Watermelon Juice

Watermelon is a healing super food.  Juicing it is highly nutritious and you can include the entire melon – its tender and juicy red part, as well as the rind and seeds, which collectively offer incredible health benefits.

In fact, studies show that the most nutrient dense part of the melon is the rind, and the seeds are rich sources of protein and micro and macro-nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and potassium.  As we know, potassium helps regulate blood pressure levels that keep the heart healthy.  

The whole fruit is also far lower in sugar than the red fruit juiced on its own.  Thus, when only the red part is eaten, we throw away the goodness that makes this such a spectacular food.

Watermelon juice is a delicious thirst quencher and deeply hydrating, which makes it an ideal drink for athletes and active people. Moreover, watermelon not only hydrates the body and the cells, it also flushes out the kidneys, gall bladder and bladder.  It can offer more nutrients per calorie as it is mainly made of water and contains very few calories.

It is filled with some of nature's most potent antioxidants. It is a dense source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, which turns into vitamin A in the body. These powerful antioxidants are the natural antidote to aging and disease-causing free radicals.  Vitamin C and beta-carotene neutralize these damaging molecules. A diet high in these two vitamins is known to reduce the risk of heart disease, asthma, arthritis, and even cancer. They also boost the immune system and improve eyesight.

Tomatoes are renowned for their high level of the potent antioxidant lycopene, and so is the watermelon juice, which is a very concentrated source of it. The cancer preventing properties of lycopene have been extensively studied.  The results prove that lycopene does, in fact, protect against a growing list of cancers including prostate, breast, endometrial, lung and colorectal. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study which found that people who had colorectal polyps, which is an early warning sign for colorectal cancers, had 35% lower levels of lycopene than those with no polyps.

Studies have also revealed that people are less likely to get sunburnt after increasing their levels of lycopene. It protects cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage and even DNA damage.  Watermelon Juice is also high in vitamin B6, which is vital for balancing the brain and reducing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is also a very good hormone regulator and helps women through their menstrual cycle.

 

So if you don't already indulge in watermelon juice, you might consider making it a part of your regular juicing menu now. You can mix it with other vegetables for even more amazing health benefits. Watermelon, celery, cucumber and ginger make a delicious combination that will enhance beauty, health and overall well-being.

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Related links:

Watermelon Promotion Board

Watermelon May Have Viagra-Effect

Incidentally, watermelon juice is always included in Saffron’s breakfast buffet.

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Sharing with Mandatory Moch

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Shiang Ma Nou

Shiang Ma Nou's dim sum have got to be the best I've tasted so far in Tagbilaran City.  The mami soup is truly delectable, as well as the siomai, dumplings, and siopao.  I can eat these practically everyday since I can't live without Chinese food for too long, like many Pinoy friends who can't go even a day or two without rice.

Well, I've a feeling I wouldn't be missing my favorite tea house in Binondo, Manila all that much anymore.

Shiang Ma Nou

Gallares corner J. Borja St.

Tagbilaran City

Tel No.: (638) 411-4373

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Shared with Weekly Top Shot,  Food Trip Friday and Yummy Sunday

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Boatman

His name is Ayeh, born and raised in Panglao Island.  He used to be a captain of a boat at Alona Beach that ferried tourists to and from the various attraction sites.  With great pride, he confided that being a boatman funded his college education.  He received his B.A. in Business Management from Holy Name University here at Tagbilaran City about a year ago.

Ayeh's story begins with his great love for the sea.  He started to pursue it at the tender age of ten by joining his grandfather, a fisherman, during the entire summer and on weekends during the school year.  By the time he turned thirteen, he was confident enough to go solo on a small boat provided by his grandfather; going on fishing trips with his friends with boats of their own.   It was tough for the first couple of months, but he soon got the hang of it – regularly getting a bountiful catch of galonggong, hasa-hasa, tulingan, and etc.

By the time he was fourteen, he was making anywhere from 200 to 300 pesos a day, which was quite a substantial income for a boy of that age.  Half of it immediately went to his mother, while the rest he saved, but he did manage to indulge in his favorite soda pops and sweets, of course.

During his high school years, he joined a fishing crew of a large fishing vessel where he dramatically increased his earnings to about 2000 pesos a week during the summers.  As usual, half of it went to his mother, while his share was now slated for his college fund, as well as for the accoutrements of a moneyed teenager – the latest model cell phones, a motorcycle and some nice clothes, of course.

By his college years, on weekends and summers, he switched to tourist boats.  At first he was a mere member of the crew, but as soon as he learned the nuances and the necessary skills to deal with the tourists, he set off as a captain of his own boat with one man as assistant.

As for celebrity passengers, he claimed only Kris Aquino and her husband James Yap, along with the kids and the usual entourage of help in tow. They wanted to go dolphin watching.  But what made this trip take a rather comical turn was that when the other passengers of the nearby boats noticed Kris and James aboard his boat, practically everyone followed to watch them instead of the dolphins.

When I asked him the biggest tip he ever received as a tourist boatman, he answered with a short narrative that took place one auspicious morning.  Walking towards his boat, he noticed a fat wallet on the sand near the water, which he immediately picked up and checked its contents – a large wad of 1000 peso and hundred dollar bills.  He knew instantly that it must’ve have been accidentally dropped by the passenger of that boat that departed only a couple of minutes ago, which was earlier docked on the beach alongside his.  And within a few seconds, that boat was in sight on its way back.  When it reached the beach, Ayeh went to approach the boat and asked the distraught-looking Filipina with her Caucasian husband if she had lost a wallet.  The woman must have been so discombobulated over possibly losing her wallet for good that she just grabbed it from Ayeh, without thanking him, and ordered her boatman to go back to sea.

Ayeh didn’t feel so bad for not having received even a tiny sum as reward.  He was just glad to have returned the wallet to its rightful owner.  However, about ten minutes later, a small group of people from Manila hired him to go on some inter-island sightseeing.  When they returned, the guy handed him a huge tip.  He turned out to be the president of a large bank in Makati.

As a captain of a boat during his college years, Ayeh earned an average of 20,000 pesos a month.  The hours weren’t bad, either – starting at the break of dawn and back at home by the early afternoon.  And to top it all, his boat was usually booked solid for up to six months in advance.  That was because the man whom he rented the boat from also runs an agency that handles many of the local tour trips.  Hence, he received priority booking.

Unfortunately, that all changed for the worse right after the Luneta Hostage Crisis when a group of Chinese tourists were senselessly gunned down by a disturbed ex-policeman.  Business doved fifty percent.  Ayeh also mentioned that the Chinese happened to be the nicest and most generous foreign passengers he ever had.  However, in talking with some of his previous colleagues, the tourism trade at Panglao Island is now supposedly regaining an upward trend.

Right after earning his college degree, Ayeh quit the boating business altogether and joined the hospitality industry.  His usual high income status changed to that of a minimum wage earner.  It wasn’t so bad, he admitted, for it was simply a part of his game plan; sort of a preparation for the next phase of his young life.  You see, at present, Ayeh has his sight set on cruising the Atlantic aboard one of those giant floating resorts/hotels.  He expects to be called for duty early next year by the Norwegian Cruise Line.

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Skywatch

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The Cathedral of St. Joseph the Worker

On ordinary days, the Cathedral celebrates Holy Mass hourly, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. There is a Mass at noon and another in the evening. On Sundays and holidays of obligation, there are more.

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph the Worker, the main seat of the Catholic faith in Bohol, sprawls on a wide area facing Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, the principal street of Tagbilaran City. In front of it is the Plaza Rizal.

Read more about the Cathedral’s historical facts here.

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Coconut Water

New Yorkers may have many things readily available to them, but what they don’t have is fresh coconut water! What they have instead is Vita Coco – coconut water in Tetra Pak.

Thanks to this company, an expat friend in New York can now claim that coconut water is all over the city. And the company’s latest figures report 2009 sales volume of $20 million, 2010 sales of $40 million, and expected 2011 sales of $100 million.

And just what facilitated this coconut water’s successful invasion of the finicky American market? Yoga. You find this hard to believe? Check out this Slate article.

As for the health benefits of coconut water, Dr. Bruce Fife, a certified nutritionist and naturopathic physician, and considered the world's leading authority on the health aspects of coconut and related products, asserts the following:

“Coconut water has a normalizing effect and gives the body a boost of energy so that it can overcome a number of health-related conditions. It is effective in relieving dehydration, fatigue, constipation, and other digestive disturbances, kidney and bladder disorders, and vision problems such as glaucoma and cataract. It is reported to turn back time, so to speak, by reversing or slowing down the aging process. Coconut water also has an alkalizing effect on the body, helping to counteract or balance the effects of acidifying foods which are so common in our diets. Research shows that coconut water can improve blood circulation, lower elevated blood pressure, and reduce risk of heart attacks and strokes. Studies have been so impressive that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has approved coconut water to carry the claim that it may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke."

As anywhere in the entire the Philippine archipelago, coconuts are ubiquitous here in Bohol. They sell for about 20 pesos each. And drinking coconut water has been an important part of my health regimen.

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Cliffside Wedding

Now, this has got to be the most romantic scene I have witnessed this year – a wedding held at Amorita’s Cliffside Deck overlooking Alona Beach.

From what I was told, here’s how it all happened. This young Russian couple walked in at the resort’s front office without any reservation. They said they wanted to check in and be married in the resort’s premises the following day; willing to pay for everything in advance if necessary. Without batting an eyelash, the front office attendant said, “Certainly!”

Right after the couple was ushered into their room, a flurry of activities ensued. And sure enough, on the appointed time the next day, the staff of Amorita had perfectly arranged everything as if under the spell of a magic wand. From getting a pastor to conduct the ceremony, right down to acquiring some fireworks to light up the evening sky to herald the couple’s marital bliss.

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Weekly Top Shot

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Fish Fillet Sandwich

This is the dejeuner created by Chef Paeng -- the marvelous twenty-something  executive chef of Saffron Restaurant and Bar --  when I was feeling adventurous one Sunday afternoon, craving  for something not included in the restaurant’s delightful menu.

It’s a dory fish fillet sandwich with ciabatta bread served with tossed greens,  passion fruit vinaigrette, and some good old French Fries.  Glorious, indeed!

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Food Photography

Mandatory Mooch

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Alona Beach: from Sunrise to Sunset

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Gelateria Milano

When in Tagbilaran City, forget about your usual Selectas or Nestles and opt for a cup of gelato instead.  Go to Gelateria Milano on the 4^th floor of BQ Mall and simply indulge.

This has got to be one of Bohol’s hidden delights. These gelatos are a creation of a young man in his twenties, Paolo Rigotti, whose mother is Filipina and father a Swiss-Italian.  Some of his usual flavors are Torone (almond with honey), Stracciatella (cookies & cream), Ciocolate (chocolate), Tiramisu (mascarpone cheese), Nociola (hazelnut), Pistachio (pistachio seeds), Fragola (strawberries), Ananas (pineapple) and of course, Peanut Kisses and the ever-popular Ube!

They also serve other beverages and play great music.  Indeed, a cool place to chill out, especially with those heavenly gelatos!

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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.

Thank you!

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Trip to Lamanoc Island

I was quite fortunate to have been invited by a group of folks -- developing Bohol’s various eco-tourism projects -- to join them to a sightseeing trip to Lamanoc Island in Anda, located in the eastern part of Bohol, about a three-hour-drive from Tagbilaran City.

Suffice it to say, Lamanoc Island is to Bohol what Mt. Banahaw is to Laguna – a place steeped in mysticism and mythology that would have certainly fascinated both Margaret Meade and Joseph Campbell had they known about it.

The guide awaiting us at the island was Mang Porting.  His knowledge of Lamanoc’s mystical tales was indeed impressive; however, negotiating the island’s treacherous limestone terrain on a sweltering tropical heat made it difficult for me to truly absorb many of his enchanting tales.

Be that as it may, I am confident that I will be visiting this island many more times in the future; I’ll definitely take notes and blog about it as a continuing series.  Consider this photo essay a mere glimpse of what’s to come.

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Watery Wednesday

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Thank you!

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