Should you drink a milk?

I always drink milk in my breakfast because I think it is my best food supplement whenever I am in a hurry. But what is this I have read? The truth about milk is it keeps your bones strong, but it has been tied to everything from heart disease to cancer.

It's a good source of calcium

Dairy products are considered a good source of calcium because they have the highest concentration of highly absorbable calcium per serving.

Milk is not the only source of calcium, you can get also from dark leafy greens or dried beans and from supplements like vitamin D.

So are there any good reasons to drink milk if you can get the calcium from other sources?

Benefits of milk

Yes, it has a positive effect on our body beyond strenghtening our bones. It possibly lowering the risk of high blood pressure and the risk of developing colon cancer. But drinking milk can also be problematic.

When milk is not good for you

Here's what I have read: Some people cannot tolerate lactose, which is a key ingredient of milk. If you have this intolerance, milk can make you bloated and gassy, and give you cramps and diarrhoea.

Full fat milk is high in saturated fats, which increase your risk of developing heart disease. If you drink low fat milk, you should make sure you're not getting saturated fats from eating too much butter and ice cream.

Research into high milk consumption - 3 cups or more daily - has actually been tied to a slightly higher risk of ovarian cancer. This is believed to be caused by high levels of galactose, a sugar released when your body digests the lactose in milk, damaging the ovaries.

A high calcium diet has also been implicated as a probable risk factor for prostate cancer. A recent study found that men who drank two or more glasses of milk a day had nearly double the risk of developing fatal prostate cancer as those who had the lowest intake.

Should I drink milk or not?

If you grew up drinking plenty of milk, your bones should be in good shape.

Do not feel like you should give up your daily glass of milk, or bowl of cereal.

Milk is an excellent source of calcium, but be aware that there is no good evidence that having more than one serving a day will reduce your risk of bone fracture.

Given the concerns about ovarian and prostate cancer, it may be a good idea to not overindulge in dairy products.

If you happen to be lactose intolerant, but like milk, there are dairy products that can help your body digest milk better. More importantly, you can compensate with other sources of calcium.

Good non dairy sources include fortified soy milk, collards, baked beans, boy choy, and supplements that contain calcium and vitamin D.

Some cultural differences

Cultural differences, on the whole, are more fun than frustrating. Table etiquette, for example, will cause the average Filipino to stick out like a sore thumb (the British tend not to eat everything with a fork only, the way we do).

After ample attention is drawn to the strangeness of our American expressions and idioms, I begin to adopt theirs. I start practicing "Ta" for "Thank you" and "Cheers" for not only "Thank you" but "Good-bye," "Have a nice day," "Here's to your health," and various other friendly phrases.

There was a definite language barrier between the accents and different words. For the first month I could hardly understand anything. It seems there are an infinite number of dialects here; I am eventually learn the differences now. Expect to ask people to repeat themselves, as the words tend to blend together.

The English are very friendly and open, but also very proud. Some have a certain disdain for Yanks,I did not take it personally, because most of them do not mean it personally and once I show them how likable I am, they forget the difference.

The pedestrian in England does not have the right of way as in Manila. English drivers, like most Europeans, drive aggressively. Even when stepping into a large striped crosswalk I make sure oncoming traffic is going to stop because all crosswalks are not mandatory stops for vehicles.

What's nice is that if I make a lot of international friends, I will have much more fun. I make the effort to find friends. I get different perspectives on life, and I have a better time living here.

I have to always must speak first because everyone appreciates and will be friendly.

First bite of a lamb

My Sister's husband prepared a dish today. An English food actually and first time to eat a boned lamb shoulder.

Lamb is tricky for me. I haven't eat lamb in my whole life only goat meat (chevon or mutton).

Allow me to talk you into enjoying this aromatic meat. I will often hear people say “I like lamb if its cooked right.” This is cooked right and probably should be the first bite of a lamb that a lamb virgin experiences.

Tender, flavorful, and almost like beef tenderloin. I will make these a bit smaller next time and serve them as appetizers for my next meal.

I am grateful

If you want more in your life, then appreciate what you've already got. Develop an Attitude of Gratitude and you'll be amazed at the blessings that enter your life.

Remember that even the smallest of things count; each grain of sand contributes something to that beautiful beach, each blade of grass, each petal of the rose makes the world more beautiful.

Learn to be thankful.

Fascinating little venture in Southall

I decided on an adventure this week. I took the train five minutes south to a different world.

Southall is one of regions in London most famous for its large Asian population. 55% of the population is Indian or Pakistani but there is also a large community of Somalis who live there. The result: a colourful, vibrant area with cultural differences woven intricately throughout. The signs at the train station are even bilingual in English and Gurmukhi.

It was quite a fascinating little venture. The McDonalds is halal. There is a pub called the Glassy Junction which accepts rupees as payment (300 = 1 pint of beer). It has churches, temples and mosques.

I went into a little jumble of a shop that sells everything from rolls to bubble wrap to states of Ganesh, to Jesus and Mary dinner trays to sex toys to children’s toys to kitchen ware and hardware. The goods were dirty and tumbling off the shelves. It was an array of treasures that required some digging.

There were gorgeously vivid fabric shops, sari-sari shops and jewellery shops, lots of phones and DVDs, loads of curry restaurants and market food lining the streets, vegetables and fruits like I’ve seen in Quiapo and Baclaran.