Yesterday, Doula Velvet and I attended a fun and intimate workshop with health and wellness expert, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan at the TriMona Health Dining Co-op Cafe.
Doc Jimmy
, as he is fondly called, shared tips and insights on how we can survive–yes, survive–the holiday seasons. The topic is absolutely timely because statistics show that the highest incidence of deaths in the Philippines occurs during the time of the holidays or immediately after the holidays. The pressure and stress of the Christmas rush, the all-nighter parties, and unhealthy eating and drinking, when combined, may result to illness and even death.
It’s really easy to get carried away, so Doc Jimmy gave us a few simple tips.
SLEEP
Sounds so easy right? But often during the holidays, we really extend ourselves to go to the evening parties, then wake up in time for the Simbang Gabi at 430 am, then go to work, and party again at night. Not be a kill-joy, Doc Jimmy advised to perhaps take the anticipated mass in the evening around 8 pm and rest between two to three evening parties and take the third night off.
Reiterating what the experts said, Doc Jimmy said that 7-8 hours of sleep in a dark room is paramount to recuperation and to activate the fountain-of-youth-hormone, the melatonin. When melatonin is adquately produced in our body, it helps us keep our natural body rhythms of function and healing.
If you can’t afford to sleep 8 hours at night, he advises to take naps in the afternoon or while in traffic, and use an eye cover/patch to help induce melatonin. If going to the bathroom wakes you up at night and disturbs your slumber, try eliminating intake of fluids three hours before sleep and see a gradual change.
PROTECT YOUR BACK and EXERCISE
It’s also this time of the year when we go around the malls or grocery carrying heavy loads of shopping bags. Doc Jimmy reviewed with us some tips on how to protect our back, but it’s not just for the holiday season:
- Carry items as close to the body as possible. (It also works to protect your belongings, haha!)
- Bend your knees when picking up things instead of bending from the waist.
- Sit with your back relaxed and your knee higher than your waist. You can do this be crossing one leg over the other or keeping a footstool handy in your home.
- Sleep on the side and have pillows support your body to avoid strain or ngalay.
We may be putting our exercise routines on the back burner this holidays, but Doc Jimmy stresses that it is all the more important to keep our regular activities to counter the unhealthy eating and drinking. Walking and climbing stairs is an easy–and FREE–way to burn calories.
EAT HEALTHY
As a vegetarian for 37 years, Doc Jimmy encourages us all to eat healthy through a plant-based diet. He understands that festive reunions always have the ‘sinful’ dishes front and center. But he reminded us that if we were going to a potluck, we can be the ones to bring the green salad or vegetable dish.
If we want to partake of the lechon, morcon, fried chicken, pasta, ham (the list goes on…), let’s keep it at marchbox-size or at the most palm-size, and eat lots of veggies with it. It can be done! Believe in yourself!
Doula Velvet was so excited for the all-vegetarian meal prepared by TriMona.
Above all, Doc Jimmy shared with us the power of a positive attitude. You can do all these things but still carry a chip on your shoulder, and it will be countered.
Doula Velvet and Doula Ros with Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan
With Nanay Pangging of TriMona and Ms. Tita De Quiros
We really learn a lot from Doc Jimmy and all our co-participants!
Tune in to DWWW 774 every day at 9 am to catch his radio talk show, “Doktor ng Bayan” where he shares practical medical tips and his famous “Resetang Walang Gastos”.
We also got this latest edition of “Medicinal Fruits, Vegetables and Spices”. Contact us if you’re interested to get your own copy. 🙂
TriMona Co-op Cafe
FB: TriMona Healthy Dining
112 Anonas Extension, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
573-7255
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Doula Ros Padua is a Certified Birth Doula under DONA International (Doulas of North America). She is also a Certified Breastfeeding Peer Counselor of Breastfeeding Pinays, Inc. and a teacher at Kindermusik Philippines. Doula Ros is now training to be a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator.