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We hear daily about produce and diets. They soon become mindless fads, trumpeted by some messianic health expert, usually armed with oblique research. Coconut Water is the latest and greatest health beverage. Before that it was cranberry, pomegranate and grape juice.
We are told ad nauseam about the endless array of known vegetables and fruits.
Health gurus sermonize about the benefits of berries, beans, citrus, peppers, and onions, beets, carrots, asparagus, tomatoes, garlic, onions, pomegranates, bananas, avocados and so on, assuming they have not been contaminated, prior to purchase.
They tells us how eating all of the above, will make us healthier, while gently placing disclaimers, in their articles. They frequently sneak in phrases in the copy like; “Maybe be effective” or “Might help.” Leaves me a little confused, when they say it is “Suggested” or “Recommended.”
Does all that mean maybe? I have no idea how much or little, this rallies my health system.
I feel uneasy, not frequently putting away a cornucopia of produce.No one can eat all of this stuff on a regular basis. Consumption frequency seems to be the key, for any recommended produce to work. Maybe it is best to simply gorge on the latest food fad?
These items are pretty expensive.
Perhaps a new kind of class warfare, is afoot? Perhaps the faceless one percent will outlive the proletariat, since they can afford to eat healthier.Then, there are packaged foods, with the recommended fruits or vegetables. This scares me, almost as much as fast food does. When I see a laundry list of words I cannot pronounce or recognize, I know that a chemist was involved.
I doubt we are genetically engineered to live on chemically processed foods. One day an enlightened dietician will probably step forward and warn us about these products. Until then, we are on our own.
We were clearly biologically engineered over the eons, to eat natural foods, which man hasn’t tampered with, or flat out imitated chemically. How can any kind of bread stay soft and chewy for over a week?
The medical profession is loathe to endorse any fruit or vegetable dietary programs to do with our basic health. They simply recommend and advise we eat or not eat various foodstuffs, but only after they have been researched infinitum, peppered with those maybes and apparently(s).
I just read that Mediterranean Diet is catching on in America. Is the News Media brain dead? Over the last so many years, the Mediterranean Diet has been researched.
Experts do say that Mediterranean people seem to live longer. OK...then longer than who? What about all the dairy products in many Mediterranean recipes? Haven’t the experts recommended avoiding butter, salt and cream?
These advisories and suggestions seem to be all over the map and sometimes contradict each other.
Red wine is a great example of no one being sure if helps us or not. Doesn’t all of “advice” this strike you as a little subjective, if not non-committal? If nothing else, it is all too often self serving,
How many blueberries should I eat in a day or week, to attain the maximum benefit? How about carrots and beets? Should I live on raw grains and soya milk?
There really hasn’t been much recently reported about how various fruits and vegetables help us live healthier lives, unless it is marketing driven. And, all those maybes and might’s are just woven into the latest recipes.
What would all these experts do, if we thought for ourselves a little bit more? What if we start paying more attention to eons old societal produce and dietary practices going on in other parts of the world?
Dare I say that few of these health or dietary practices have never been lab tested? This produce may not be new to anyone in South East Asia, but most likely would be to anyone else.
The West and its experts know very little about Asian natural health and beauty aides used for longer than anybody can remember.
Asians have been eating and using these beneficial, natural fruits and vegetables for so long, that they erroneously think that everyone knows about these health benefits.
I live in the Western Philippines, on a large island, not widely known, unless you are an ardent environmentalist or work for National Geographic.
Specifically, I reside in Puerto Princesa, in the Palawan Province. Puerto Princesa enjoys one of the best reputations in the world for sound environmental management practices, with a .08% crime rate.
Here in the Philippines is a small sweet and sour citrus fruit, called Calamansi, Kalamansi or Calamondin used in cooking, for multiple medicinal uses and is even as a cleaning agent. Calamansi is part of Filipinos’ everyday life, in some way. 
They use the green/yellow key lime sized citrus with yellow flesh, as a marinade, mixed with soya sauce for a dipping sauce, in salads, desserts, pies, tart sauce and to flavor beverages. They even sell tuna fish in Calamansi Juice.
Some people freeze Calamansi and put the little green ice balls in Vodka like ice cubes. Calamansi juice is also a basic Filipino remedy for hangovers, too.
This multipurpose fruit is also used as a cleaner, a beauty aid and for medicinal problems. No maybes involved, with the locals. Calamansi is a common treatment for flues and common colds. Ask a Filipino about Calamansi and you get an almost blank look of “Doesn’t everyone know about it?”
They will then proceed to tell you that Calamansi is great for your skin, hair, curing and acne. Filipinos are very sure about Calamansi does. Filipinas are known for their flowing silky hair and beautiful smooth skin.
Many use Calamansi as a hair rinse and apply it directly for removing skin blemishes.
Filipinos use it to get rid of freckles, scars, and to clear up acne vulgaris and pruritus vulvae. Many also use it regularly as skin cleaner and toner.
Filipinos also directly apply Calamansi for relieving insect bites, treating dandruff, as a skin exfoliant and antiperspirant. It is also said that the key lime sized citrus will stimulate new hair growth.
Besides being a useful for cooking, beauty, health and medical purposes, Calamansi has also utilitarian properties. You can degrease your hands with it or remove odors. It will help get stains out of clothes, plus can be used for cleaning greasy pots and pans.
It would seem that the non researched or expert blessed Calamansi is quite a multitasking Super Fruit, at least according to the Filipinos, who swear by its many virtues. “We have no lab work or research on this little known fruit, outside the Philippine Islands,” I thought.
Then I considered that I do work and live in the most literate nation in Asia and the third largest English speaking country on the planet, with over 100 million people.
They are all pretty much in agreement about all the benefits Calamansi has, as their ancestors were. So much for experts, testing and finally those hopeful maybes. Calamansi has a long history with highly educated, modern people.
So lacking any empirical research to prove or disprove the Filipinos about Calamansi, I decided to test Calamansi on myself and see how their Super Fruit did.
I made myself a “white rat” for The Philippines’ Calamansi.
I had a bad chest cold at the time. Nothing was working. Antihistamines helped me sleep, but the cold annoyingly lingered.
Filipino friends introduced me to Calamansi’s medicinal properties, to get rid of my cold.
About ten of the little green and yellow citrus balls were sliced squeezed into warm water, three times a day, for me to drink. Nothing for a few days, but on day three, the cold, stuffy nose and cough were gone and symptoms have stayed in remission.
Maybe a coincidence, but I have never gotten over cold so completely so fast.
I wondered if my system had been cleansed, as a societal advertising side benefit? (It is supposed to do that, too.) I certainly had allot of the stuff. Good thing, since here in Palawan, you can buy about a hundred of the tiny Wonder Fruit for about 1$.
Filipinos say Calamansi will help keep you healthy. This is one reason why they drink so much of Calamansi, like lemonade.
You can buy bottled beverage or as an extract, for those not wanting to squeeze several of the tiny, Vitamin C loaded fruits.
A few days later I saw an army of tiny ants in the kitchen, after some scrap on the floor. I thought, “Treats insect bites.” So, I squeezed one Calamari on the ants. And, to my surprise, many died, with the rest fleeing their prize. Maybe I found a new use for this Wonder Fruit of the Philippines?
I have had on and off rash on my arms for years. No one seemed to know what it was. Calamine (No relation in any way to Calamansi) Lotion has helped a little, but didn’t get rid of it.
I was told that Calamansi is good for rashes. I applied Calamansi on my arms. My rash immediately stopped itching, went away and has not come back. You have no idea what a relief it was to put an end to the annoying rash.
I cleaned some stains off my hands, plus I was pleased with Calamansi as pot and pan cleaner. I spruced up my flip-flops and got a stain out of my jean shorts. At this point, I thought this little citrus is a Super Fruit, with no end to what it can do. I was wrong.
Several Filipino friends also told me as teenagers they had acne problems. They all said that after about a month of daily Calamansi applications, their acne was gone for good. “Like my rash,”
I thought. I started wondering what else I test myself on, with Calamansi.
I don’t have allot of hair on top. I am now using Calamansi as a rinse to see if it can rejuvenate hair growth, as I have been told. No results yet, after two or three days, but I think I smell nice and my eyebrows seem bushier. Most likely my imagination. Time will tell.
Those interested in finding Calamansi, should check East or South East Asian grocery stores. Or check out garden stores, in your area.
People have been planting Calamansi bushes for years as an ornamental bush, not aware that it much more than a pretty plant. You can also grow it inside, in a planter.
All Calamansi needs is a sunny area to thrive in. And, it is supposed to be very a fragrant room plant. Seems to be no end to all the practical uses of Calamansi.
I spent many years in the Western and South Pacific, plus the Far East. I am fluent in some of the Asia/Pacific languages. It’s a long story and we can save it for another time.
However, my mother thought it was over the word Corps. She felt I was like a moth to a flame, when I heard the word Corps. Maybe. I was in the Marines and Peace Corps. I was also a freelance producer in The Far East. I think she blocked that out.
My television career has been and still mostly is US Driven. However, these days I’m hanging my hat, while managing my US business, from Palawan in the Western Philippines.
The Philippines is not a technology laggard. Anything but.
- Technology allows me to operate just like I did, back in Dallas, Texas.
- Palawan is a wonderful, beautiful place with no crime and the nicest people, maybe on Earth. I served in this country years ago, and always wanted to come back. Two and an half years ago, I did just that.
- I think very highly of the Filipino culture, lifestyle and people. You will not meet better people anywhere.
That’s me above
- Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like to learn more about what I do.
- I do Television Talent Performance/Presentation Critiques and Career Consulting ala carte or as a packaged deal.
- Part of what I do is help people think and manage the how's, who's, whys, plus what they do, for improving their careers. The where, is Where you want to see your career go.
Thanks for reading this and sincerely hope you find the information useful. There are also other articles on the Blog related to News Talent Career Management, including health and dietary information. There is an index, camera right, for your convenience.
There, you will also find articles on this Blog about the Television Business, health and current affairs in Asia, if that interests you.
John Sheehan
Millennium Media Entertainment
214-628-6236 (Routed also to The Philippines)
johntsheehanmme@gmail.com
Blog: http://johnsheehan17.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennium-Media-Entertainment/74464753836
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