6% of all farmers produced organically in 2007. The government has created incentives to increase the figure to 20% by 2010. Some 4.9% of all food products sold in Austrian supermarkets (including discount stores) in 2006 were organic. There were 8000 different organic products available in the same year.

• In Italy, since 2005 all school lunches must be organic by law.

• In Poland, in 2005 168,000 ha of land were under organic management. 7 percent of Polish consumers buy food that was produced according to the EU-Eco-regulation. The value of the organic market is estimated at 50 million Euros (2006).

• In UK, organic food sales increased from just over £100 million in 1993/94 to £1.21 billion in 2004 (an 11% increase on 2003).

• In Cuba, after the collapse of the USSR in 1990, agricultural inputs that had previously been purchased from Eastern Bloc countries were no longer available in Cuba, and many Cuban farms converted to organic methods out of necessity. Consequently, organic agriculture is a mainstream practice in Cuba, while it remains an alternative practice in most other countries. Cuba exports organic citrus and citrus juices to EU markets. Cuba's forced conversion to organic methods may position the country to be a global supplier of organic products.

Organics Olympiad 2007 awarded gold, silver and bronze medals to countries based on twelve measures of organic leadership. The gold medal winners were:

• Australia with 11.8 million organic hectares.

• Mexico with 83,174 organic farms.

• Romania with 15.9 million certified wild organic hectares.

• China with 135 thousand MT of organic wild harvest produce; and with an increase of 1,998,705 organic hectares.

• Denmark with 1805 organic research publications recorded.

• Germany with 69 members of. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the worldwide umbrella organization for organic agriculture movement, uniting more than 750 member organizations in 108 countries.

• Liechtenstein with 27.9% of its agricultural land certified organic.

• Mali with an 8488% annual increase in its organic hectares, and with a 10.9% 4-yearly increment of the organic share of its total agriculture.

• Latvia with an annual 3.01% increase in its organic share of agricultural land.

• Switzerland with a per capita annual spend on organic produce of 103 Euros.

Above all concerns about organic farming, you gain peace of mind in eating products that are friendly to your health and the environment. Your fears of toxic metals like cadmium, lead and mercury are eliminated. So with residual toxicity from pesticides and chemical fertilizers. There are no antibiotic residues, induced hormones, engineered genes from bacteria and other organisms. You keep fields and waterways free from harmful runoff of chemical substances. Biologically, you keep down chances of pest and disease organisms to mutate and develop resistance.

Eating the right food enhances happiness, peace of mind, good health and long and active life - and the quality of your environment. This is a primordial Human Right. It is also the best you can contribute in saving the earth. Enjoy the quaintness of Farming with Nature.


References: Living with Nature in Our Times, Food and Fertilizer Technology Center publications, Internet.

ALLERGY - The Silent Pandemic

Dr. Abe V Rotor
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This paper is part of a lecture Allergy and the Environment presented before the members of Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology on its 11th Biennial Convention, September 9, 2008 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in honor of the late Dr. Arturo B. Rotor, first Filipino allergist.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 What is Allergy?
Our body reacts to substances it can’t tolerate, such as pollen and dust. These environmental antigens or allergens are normally harmless, but the immune system of certain persons views them as harmful. There are many types of allergies, such as skin and food allergies, and many different types of allergic reactions, which can range from skin rash to vomiting and diarrhea.

Evolutionarily our immune system is adapted to combat pathogens – viruses, bacteria, fungi – but modern living and modern medicine have greatly eliminated much of these threats on one hand, and rendered our immune system idle on the other. The immune system isn’t challenged in the same way. Instead of developing to target real threats, such as bacteria, the immune system may dysfunction and begins to trigger allergies.

In fact it has become maverick that it attacks substances, including those secreted by our body, so that by attacking non-harmful substances, it creates more harm, and even death. Thus the hygiene hypothesis explains why there are much more allergy cases in affluent societies than in marginal societies. A case in point is that West Germany where people lived with high standard of living were suffering allergies much, much more than their counterparts living a simple life style in East Germany.

Allergies are a worldwide problem. They are often overlooked by doctors and patients and can lead to serious health problems. It means also needless suffering. Allergies disturbs sleep, adversely affect active life and good disposition. Kids and adults alike are more likely to develop asthma, sinus and ear infections, especially if their allergies go untreated.

Mechanics of Allergy
Here is an example. People who develop allergic rhinitis have an excess of a certain class of antibodies, called IgE, which makes them unusually sensitive to these otherwise harmless substances. All the symptoms of allergic rhinitis are really part of the immune response.

So what really happens in an allergic person? Medically it is explained this way.

“Following the body's first exposure to the allergen, the white blood cells produce antibodies, specifically IgE antibodies, that prepare the immune system for the next encounter with that same allergen. This first exposure to pollen will not produce any outward allergic symptoms, but inside, the IgE antibodies attach themselves to mast cells. Mast cells are cells that can be found in the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, and skin.

During the second and subsequent exposures to pollen, this allergen will combine with the IgE antibody and release chemicals, such as histamine, in the mast cells, thus producing the allergy symptoms of a runny nose, watery eyes, and sneezing.” (1)

Anaphylaxis – Fatal Allergy
Anaphylaxis is systemic reaction, during which exposure to an allergen triggers an allergic response throughout the body rather than just near the site.

Anaphylaxis can strike within seconds or minutes of exposure to an allergen. Or it may sneak up slowly, with symptoms delayed up to 2 hours from the time of exposure. Initial symptoms may even disappear, then return full-force within 4 to 12 hours.

It’s a terrifying feeling, you may become flushed, and your skin may become quite itchy and red. The frightening thing is, you begin to feel you’re having difficulty taking a full breath, that you are suffocating. As your blood pressure drops, you feel dizzy and sweaty and become pale. You body is not kidding. Anaphylaxis can kill by suffocation.

It doesn’t take much to trigger this body-wide allergic response – a single peanut or tiny paper wasp can set off the reaction. Egyptian Pharaoh Menes, 3000 years BC, is the first reported victim of Anaphylaxis. During an anaphylactic attack, a rush of chemicals – histamines, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins – is released in an attempt by the body to defend itself. These chemicals are produced by basophiles found in the blood, mast cells found throughout the body, including eyes, noise skin and gastrointestinal tract.

Anaphylaxis may affect many organs, such as the throat, lungs, blood vessels, and intestines. Histamine and other chemicals released by the body may

1. Produce widespread itching, welts, and hives on your skin

2. Cause blood vessels to become leaky, resulting in a drop in blood pressure, swelling of the skin, and fluid in your lungs

3. Bring circulation of your blood and oxygen to a near-standstill as your blood pressure drops

4. Trigger nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as your gastrointestinal system goes haywire.
 
5. Anaphylaxis is an allergic reaction that can trigger reactions all over your body, affecting the various systems in the body

6. Cardiovascular: Light-headedness, feeling faint, loss of consciousness (syncope), heart palpitations.

7. Upper respiratory : nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty swallowing

8. Lower airway obstruction: coughing, wheezing

9. Skin: welts or hives, swelling of the skin (particularly on face and around lips and tongue), flushing

10. Gastrointestinal: bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps

11. Make it difficult or impossible to breathe as your tongue and throat swell up and your lungs go into asthmatic spasms

12. Metallic taste in the mouth, cramping of the uterus during pregnancy, sudden need to urinate.

Causes of Anaphylaxis: food – peanut, shellfish, crustaceans; insects – fire ant, honeybee, bugs; drugs - more than ½ million serious allergic reaction occur in hospitals (Penicillin); latex – condoms, balloons, gloves; exercise – eating 3-4 hrs before exercising increases risk; narcotics; aspirin; blood transfusions; food additives

Is there a cure for allergy?
Immunotherapy is the only treatment that alters the immune system, restoring the same response to allergens like pollen in normal nonallergic people. Unlike pills and nasal sprays, immunotherapy holds out the possibility of something far better: a cure. The treatment involves identifying the specific culprit that’s causing the problem through a series of skin tests or blood test. Tiny doses of allergen are then injected under the skin in a weekly series of allergy shots to desensitize the immune system.

There are many promising avenues of research. Purified antigens are being tested that can lead to a more rapid desensitization in immunotherapy. There’s interest in putting specific antigens onto viral vectors that will carry them directly to mast cells. Ultimately that could mean that one injection would render people nonallergic, instead of the years of immunotherapy now often required.

And before long, there will be sublingual immunotherapy, which uses antigens that dissolve under the tongue instead of injections. It offers two important advantages. It’s believed to be safe, and one won’t be visiting his doctor. Immunotherapy can be done at home - soon.

Does allergy run in the family?
To a certain extent, yes. If both parents have allergies, a child stands a 75 percent chance of developing them. If neither parent is allergic, the risk drops to 25 percent. The genetic aspects are numerous and overlapping, which means we’re not going to find a single gene that accounts for allergies. And as the percentages suggest, environmental factors also play a role.

Allergy symptoms
Breathing problems

• Burning, tearing, or itchy eyes
• Conjunctivitisred, swollen eyes)
• Coughing
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Hives
• Itching of the nose, mouth, throat,

      skin, or any other area

• Runny nose
• Skin rashes
• Stomach cramps
• Vomiting
• Wheezing

Fact or Myth
1.Children who grow up on the farm are at much lower risk to allergy than children in the city.
2.Infants on the farm have fewer allergies than those who grow up in sterile environments.
3.Children who grow up with a cat in the house are less likely to develop allergies or asthma.
4.Very few pet owners are allergic to the animals they love.
5.Children who have been breastfed are less likely to have allergies.
6.Milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, fish and meat comprise the most common food allergies.
7.Most reactions to food are not allergic in nature, but rather intolerance, that is, there is no allergic antibody involved.
8.Babies exposed late to cereal grains have higher risk to cereal allergy, especially wheat.
9.Regular use of “foreign” materials (e.g. nail polish remover, contact lens, metals) can eventually cause sensitivity and reaction to these materials.
10.Allergy can induce strong and unwelcome mental and emotional reactions, such as altered perception or inappropriate changes of mood.
NOTE: These items are based on facts.

Children raised on the farm have much lower risk of allergy. 

What is the connection of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma.

Both are mediated by an excess of IgE, a class of antibodies. Twenty years ago we thought asthma was caused by bronchial constriction. Now we know the main cause is allergic inflammation. Inflammation needs to be controlled in order to prevent more serious problems from asthma. Allergists now use the term “unified airway” to describe a new understanding that the nose, sinuses and lungs aren’t separate systems but part of the same system. 

What goes on in the upper respiratory tract can exacerbate problems in the lower respiratory tract. And it’s now clear that treating inflammation in the upper respiratory tract can help prevent development of asthma. If you have a cough along with congestion and itchy eyes, it’s wise to see a doctor. A cough can be a sign of asthma. If you try over-the-counter drugs and they aren’t helping, see your doctor. That’s especially important for children with symptoms of allergic rhinitis, since we know that treating the condition can greatly lessen the risk of going on to develop asthma. Asthma is caused by inflammation in the airways. When an asthma attack occurs, the muscles surrounding the airways become tight and the lining of the air passages swell. This reduces the amount of air that can pass by, and can lead to wheezing sounds.

Approximately 20.5 million Americans currently have asthma. Many people with asthma have an individual or family history of allergies.

Contact dermatitis

It may involve a reaction to a substance that you are exposed to, or use repeatedly. Although there may be no initial reaction, regular use (for example, nail polish remover, preservatives in contact lens solutions, or repeated contact with metals in earring posts and the metal backs of watches) can eventually cause sensitivity and reaction to the product.

Some products cause a reaction only when they contact the skin and are exposed to sunlight (photosensitivity). These include shaving lotions, sunscreens, sulfa ointments, some perfumes, coal tar products, and oil from the skin of a lime. A few airborne allergens, such as insecticide spray, can cause contact dermatitis. Here are allergens that cause contact dermatitis: Poison ivy, lipang kalabaw plant, Nickel, other metals, antibiotics (topical), topical anesthetics, rubber, cosmetics, fabrics and clothing, detergents, solvents, adhesives, fragrances, perfumes, many chemicals and substances

Are You Allergic? A Quiz (Yes or No)Simply add up the number of points that apply to each question to which you answer YES.

1. Do you have hay fever symptoms such as sneezing, watery nasal drainage, and nasal itchiness? (4 pts)
2. Do you have chronic nasal congestion, postnasal drip, or both? (3 pts)
3. Do you have sinus problems – frequent “colds” or headaches? (2 pts)
4. Do your eyes itch, water, get red, or swell? (4 pts)
5. Do you have asthma (wheezing), a tight chest, or a chronic cough? (1 pt)
6. Do you have skin problems such as eczema, hives, or itching? (2 pts)
7. Do you have indigestion, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation? (1 pt)
8. Do you have chronic fatigue or tiredness? (4 pts)
9. Are your symptoms seasonal only – or worse seasonally? (4 pts)
10. Do your symptoms change when you go indoors or outdoors? (3 pts)
11. Are your symptoms worse in parks or grassy areas? (4 pts)
12. Are your symptoms worse in the bedroom, after going to bed, or in the morning when you get up? (2pts)
13.Are your symptoms worse when you come into contact with dust when vacuuming or cleaning around thick carpeting, heavy drapes, and so on? (4 pts)
14. Are your symptoms worse around animals? (2 pts)
15. Do you have any blood relatives with allergies: one or both parents, brothers or sisters, or children? (6 pts)
 
SCORES (Are you allergic?)
If you scored less than 7, it’s unlikely you have allergies.
If you scored between 8 and 12, it’s possible you have allergies.
If you scored between 13 to 30, it’s probable you have allergies.
If you scored more than 31, it’s very unlikely you have allergies.

Key to Allergy Management.

The key to prevention is avoidance, which is easier said than done. You can eradicate the disease by getting rid of the allergen that’s causing problems. For dust mites, which live in the bedroom, wash sheets regularly and keep humidity down to below 50 percent, which drives down dust mite populations. Remove carpeting and any stuffed animals from the bedroom, which are also home to dust mites. If you’re allergic to cats or dogs, don’t let them share the bedroom. Since we spend one-third of our lives sleeping, reduce your exposure somewhat by targeting the bedroom. 

Be prepared for Food Allergies

1. Be prepared and treat the reaction immediately: Be familiar with the signs and symptom of food allergies: Earliest detection and treatment is crucial.
2. Avoid the culprit foods: Have a checklist at fingertips. Know the most common foods that cause allergy: These are milk, fish, egg, soy, wheat and peanut, and their various products.
3. Read food labels: Ask questions about the ingredients of the food you order in restaurants.
4. Patients with food allergies should always be prepared to recognize and treat their reaction, should one occur. Emergency medical care should always be sought if an allergic reaction to food occurs.
5. Communicate with others: Communicate with members of the family, office mates, school staff, and friends, about your medical condition and knowledge of how to handle allergy cases.

Managing Pollen Allergy

1. If you have allergic asthma, take reliever medications (asthma inhaler) with you in case of a breathing emergency.
2. Stay indoors and keep your windows closed, especially during heavy pollen times.
3. Avoid outdoor activities during peak pollen time (5 a.m. to 10 a.m.)
4. After going outdoors in pollen, shower, wash your hair, and change your clothes immediately.
5. Close car windows when traveling to avoid pollen.
6. Wear sunglasses when outdoors to protect your eyes from pollen irritation.
7. Brush your dog down when returning indoors, and bathe your dog weekly. Pollen hitches a ride on animal fur and can easily come inside your house.
8. Use Facemasks. There are situations where a multiple sensitive person may want to wear a protective mask.
9. Once you’ve shed your clothes, hop into the shower and thoroughly wash off any allergens cling on the skin and hair.
10. Consult the Pollen Calendar. The late Filipino palynologist (specialist in pollen), Dr. Lolita Bulalacao developed a pollen calendar indicating what (species), when (season), where (location) pollen is likely to be encountered.
 
Allergen-Proof Your Home
1. Design your home in unity and harmony with natural environment, not the other way around.
2. These are fairly quick, simple, and inexpensive methods of making your home friendlier to your asthma and allergies.
3. Build house on spacious lot and surroundings
4. Free house of carpet and wall paper
5. Knock on wood
6. Prefer shiny floors, materials of low-gas ingredients
7. Provide good natural ventilation
8. Let sunshine in, façade towards the east
9. Integrate house plan with garden
10. Screen out plants that are allergen potential
“Sick Building” Syndrome
1. Install proper air-con and exhaust fans corresponding to the number people, and nature of work.
2. Avoid blocking the air supply and return vents.
3. Clean up water spills and damp places to get rid of molds.
4. Store food properly, and empty the garbage daily.
5. Observe if symptoms are experienced by co-workers, other occupants, visitors.
6. Check equipment and supplies – they may be the source of irritating odor and fumes.
7. Strictly no smoking allowed.
8. Divide area into independent units – office, manufacturing, kitchen or storeroom.
9. Report problem to concerned persons/authorities.
10. Have a regular building maintenance program
 
Allergy-Free Yard
1. Fix your yard to bring down allergies.
2. Go for plants native to the place (save allergy misery and labor)
3. Maintain a pest-free lawn, naturally (biological control)
4. . Plant ground plants (and minimize mowing of grass lawn – source of allergen)
5. Be a creature of the evening (or early morning when there are fewer allergens)
6. Keep problems outdoors (like pollen)
7. Be vigilant (weed out allergen-causing plants like lipang kalabaw, sabawil
8. Minimize the mold (remove anything that traps moisture)

Allergy-proofing the bedroom
1.Keep pets out.
2. Encase sleeping place
3. Clean sheets with lots of heat
4. Run your air through filter
5. Banish the blinds
6. Steer clear of soft seats
7. Filter the vents
8. Pluck pillows and comforters wisely
9. Stow gewgaws away
10.Wash away the pollen
11.Debunk the mites
12.Give Teddy a bath

Allergy-proofing the Kitchen and Dining Room
1. Roach-proof your food.
2. Put a lid on your trash.
3. Get crumbs where they hide.
4. Don’t let dishes get crusty.
5. Scrub those floors and cupboards.
6. Battle roaches with smarts.
7. Call the pros.
8. Be a fan of your fan.
9. Avoid the cold mold.
10. Choose your cleaners wisely.
11. Cook your food, don’t gas it.

Allergy-Proofing the Bathroom,Laundry Room, and Closets

1. Turn on the fan.

2. Harvest piles of damp stuff.

3. Pick a natural freshener.

4. Bring down the curtain on mold

5. Bleach the mold away.

6. Be the squeegee man.

7. Take your washer’s temperature.

8. Wash permanent-press clothes before you wear them.

9. Opt for smell-free products.

10. Be sure the clothes dryer blows outside.

11. Leave the light on.

12. Air out dry-cleaned clothes.

13. Use wire shelves.

Allergy-Free Garage and Workshop

1. Start the engines outside.

2.  Ditch your damp possessions.

3.  Store chemicals safely.

4.  Moldy rags on the floor

5. Old chemicals stored on table

6. Paint can not closed tightly

7. Car engine should not be left running in garage

8. Room should have a window or exhaust fan

9. Tools should be cleaned outside

10. Insure good ventilation

Allergy-Free Workplace
1. Carpenters – acrylate (adhesives), amines (lacquers), isocyanates (paint, foam),
anhydrides (plastic), wood dust
2. Farmers, gardeners – pesticides, insects, molds
3. Veterinarians, petshop owners – animal allergens, feeds, disinfectants
4. Hospital and healthcare workers – antibiotics, formaldehyde, latex,
5. Bakers, millers – cereal grain, flour dust, hay, silicates, insects
6. Beauticians – persulfates, ethyl enediamine
7.Janitors, cleaners – Chloramine-T, detergents, dyes
8. Office workers, market vendors, musicians – wide range of allergens

Allergy-Friendly Exercise Program
1.Avoid exercise if you have an upper-respiratory viral infection.
2.Premeditate.
3.Drink plenty of fluids.
4.Perform warm-up exercises.
5.Breathe through your nose.
6.Cool down.
7.Know your limits.
8.Avoid exercising near busy roads.
9.Judge exercise intensity with a “talk test”.
10.Slow down if you feel weak, dizzy.
11.Don a dust mask when necessary.
12.Stay inside during high-pollen days. 

A Meal-to-Meal Plan for Fighting Allergies
No single diet is right for everyone. Your nutritional needs are unique to you, because no one else has the same combination of genetic and acquired traits of metabolism, nutrition, and immune status.

1. Breakfast – build your breakfast around fresh fruits and whole grains. Instant breakfast may be loaded with syrup and preservatives.  If you wish to drink milk, restrict to fat-free.

2. Lunch – Build around fruits, vegetables and grains, unless you are growing up or pregnant. If you eat meat, choose the leanest. Most fat-food burgers contain fat as high as 35%.

3. Dinner – Build around grains, cooked or raw vegetables, and protein from meat, fish or legumes. Trim off fats.  Avoid oils and fats in sauces and dressing.  If you drink, have a glass of red wine rather than beer or liquor.

4. Snacks – Don’t indulge in snacking at all, but if you must, take a fruit like mango or pineapple.     

Clean Your Home Naturally
1. Instead of disinfectant, use borax (1 cup to 1 gal of warm water) or grapefruit seed extract (10%)
2. Instead of fabric softener, use ¼ cup of vinegar added to the rinse water.
3. Instead of furniture polish, use olive oil with 1 tbsp vinegar poured in 1 liter of warm water. Keep in spray bottle.
4. Instead of glass cleaner, use ½ cup vinegar mixed with 1 gal warm water, place in spray bottle.
5. Borax instead of laundry whitener; Baking powder on sponge instead of scouring powder.
Hydrogen peroxide as stain remover; borax + vinegar as toilet bowl cleaner.

Allergy-Free Stress Busters1. Biofeedback (internal memo)
2. Cognitive Reframing (handling an experience)
3. Guided Visualization (imagination)
4. Humor Therapy (healthy laugh)
5. Hypnosis (hypnotherapy)
6. Journaling (diary, autobiography, literary)
7. Massage, sauna
8. Social Involvement (clubs, parties)
9. Yoga, Tai-chi
10.The Humanities (drawing, singing, drama)
11.Meditation (prayer, communion with nature)
12.Proper grooming.

Sounds that make us sick
o Irritable Sounds activate not only the senses but affect bodily functions.
o Pavlov’s Principle on conditioned learning.
o Adrenaline shoots up, increases blood pressure, challenges us – fight or flight.
o Nausea, headache, other forms of irritation.
o Interrupts present activity, interferes with trends of events.
o Destroys relationship, creates personal impressions.

Worst Sounds
1. Scratching the blackboard with fingernail, similar to a hard chalk creating a grating sound.
2. Air escaping like releasing air from a balloon.
3. Productive coughing
4. Throwing out is the worst.

Why are people healthier and happier in the countryside?(1)

People feel better and more zestful when they are near mountain streams or beside the sea. It is the presence of excess negatively charged ions in these places, which tend to be diminished in buildings, homes and offices. The average negative ion concretion near a waterfall is 50,000 per cubic centimeters, in mountain air 5,000 and in the countryside 1500 or so; yet in a modern office, this figure can fall to as low as 50. What happens to the ions in buildings?

They are electrically precipitated by particles in the air, notably dust, cigarette smoke and fabrics such as synthetic carpet fibers. Modern closed ventilation systems and of course the ubiquitous office computer make the problems many times worse because of the static build-ups. 

Accordingly, a good idea is to supplement the environment with negatively changed ions with ionizers.  One study showed a remarkable drop in the incidence of headaches and other minor symptoms.

There’s really nothing better than living in a pristine environment. ~

No period in history has man influenced the environment as much as what he is doing today in his pursuit for a higher standard of living, and affluence. Instead of “tailoring man’s lifestyle to the environment” which his ancestor did for centuries, man today is “changing the environment to cope up with affluence.”(8)

 ------------

 Dr Arturo B. Rotor (1907-1988) served as Executive Secretary of the Philippine government-in-exile and member of the Cabinet, first under President Quezon, then President Osmeña.  After the second World War he became Director the UP Postgraduate School of Medicine, and founded allergology as a field of medicine in the Philippines. He was instrumental in the founding of PSAAI.

Dr. Rotor wrote several short stories, which earned him the Republic Heritage Award.  His stories are still used today in high school and college literature, among them Dahong Palay, Twilight’s Convict, The Wound and Scar and Zita. Ateneo de Manila University Press compiled ten other stories into a handy book with the title, The Men Who Play God. On the back cover is a curious brief description about the author. (5)

To wit: In the Philippine Journal of Science, a new orchid, Vanda Merrillii variety Rotorii is described by Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing. In Cecil Loeb’s Practice of Medicine, a new disease, “Rotor’s Syndrome,” is recognized.  Both the disease and the flower refer to Arturo B. Rotor and highlight the disparate, often incongruous activities that marked his career. The other side of Dr. Rotor’s life was one equally rich and fulfilling through the expression of the wonders of the right brain – as a  naturalist, an ardent lover of nature; and creativity through the art of music, demonstrating mastery of some of the world’s best compositions as a celebrated pianist.  (He graduated at the UP Conservatory of Music and UP College of Medicine at the same time.) Dr Arturo B. Rotor (1907-1988)

---------------------------------------------------------------
References
1. Ansorge R and E Metcalf et al (2001) Allergy Free Naturally Rodale Inc NY,
2. Miller GT Jr (2004) Living i the Environment 7th Edition, Wadsworth Publishing, California
3. Radyo ng Bayan Lecture Series (May 2003 to July 2008) Towards Functional Literacy, DZRB 738 KHz. Philippine Broadcasting System, Bureau of Broadcast, QC
4. Raven PH, Berg LR and GB Johnson (2003) Environment 2nd edition Saunders College Publishing NY
5. Rotor AB (1983) The Men Who Play God: A Collection of Short Stories Ateneo de Manila University Press
6. Rotor AB (1983) The Wound and the Scar Cacho Hermanos, National Book Store
7. Rotor AV (2000) Light from the Old Arch UST Publishing House
8. Rotor AV (2003) The Living with Nature Handbook. UST Publishing House
9. Rotor A V (2007) Living With Nature in Our Times, UST Publishing House
10. Time (2007) Global Warming (The Causes. The Perils. The Solutions. Then Actions: 51 Things You Can Do) Time Inc.
11. wikipedia.org/wiki/Allergy
12. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/allergy
13.www.medicinenet.com/allergy www.allergyuk.org/ ~

A New Breed of Heroes. Are you one of them?

Dr Abe V Rotor

You can be a hero in many ways. Consider these and rate yourself through Reflective Analysis.

1. If you live a practical life so as to build personal savings, become less dependent on burrowing, and reduce wasteful living in the process.

Anti-GMO Movement leaders.

2. If you practice a lifestyle that favors good health and relationship, without the trapping of vices and ostentatious living, making yourself an example to others.

3. You are an effective teacher using simple tools and methods, instead of sophisticated tools and expensive means, to be able to bring functional literacy to the grassroots bypassed by formal schooling.

4. If you generate power – electricity and fuel – through direct and natural means such as biofuel, and energy from wind and water, and not depend on expensive, destructive, and non-renewable sources.

5. If you convert wastes into new and recycled materials, such as composting and biogas generation, thus reducing pollution and conserving natural resources.

6. If you produce food from your backyard and kitchen (gardening, poultry, food processing), in line with self reliance, home enterprise and clean environment.

7. If you plant trees as an avowed activity to help Nature rebuild the environment, as a means of bioremediation, erosion and flood control, and the like, while increasing the supply of food and useful materials derived from them.

8. If you build your own home that is simple and economical, comfortable and health-promoting, harmonizing it with the aesthetics and bounty of nature, thus enhancing the beauty of creation itself.

9. If your go natural - from food, medicine to personal items, promoting organically grown food, alternative medicine, non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) and the like, thus protecting the health of humans and the environment.

10. If you protect wildlife and help rebuild the natural habitat of threatened and endangered species of plants and animals in ecological sanctuaries, and by enforcing laws in protecting them.

11. If you do not stop learning, if you apply what you learn through skills, and valuing them as well, to your enhance your output, and to share them for the benefits of others.

12. If you recognize and uphold the institutions, respecting the laws of the land, and revering great men and women for their works and examples for which they lived and died, without condition of doing your part well.

13. If you make use of your time fully in work and study, and not live idly, thus living a life of example to the youth in particular - diligence, persistence, sharing, and most important, valuing of life’s purpose.

14. If you build a happy family and provide well its needs, and securing a bright future of your children - and even your children’s children.

15. If you engage in an enterprise, keeping in mind and applying it as well, through entrepreneurship that is equitable to all concerned stakeholders such as the Grameen Bank Model in Bangladesh founded by Nobel laureate M Yunus)

16. If you uphold and practice the principles of equality, fraternity and liberty, in every act and decision you make, providing room for kindness and forgiveness on one hand, and firmness and resolve on the other, even in the face of danger.

17. If you cannot quiet your mind and conscience with sin – whether it be a sin or commission or omission – until you have done your part in amending it and preventing it in harming other people, in corrupting society, and the environment.

18. If you are patient, forgiving, resilient, understanding, and such other qualities that enable you to rise above difficulties of living, particularly in times of calamities - not only for your own benefit, but more for those who are less fortunate than you are

19. If you always remember to pray to that one God for his Providence, recognizing His gifts, through expression of Goodness to yourself, to Humanity and to Mother Earth.

20. If you are aware and honestly believe that you are “passing this way but once,” thus living the life that best earns your passage to that kingdom of your Creator – however humble that life may be.

Congratulations! Live then the life of a hero for 2014. ~

The Earthworm - Nature's Fertilizer Factory

Dr Abe V Rotor

                    Giant earthworm; burrows and castings. University of Santo Tomas, Manila
 

Hades lives with you, he of spirit, you of flesh

And together in the underworld, stir imagination:

He of mythology and you of life's mystery,

Of death, of new life, of a new generation. 

Earthworms feed on dead leaves and other farm and garden waste, convert them into humus, a natural fertilizer. This biological process recycles the major elements, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium; the minor elements like Magnesium, Manganese, Sulfur; and the trace elements like Boron, Iron, Zinc. These nourish the current nutrient needs of plants, as well as other organisms - and those in the succeeding generations.

Would you kill a firefly?

Dr Abe V Rotor
 

BOREAL FIREFLY  Photuris lucicrescens. 

beneficialbugs.org400 × 298 Search by image

A firefly on a leaf. Fireflies might be both pollinators and predators

Acknowledgement: Firefly Tour at Kuala Selangor Guiddoo - Guiddoo World Travels Pvt Ltd

www.guiddoo.com1276 × 850Search by image

Firefly Tour at Kuala Selangor Guiddoo

 Field study of insects. UST Graduate School.  Amadeo Cavite 

Man is the insect buster; self proclaimed, strong and bold;
He conquers his greatest enemy, wasting no time.
He has read enough books, and turned away from the old.
He’s Pied Piper now in new adventure in his prime.

To the rescue, he rid the world of aliens and all their kin;
"I am Gulliver," he said to the imagined Lilliputians,
With gloves and boots, armed with tools of the modern kind,
He saw himself riding to the West against the Indians.

Make way for this nemesis, the bugs run for your lives;
They dropped dead, crushed, unbearable was the pain.
Their shelter stormed, their nests torn, so with their hives.
It’s reminiscent of Pompeii where the ruins reign.

The air is stilled, there’s no more music in the night;
The pond is clear, but where have the fishes gone?
Plants still bloom, but their flowers are no longer bright.
Where are the bees and butterflies that meet the sun?

Frogs no longer croak, silent are the fields and the trees;
Where’s the cicada shrilling with joy, the cricket at night?
The melodious songs and calls of birds that never cease.
The mayfly’s visit, or the moth’s over a candlelight?

Suddenly the world became still. Didn't Rachel Carson
Tell in Silent Spring the birds didn't arrive one spring?
Or in biblical times, didn't a cloud of death over a zone
Killed creatures one by one, the survivors migrating?

Where have all the sweetest sugar and flowing silk gone?
Their makers, the busy bee and the the naive worms?
They too, have been stilled forever by the same poison
That killed the evil ones and their ugly forms.

Didn't Alexander the Great die on the Euphrates
Of malaria? Or the Pharaoh Menes of bee venom?
Thousands died building the Panama Canal and Suez,
And more death blamed to insects still unknown.

Who would like the fly around? But without it the dead
Would litter the ground, more so without the Scarabid.
Who would eat remnants of an enemy, diseases they spread?
For certain man doesn't like to die first? God forbid.

His joy to conquer lies in his genes, even against his kind,
Much less the lowly crawlers, for revenge or just game;
Yes, man is insect buster, self righteous, self-proclaimed -
But would he dare to kill a firefly just the same? ~