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EarthNews was formerly TheFarm@PinoyBusiness. The former website was not enough to contain all the news the author (farmer) wants to write. In the tradition of TheFarm@PinoyBusiness, this new web address will tackle issues concerning environment,health, natural news, global climate change, people empowerment and any issues affecting mother earth.



300,000 Malunggay Vs Poverty

farmeric August 21st, 2010

Under the program dubbed “Utanon Kada Balay”, the DA through its CARAGA Regional Office aims to provide every household with vegetable seedlings or planting material to come up with their own backyard vegetable garden for their persona consumption, as well as feed of their animals such as goats, pigs, chickens or ducks

In 2007, the Department of Agriculture in Caraga distributed 300,000 malunggay seedlings to 100,000 families to help mitigate hunger, fight poverty, and solve the growing problem of malnutrition in the region.

CARAGA, an impoverished region of Mindanao, is considered a priority area because of the high incidence of hunger, as well as malnutrition among pregnant women and children.

The program was established to help promote malunggay culture and thus help boost the national campaign against hunger and poverty.

CARAGA, covers the provinces of Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte.

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Malunggay - The Miracle Tree

farmeric August 20th, 2010

Malunggay,according to former Agriculture Secretary Arthuro Yap, has many agri-busi- ness potential, explaining why there is a need for farmers to venture into malunggay farming. He gave credit to the DA-BPO led by Director Alicia Ilaga for aggressively promoting the backyard as well as commercial planting or cultivation of the nutritious vegetable tree crop, making it malunggay one of the country’s chief vegetables.

YAP cited the DA’s Malunggay Agri-Biotechnology Program as the model of the research, development and extension component the DA’s program.

“If coconut is the tree of life, the malunggay is the miracle tree,” he said. Yap said malunggay has many agri- business potentials which can help fight hunger and poverty and increase farmers’ income, as well.

Powdered malunggay can be used to fortify noodles, soup or bread with vitamins and minerals of the nutritious vegetable while its seeds, which can produce all-purpose oil, can be used by industries for products like soap, shampoo, lotion and other personal health-care products.

It can also be an alternative source of Continue Reading »

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Of Manny Pacquiao and Malunggay - Uniting the Filipino

farmeric August 18th, 2010

Pacquiao, who prefers to use the moniker given to him by the Americans, which as everyone knows came from a video game character immensely popular in the 80s, known for devouring everything in its way, has devoured every fighter who crossed his path.

Pacquiao, who boxed his way to fame and fortune and into the hearts of this country’s citizens desperate for heroes, reportedly feasted on malunggay-filled tinola prepared by his trainer before his fights.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has said time and again that pound for pound, malunggay is the most nutritious vegetable this side of the planet, rich in every known nutrient. It also wages war against free radicals that impair metabolism.

DA said that the Medical College in Kolkota, India, found out that malunggay can help in the treatment of female reproductive disorders like epithelial ovarian cancer.

Philippine folklore says that malunggay can also help men with low sperm count.

Known scientifically as Moringa oleifera Lamk, malunggay is also believed to be a natural energy booster.

It is a given that malunggay, with all its nutrients, helped Paquiao beat his opponents.

With the vast commercial opportunities that come with the “miracle vegetable,” our people just might rally behind it, be more productive, earn, have food on the table, be truly united, and help each other live a better life.

It’s hard to unite when one is poor and hungry, but there is one ingredient in the meal of the destitute that has all the nutritive values absent in the meals of the super rich, and that is malunggay.

Of course, for the greedy there will never be enough. No amount of malunggay-laced tinola can remedy that problem.

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Coffee for Asthma Attack?

farmeric May 20th, 2010

You’re out in the wilderness and suddenly realize that you left your inhaler at home. What do you do if you feel an attack coming on?

Count on caffeine in a pinch!

Head for the coffee pot. ” A couple of cups of strong coffee will have a beneficial effect on asthma,” say allergist Allan Becker, M.D., an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba, who tested the effects of caffeine on asthma.

Asthmatics given pills that contained the amount of caffeine found in two cups of coffee “could breathe better and their asthma improved,” Dr. Becker found. Caffeine and the popular asthma drug Theophylline are almost identical - your body doesn’t know the difference.

He cautions, however, that caffeine is not a substitute for your medication. “We don’t recommend it as a treatment, but in an emergency, when you don’t have your medication around, two strong cups of coffee or hot cocoa or a couple of chocolate bars would be an effective substitute medication that would buy time until you can get to your medicine or inhaler.”

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Maneuver Around Asthma Attacks

farmeric May 15th, 2010

When someone is choking on food, you probably know what to do. But if someone has an asthma attack, you might stand by helplessly. Fortunately, what works for chowking also works for asthma - the Heimlich Maneuver.

Heimlich Maneuver

Heimlich Maneuver

According to Heimlich Institute, the famous anti-choking action works by forcing trapped air and mucus out of the lungs. The Heimlich Maneuver, if performed regularly, might even prevent future asthma attacks.

Here’s how to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on someone suffering from a life-threatening asthma attack.

  • Stand behind the choker and wrap your arms around his waist.
  • Make a fist, and place the thumb side of the fist against the upper abdomen, above the belly button but below the ribcage.
  • Grab your fist with your other hand and press into the upper abdomen with a quick but gentle upward thrust. Do not squeeze the ribcage.
  • Repeat if necessary.

If you are alone and having an asthma attack, you can perform the Heimlich Maneuver on yourself. Just skip the first step and follow the rest of the directions. Or you can lean over a table, chair, or railing and briefly force your upper abdomen against its edge.

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Healthy Cooking With Virgin Coconut Oil

farmeric April 26th, 2010

Extra virgin coconut oil is perhaps the most avoided miracle food today, and we’re going to be devoting major reports over the next several posts, telling health-conscious consumers about its benefits and changing shopping habits.

Coconut has been used as cooking oil for thousands of years. It can be used to replace corn and canola oil without requiring changes in recipes or cooking habits. Cooking and baking with extra virgin coconut oil can enhance the taste and texture of virtually any recipe and at the same time, supercharge your health.

Promising studies have been done on patients suffering from immune deficiency and autoimmune diseases. So you can see that we’re big fans of the healing properties of coconut oil. We recommend virtually everyone consume coconut oil on a daily basis. We truly believe that coconut oil is the best widely available oil to use for cooking and baking and is even great when used externally to promote smooth and supple skin.

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Coconut Oil as Saturated Fat

farmeric March 22nd, 2010

Here’s our second series about the Truth About Coconut Oil. The first post was about Is Coconut Oil Bad for You?.

Another reason people believe coconut oil must be bad for you is misguided association: it is a saturated fat and “saturated fats are bad for you.” Dietary guidelines inevitably fail to distinguish between different kinds of saturated fats and insist that saturated fats (meaning all saturated fats) are harmful.

This is not just misleading. It is bad science. Leading scientists now recognize that just as there is good cholesterol, there are also good saturated fats.

Fats are classified as short-, medium- or long-chain based on the number of carbon molecules they contain. Nearly two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil consists of medium-chain fatty acids.

When we eat long-chain fatty acids, they must be Continue Reading »

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Is Coconut Oil Bad for You?

farmeric March 21st, 2010

Is Coconut Oil Bad for You? Hardly.

There is widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for you because it is said to raise blood cholesterol and cause heart disease.

In fact, studies said to “prove” these assertions were flawed. In one study, there were no Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) provided in the diet; the absence of these EFAs alone would be expected to cause the results.

Other studies used hydrogenated coconut oil. It is now known that the process of hydrogenation creates “trans fatty acids” (TFAs), which are toxic entities that enter cell membranes, block utilization of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and impede cell functionality. TFAs also cause a rise in blood cholesterol. These substances are not present in natural coco- nut oil.

In other words, a study based on hydrogenated coconut oil has no relevance to the non-hydrogenated coconut milk or coconut oil that you eat.

Widespread studies of coconut-consuming populations such as those found in Polynesia and Sri Lanka, show that “dietary coconut oil does not lead to high serum cholesterol nor to high coronary heart disease mortality or morbidity.” Other studies show no change in serum cholesterol level from coconut oil.

And if it is true that the herpes virus and cytomegalovirus have a causative role in the initial formation of atherosclerotic plaques, coconut oil may be beneficial in preventing heart disease.

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Nature’s Gift-God’s Amazing Pharmacy!

farmeric March 5th, 2010

A friend sent this to me. It’s been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish… all before making a human. He made and provided what we’d need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw.  We’re such slow learners…

God left us a great clue as to what foods help what part of our body!

God’s Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye… and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.
A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the res earch shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.  Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

    Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

    Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

    Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female – they look just like these organs. Today’s research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it Continue Reading »

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    12 Tips For Better Health

    farmeric February 22nd, 2010

    The biggest step to aiming towards better health is admitting the fact that you need to make changes towards becoming healthier and fitter. Here are some tips to help you improve your health and help you to reach a new and improved you.

    1. Make it a life goal to obtain a healthier outlook on life which will undoubtedly lead to a healthier you, if you are determined to reach a better state of health, making it a reality will be so much easier.

    2. Support your new way of thinking by learning everything you can about ways of reaching better health and living a healthier lifestyle. You can use the internet, books, DVDS, clubs, gyms and support groups to your benefit, knowing all you can about healthy living gives you a great base to work from.

    3. You have to start somewhere so start by taking a look at your kitchen and reorganizing in preparation for your new way of life. Reorganize your kitchen cabinets, cupboards and refrigerator to ensure that there are no signs of the old you and all the signs of the things that will help you in your new lifestyle.

    4. Replace old food with your new healthier choice and don’t forget to purchase any small appliances which you will need to support your healthier way of eating, such as blenders and food weighing scales.

    5. Get a large planner calendar, pin it up in your kitchen and mark the day when you choose to begin your new lifestyle and stick to it no matter what.

    6. From day one keep a journal, this can either be a traditional one or use your computer. You should include all thoughts and feelings about your new ways along with all the changes you see about yourself. This is essential to look back on to see the positive changes that are occurring due to your positive outlook and changes you have made. Continue Reading »

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