Two canned pineapples a day keep the doctor away
The rainy season brings with it colder weather that can also translate to illnesses, especially among children with a weak immune system.
According to a study by Claire Johnson and Professor Ron Eccles of Cardiff University’s Common Cold Centre, people become more susceptible to sickness during the wet season because the blood vessels contract and prevent the flow and production of white blood cells, which serves as the body’s first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Due to the lack of white blood cells circulating around the body, an individual becomes more at risk of contracting diseases.
While we have no control over the shifting of weather, there are many ways to prevent illnesses in children through the strengthening of their immune system. It can be as simple as feeding them with more fruits, such as two servings of canned pineapple a day.
Dr. Leonora Panlasigui, Dean of the Philippine Women’s University’s School of Nutrition, found in her recent study that adding two servings of Del Monte Pineapple to the daily diet of children may help improve their overall immunity. The study shows a 27 percent increase in the production of granulocytes, a type of white blood cell vital to combating diseases, in children who ate two servings of pineapple a day. This results in reduced recovery time for bacterial and viral infections.
Inspired by Dr. Panlasigui’s study and its results, Del Monte Philippines recently launched its advocacy dubbed #DMPineappleaDay to raise awareness all over the country on how incorporating pineapple in the daily diet of children may keep them free of diseases.
Understanding the critical importance of hand washing
According to the World Health Organization, 13 children die every day because of diarrhea, accounting for almost 5,000 deaths annually. Records from the United Nations show that over 800 of the approximately 1,400 child deaths from diarrhea every day can be attributed to inadequate water and hygiene.
But this troubling incidence can be alleviated with as simple as introducing kids to the importance of frequent hand washing with soap. A review of multiple studies reveal that maintaining the habit of washing hands cuts the incidence of diarrhea by nearly half, as clean hands will help prevent the transmission of diseases from one person to the next.
However, here in the Philippines where diarrhea continues to be one of the top causes of child mortality, many are still not aware that disease-causing germs can be found everywhere, even in seemingly unlikely places and everyday items like mobile phones, ATMs and water bottles, among others.
This raises the urgency to further increase awareness of the importance of keeping our hands clean. Last October 15, during the 8th year of Global Handwashing Day, Procter and Gamble, through its flagship soap brand Safeguard brought this annual celebration simultaneously to three key cities in the country: Manila, Cebu and Davao. With the theme, “Linis Lusog sa Global Handwashing Day,” the hygienic affair focused on educating students and parents on proper hand washing to prevent diarrhea and even pneumonia.
Through a fun scavenger hunt for germs, students searched through different locations like the school, home and playground for germs to collect. Participants were surprised to discover that as far as germs are concerned, there were more than meets the eye. A UV light revealed the invisible lotion that unknown to the students was applied on their skin while they searched through the locations. This lotion simulated the invisible, disease-causing germs from everyday items.
P&G’s commitment to proper hygiene goes beyond the Global Handwashing Day event. The company has partnered with UNICEF and the Department of Education to build hand washing facilities, and also implements water, sanitation and hygiene programs in public schools nationwide.
How to win more by losing weight
It is said that the only time a loser wins is when he loses weight. Shedding those extra pounds could spell a huge improvement in your health. But is it possible to win more?
Cohen’s Lifestyle Center makes losing weight sweeter with its CLC Pounds for Cash Promo. Under this promotion, first-timers who enrolled in CLC’s Cohen’s Lifestyle Program from September 15 to October 31, 2015 will be rewarded for making progress towards their weight-loss goals. CLC will offer a P5,000 cashback for a minimum of 10 pounds lost per monthly weigh-in, which they can redeem from December 1 to 31, 2015.
The Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is a rapid weight-loss and wellness solution developed by Dr. Rami Cohen, an international specialist renowned for his research on hormones involved in obesity and weight loss. Based on each person’s unique blood profile, the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program assigns a personalized eating plan that will correct the hormonal imbalance that causes obesity. In the Philippines, this is exclusively available at the CLC.
For more information on the CLC Pounds for Cash promo, contact any of the CLC Philippines branches in Manila (02) 828-8251, Cebu (032) 236-2334 and Davao (082) 324-4611.