Kawalan ng Katarungang Panlipunan

                Ngayong panahon, tatlong bagay lamang ang mahalaga; pagkabantog, pera at kung anong bagay ang makapadala sa kanila ng kabantugan at pera. Ito ang paksang mahalaga at ng aking mabilang na wala sa kabutihang panlipunan. Ayon sa Wikipedia, ang pagtingin na panlipunan ang di pantay na pagpapahalaga ng wastong pagbigay ng pagtingin. Dito, masasabi ang kakulangan ng mga tao sa pantay na pagpahalaga, dahil sila’y kulang sa sapat na pagkakataon sa pagbigay ng pagkakataon sa lahat.

                Ang kahirapan ay halimbawa nito. Ayon sa ating pambansang statistika, mga isang bahagdan lamang bale 27.9% ang sa atin ay mahihirap. Bakit ganito ang nagyayari? Ang sagot ay kulang sa pag-aaral. Kakaunti ang magkapagtapos ng pag-aaral dahil sa kahirapan. Sa halip nito sila’y tumutulong sa pagtanim ng palay para may makain at makatulong sa pamilya. Kaya, napakababa ng ating masaganang pamumuhay.

                Ang kalagayang ito ay nagpahaba ng mabuting kalagayan ng pamilya. Kaya, marami ang nawawalan ng mabuting pag-iisip at nagpapakamatay sa halip na mamuhay nang mabuti. Ito ay isang dahilan ang di pagbigay ng wastong pamumuhay sa marami dahil sa kagipitan. Ang masamang pagtingin sa mahihirap ang di pagbigay ng nababagay na tulong sa hindi makakaya ang nagpapababa sa ating pambansang kalagayan dito sa Pilipinas.

                Di ba tayo binigyan ng pagkakataon na magmahalan at magtutulungan? Marahil ang di wastong ginagawa ay ang di mabuting pagtingin sa mga mahihirap. Kinangalian na natin na ang mayroon ang ating kinilala at kung tayo ay may kaya di na natin pinapansin ang iba. Di natin pinapansin ang mga walang kaya at ang kapakanan lamang inaasikaso. Saan dito ang pantay na pantay na pagtingin sa lahat? Huwag natin isipin lamang ang ating kapakanan kundi ang sa mga walang wala rin. Pansinin ang mahihirap din. Bigyan din sila ng halaga. Sa ngayon, tayo ay nagkakamali dahil ang pinahahalagahan lamang ang katanyagan, pera at kung ano ang makuha o mabibigay ng mga ito dahil ito ay mayhalaga sa ating buhay. Ito ba’y tama? Hindi. Dapat pantay pantay tayo sa ating pagharap sa lipunan at nang tayo’y may malaki at mabuting pamumuhay sa lipunan. Ngayon na ang dapat bigyang pansin, ang pantay pantay na pagbigay kabutihan para sa lahat.

Detox Diet - Good or Bad?

What is a Detox Diet?

I have seen tons of people of different social media sites trying out this so called "detox diet". Although this may seem tempting and "the only solution", make sure you know the side effects and what it truly is. Detox diet can be extremely harmful especially for teens. 

Although detox is primarily thought of as a treatment for alcohol or drug dependence, the term is also used to refer to a program of diet, herbs, and other methods of removing environmental and dietary toxins from the body ✖ . These diets encourage you to eat natural food and and involves drinking a lot of water and doing exercise - which we all know is good for you.

The basic idea of detox diet is to get rid of wastes and temporarily give up certain kinds of food that are thought to contain certain toxins. The idea is to purify or get rid of the bad stuff. But truth be told, the human body is designed to purify itself. 

There are different kinds of detox diet many include a version of fast, giving up food for a couple of food days and reintroducing certain foods to your diet. Others include tea or supplements to help the purification process. 

This may seem tempting, but take note that there are side effects to this which include dizziness, tiredness, and nausea. Many of these diets include a lot of exercise, but cannot really be able to because of the side effects. It is said to give you more energy and focus but it actually does the exact opposite. Detox diets don't help people lose fat, you may drop pounds, but what you are losing is water and muscle. You may lose weight but you are more likely to regain them soon after completing the diet. 

It is a good idea to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, get lots of fiber, and drink water. But you also need to make sure you are getting the right nutrients your body needs like protein and calcium. The human body is designed to purify itself. You can help yourself by eating lots of nutritious food and exercising regularly. If you have any more questions or concerned about your weight, ask your doctor or dietitian before hand.

*I am in no ways a professional or a dietitian. This is what I have learned from various research out of pure curiosity. Make sure to check the links down below to read more about this since what I have said isn't very informative. It is what went on in my mind at the time which wasn't very illustrated so I do apologize*

1. http://m.kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/detox_diets.html?m=y#cat20131

2. http://www.webmd.com/diet/detox-diets

3. http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/dietarytherapy/a/DetoxBasics.htm

Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

10 Fashion Hacks

FASHION DILEMMA

We all have those times in which our favorite clothing items get ruined and you feel like its the end of the world. Or you just bought a really cute pair of shoes and they get ruined by mother nature. Here are a few tips, ten to be exact that might just save your life - and time.

1. Its a perfect day, you're wearing your favorite pair of canvas sneakers and then its starts to rain and there are puddles everywhere and you get splashed here and there every now and then on your walk. And then when you get home your shoes are SOAKED.

This is where beeswax comes in hand. Use it to waterproof canvas shoes and sit it with a blow dryer after hand.

2. We all have the trouble of ironing button - up shirts especially because of the buttons, fight the pesky little task and iron it inside - out. It makes life a whole lot easier.

3. Speaking of ironing, we all have that problem of ironing the collar of our t - shirts or you're in a rush and the collar of your shirt is all wrinkly.

Use a hair straightener to iron your collar or even the edges or sleeves of your shirt. Its a super quick and easy method especially if you've just finished straightening your hair or if you have one close to you.

4. We all have a problem of stuck up zippers and it is the most annoying and obnoxious thing in the whole world and my feelings are the same with you towards that.

Use a graphite pencil tip for this by rubbing it against your zipper. 

5. Now, that or even worse, those horrible sweat stains on your t -shirt are the most disgusting looking and horrible smelling things ever (I'm exaggerating a little bit but you get me) and it is extremely difficult to wash off. Especially for grey shirts since it tends to get discoloration.

Remove it with lemon juice and then wash it as you normally would. This will save you the hassle of rubbing your shirts so hard it could come off.

6. Tights or stockings are a good to way to dress up an outfit or something to add to your outfit if you're feeling cold. But, then it runs and you have no other choice but to throw it out because probably right now, it's just a piece of thread. 

Spray your tights or stockings with some hairspray to prevent runs and you're good to go!

7. Speaking of running tights (that's not how you phrase it but let's leave it that way cause I think it's funny), let's say it's already run but you don't want to give up on it yet since it's not exactly a piece of thread yet.

Paint the edges of the rip/s with clear nail polish to stop it from ripping any further. This trick was given to me by my mom and it has saved me numerous times before.

8. We all have problems of not giving up on our clothes just yet because we feel like we still need it or you believe you have used it a million times before. Well, that's not exactly a good excuse especially if your wardrobe its packed and you have absolutely no room to store your clothes.

Turn your hangers in one direction, as you take out your clothes to wear, turn it the other direction when hanging it back up. Get rid of the clothes facing the opposite direction by giving it to charity, passing it onto any younger siblings or relatives, or selling it online is a really fun way!

9. Don't have a dryer at home or its broken?

Dry hand - washed clothes with a salad spinner. Use this method when you want to dry your clothes ASAP. Take note that it won't fully dry, give it an hour to three hours to completely dry.

10.  My worst problem ever is my jeans fading (especially if its black!).

Keep it from fading by adding 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle while doing laundry. But make sure to keep it smelling good since vinegar has a  foul odor.

Hope these tricks and hacks helped you guys, let me know if they did by commenting! 

Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

*All pictures are not mine. Credits go to the owners*

July 2014 Playlist

For me, music is a personal thing. You can either share it to everyone, or keep it to yourself. My music taste ranges from alternative to rock to indie and occasionally some Iggy Azalea. This month I have been discovering new bands and artists and also listening to some of my old favorites because come on, if it's good music, it stays good. 

1. Talking Dreams (Album) - Echosmith

Choosing a favorite from this album is really hard since all of the songs are so good and Sydney's voice is very melodic and glorious and the guitar and drums go so well with the song (good going Sierotas!). But if I had to, it would be Bright, Come Together, and Talking Dreams (that's actually more than one oops).

✖

2. Kids - Two Door Cinema Club

What I love about this band is that they give off an electric vibe to their songs which give it sort of a modern style while still having a vintage feel of the voice.

✖

3. Maps - Maroon 5 

I cannot fully describe how I feel about this song but I have been listening to it a lot this month so why not put it here!

✖

3. Attention & The Best Thing (That Never Happened) by We are the In Crowd

These songs are the ones that make me want to play my air guitar and drums and belt out and scream in my room just because it has a very rock vibe and makes you want to scream "Preach!"

1.✖ 2.✖

4. New Perspective - Panic! At the Disco

Yes, I know that this is an old song but I came across it on my phone and I have played it nonstop ever since.

✖

5.  Infinity (EP) - Against the Current

I have been watching this band ever since last year and its good to see how much of an audience they have achieved and seeing their journey of releasing their first ever EP! It would be impossible for me to choose a favorite song here just because all of the songs are absolutely amazing!

✖

6. Diary of Jane - Breaking Benjamin

This is another really old song except this one is older than the rest (lol). This is another song I fell upon in my phone. This song just makes me want to jump around and bang my head and shout (like every other song here). But really, this song is so good I just had to put it here.

✖

Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

✖ - click for the link of the song/album

*All pictures are not mine. Credits go to the owners*

DIY Sea Salt Spray

We all want Selena Gomez's so popular 'beach waves' and we don't have enough money to buy that fancy sea salt spray everybody uses. Make your own in the comfort of your own home and customize it depending on your hair type.

What you need:

Spray bottle

2 T Sea salt (you can even use whatever salt you have in hand)

1 T deep conditioner (a normal conditioner works too just change the measurement to 2 T)

1 T hair gel

hot water (not boiling)

Directions:

Pour your water into your spray bottle but don't fill it to the top because you will be shaking everything. Add in your sea salt, conditioner, and hair gel. Shake

You can customize this to however you prefer your hair to be. If you want more beachy waves add in more salt. You can even add in your favorite perfume to give a scent. It all depends on you! Place your hair in a braid ovenight, take it out in the morning and spray the sea salt spray and scrunch up your hair to give off that beachy vibe. You can also spay it onto your hair after curling it to give it more texture. Or you can just spray it to your hair if you're having a bad hair day and it will give you more volume and texture.

Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

*All pictures are not mine. Credits go to the owners*

Study Tips

For us Filipinos we are already in school and in my school, we are currently having our 1st Quarter Examinations. But other people outside like people from the US, don't start school until next month. Either way here are some studying tips that can help you.

1. Your Own Words

The things you study from your textbooks, your teachers, or even your friends are of little use since you have to explain it all to yourself at the end of the day. Use your own words when understanding things and you will be able to illustrate your thoughts better.

2. Memorization Method

The thing I dread the most is memorizing and most of us find it difficult to but can memorize a three or four minute song in a matter of an hour. That is because we listen to music and we read to memorize. This may sound strange or awkward but a good trick in memorizing things is to record yourself reading your notes, plugging in your earphones or headphones and playing it. And by listening, it will help you retain information better.

3. Flash Cards

Using flash cards helped me a lot in studying for my tests. When you look at the front part of your card, you are attempting to remember the concept from scratch rather than passage you were staring at in your textbook. And because flash cards allow for confidence based repetition you can improve your memory performance. This is something you can just throw in your bag and flash through right before you go to bed, on your way to school, in between classes or when you have free time which make it very convenient.

4. Do Not Cram

5. Stay Organized

Keeping organized can help you stay focused and helps you from not cramming and stressing out all the time. Keep a planner, this will help you stay in track. We all have different ways of writing our notes and a good way is color coordinating, it may seem child like but it does work. Plus, it will make your notes look more lively rather than staring at a boring page.

Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

*All pictures are not mine. Credits go to the owners*

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

We all hurry in the morning not wanting to be late for school or work that we forget our most important meal of the day, which is breakfast. It is best for us to eat breakfast every morning because we haven't eaten for about 10 hours (last meal being dinner) and we need to fill our bellies with some food to give us energy throughout the day! 

The first thing I do every morning is drink water. This helps me stay awake and is proven to work better than coffee. Drink at least 2 cups of water (8oz.) and it is guaranteed to wake you up.

1. Banana Oat Pancakes

My favorite breakfast food ever is banana oat pancakes. This helps keep me full throughout the morning and is super easy to make.

What you need:

1/2 cup of oats

2 egg whites

1/2 a banana

cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla

non - stick pan

Directions:

Using a mixing bowl, add in your oats and egg white. Mash up your banana in a separate bowl and add to the oats and egg whites. Add in the cinnamon and vanilla and mix them all together. You can even blend this to give it a better consistency.

Heat your pan (if its not non - stick, melt some butter onto your pan) and pour in about 1/3 cup of your batter onto your pan forming a pancake shape (or even any shape you like!). Once you see the edges starting to dry up and bubbles starting to form, it is time to flip it. Cook it until it is all cooked. Transfer it onto a plate and serve it with some honey and choice of fruits. You can even serve it by itself which is perfect either way.

2. Egg in a Basket

This is also one of my favorites and it looks really delicious and professional when it is actually super easy to make.

What you need:

an egg

bread

salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Taking a slice of bread, cut a circle in the middle using a knife or a circle cutter. Crack your egg onto a bowl to make sure that there are no eggshells in your bread later on. Heat up your pan and grease it with a little vegetable oil or butter. Place bread onto pan and place the egg in the middle of the bread where we cut the circle. Add salt and pepper to season. Cook until the egg is cooked, flip so that both sides are cooked.

3. Ham and Egg Cups

You can make these ahead of time so that if you're running late in the morning, you can just heat it up and eat it on the go.

What you need:

6 slices of ham

4 eggs

1/4 cup low fat milk

1/2 bell peppers, chopped

1/4 cup yellow onions, chopped

salt & pepper (to taste)

vegetable oil to saute vegetables

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. In a saucepan, saute the chopped onions for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the chopped peppers and saute for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk eggs and milk together and add salt and pepper to taste. Grease muffin tin wells with vegetable oil and line each with a slice of ham. Next add a spoonful of peppers and onions and top with the egg mixture.

Bake at 350-degrees for about 20 minutes.

4. Breakfast Burritos

This is also one of my favorites because you can just make it the weekend before and heat it up and take it with you if you're in a hurry. I also love this because you can customize it to however you want it to. You can add meat if you want or you can leave out the meat. Add the vegetables you like, it's all up to you!

What you need:

wheat tortillas

2 eggs

2 bell peppers, chopped

1/2 - 1 cup hash browns

1/2 cup lettuce or spinach

1/2 cup cooked bacon or chicken breast, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Cook your hash browns and crush it up while you cook so that they are not in their "hash brown form" until they are golden brown. Remove from heat. Scramble your eggs onto a pan and add in the peppers and lettuce or spinach and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the hash browns and bacon/chicken to the egg mixture, this is now your filling.

Take out your wheat tortillas and add the filling to the middle and shape as if you would shape a burrito. 

Wrap it in plastic wrap and keep in freezer. Heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds - 1 minute when you want to eat it.

These recipes are so good and a healthier option than having breakfast at McDonald's or grabbing a pop tart from your pantry. Stay tuned for more.

Until next time,

Beatrix Lim

*All pictures are not mine except for the first photo which I edited myself. Credits go to the owners*