Ang Kalatas Volume IV September 2014 Issue | Page 20
20
THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 4 Number 12 | September 2014
FOOD & HEALTH
The Grace Hotel's FOOD FESTIVAL. A brief review by Jaime K Pimentel
Looked great, tasted even better
THE
chef’s version of ‘relyenong bangus’ or stuffed milkfish was a
favourite at the 2014 Flavours of the Philippines Food Festival, dished
out over two weeks in Sydney’s four-star The Grace Hotel, courtesy
of the Philippine Tourism Office and sponsor Cebu Pacific Air, the
Philippines’ new carrier.
FINE-food lovers ~ and who’s
not one ~ were treated to a daily
change of the Philippines’ most
delicious dishes: from temptingly brown chicken adobo
and braised pork belly humba to ox tail kare-kare, lechon
kawali, lapu-lapu Filipiniana,
crab salad with mango, and
banana heart in coconut milk.
Just on day-one for starters.
An array of desserts featured a tantalizing leche flan,
capped off with a mix-yourown halo-halo.
Had I the resources, I would
have returned an assault on a
new menu the next day. And
the next and the next. Why
not, The Grace sat smack in
the heart of our city so accessible by train, bus and car.
Sorry, the hotel did not have
a helipad for air transport and
it was a bit distant to Sydney’s
Rellenong Bangus. Photo: Marilie Bomediano
wharf to come by ferry.
What would have been value added to the food festival
was an atmosphere of ceberation, I thought. A little melodic
Filipino music, perhaps. Some
hostesses in Filipino costumes.
A tinikling dance thown in?
But what the heck, we
spent almost two hours at The
Grace’s fine-dining and sharing the best of Filipino food
with friends. We don’t usually
take that long to have lunch, so
one can guess why we stayed.
Bring the Filipino food festival back next year. And the
next, and the next.
Facts and fiction of teeth whitening
A
ccording to recent studies, the
eyes and teeth
are the first things noticed in a
person 80 per cent of the time.
Smiling provides improvement
on an individual’s health, stress
level and attractiveness. No wonder in this day and age, more and
more people are getting their teeth whitened. Well, why not?
Teeth whitening is considered as one of the least invasive
procedures in dentistry. This
common dental procedure involves the altering of teeth shade
by breaking down teeth stains
through chemical means. Despite the advances of technology in dentistry, there are still
a lot of misconceptions about
teeth whitening.
Here are the most common
myths about teeth whitening:
MYTH: Teeth Whitening is
painful and can be harmful to
your mouth.
FACT: If done professionally, teeth whitening procedure is one of the safest treatments that can be provided by
an oral healthcare professional.
Although hypersensitivity of the
teeth is the most common side
effect, this can be minimised
with ease.
MYTH: Teeth Whitening
damages and weakens your
teeth.
FACT: The most common
material used in whitening teeth
is Carbamide Peroxide (CP).
When applied to tooth surfaces,
CP breaks down stains resulting to whiter teeth appearance.
Recent studies have also shown
that Carbamide Peroxide is an
effective solution in controlling
plaque, thus minimising dental decay, gum disease and promotes good oral health.
MYTH: All teeth whitening
systems can work.
FACT: There are many different methods of whitening teeth.
The most common method is
a customised take-home teethwhitening treatment. This involves a dentist-prescribed teethwhitening material with a customised tray to be worn by the
patient every day or every night.
W
ly enough. At this stage, the baby
has a high blood alcohol concentration and lacks oxygen and nutrients needed for its brain and organs to grow properly. White matter in the brain, which is responsible for speeding the processing of
information, is sensitive to alcohol.
Timing is another medical factor in the development of FAS. The
baby’s facial features are formed
during week six to nine of pregnancy. This three week window
is more likely to have babies with
facial deformities associated with
FAS. Damage to the baby’s organs
through drinking is most likely to
happen in the first three months.
SYMPTOMS:
l Small head with elfin-like
face
l Poor vision and hearing
l Joint and limb defects
l Congenital heart disease
l Organ defects (i.e. k idney)
l Learning difficulties: problem with language, inappropriate social behaviour,
poor short-term memory,
inability to grasp instructions
l Hyperactivity and poor attention
l Poor coordination
l Mood swings
DIAGNOSIS:
Early diagnosis can prevent
“secondary disabilities’ which are
GETTING
ready
to join a gym and
shape up this spring?
Make sure you study
gym deal offerings
first to make sure
you don’t lose money
before you lose
weight.
NSW Fair Trading Minister
Matthew Mason-Cox urged consumers wanting to kick start their
Spring fitness regime to read contracts carefully before joining a
gym, as consumer complaints
reach a three year high.
Mr Mason-Cox said Fair
Trading received 456 complaints
about health clubs and gyms in
the 2013-2014 financial year, the
highest level in three years.
“We have also seen a significant increase in the level of consumer enquiries, which was up 60
per cent to 727 in the past financial year,’’ he said.
“This is a concerning trend,
which is why we are urging consumers to shop around and check
the fine print before signing any
contracts.
Of the 456 complaints registered in the 2013-14 financial
year, 189 related to cancellations
and cooling off of contracts and
88 involved refunds.
“Joining a gym can be costly,
so don’t be pressured into signing
up on the spot,’’ he said.
“A number of gyms now offer short duration membership
or pay as you go options, so it
is best to shop around and find
a gym agreement that best suits
your needs.
“Be wary of special deals and
promotions offered in a verbal sales pitch. “Put any changes in writing as proof of what has
been agreed and understand that
by signing a contract, both parties
are agreeing to all the small print.
Mr Mason-Cox encouraged
customers to choose a gym that
was a member of Fitness Australia and operated under the NSW
Fitness Code of Conduct. The
Code sets a standard for consumer protection. [NSW Fair
Trading]
Your Mouth, Your Body, Your Health
alth
Even though most of the teeth
whitening systems available in the
market work to a certain degree,
the dentist-supervised method
provides a safer and more predictable whitening result.
MYTH: Teeth Whitening can also whiten fillings and
crowns.
FACT: Contrary to many beliefs, crowns and fillings will not
whiten. Only teeth will.
Patients requiring major dental procedures such as
crowns, veneer or composite fillings involving front teeth should
consider teeth whitening procedure first. This will provide better aesthetic result at the end.
If you have any further questions, concerns and interests on
FOETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS)
omen who
drink alcohol during
pregnancy can give birth to babies with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
characterised by defects and disabilities ranging from mild to severe.
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
(FAS) is a severe form of the condition.
When a pregnant woman
drinks, the alcohol goes across
the placenta to the foetus via the
bloodstream. The foetus’ liver is not fully formed so it cannot metabolise the alcohol quick-
Consumers urged
to read fine print
before joining a gym
DR. ROUEL
VERGARA
[email protected]
Before and after teeth whitening
teeth whitening treatment, it is
highly recommended that you
seek professional dental advice.
Dr. Rouel Vergara,
DMD is a general
dentist practitioner
focusing on patientcentred dentistry. He
is a member of various
dental organizations in
Australia and overseas,
and is also actively
involved in providing
lectures and workshops
for dental health
professionals in the
Asia Pacific region. Dr.
Vergara practices in
Parramatta and Empire
Bay, NSW.
Healthwise
not present at birth, with appropriate support.
TREATMENT:
Referral to Paediatricians who
are likely to investigate problems
further with Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Speech and Language
Therapists and Specialists for organ defects.
Special Education and Social
Services can help very young children to adjust to the society.
Behavioural Training and
Medication will help alleviate
mood swings.
PREVENTION:
Women who drink should reduce consumption to a minimum
or ideally, STOP drinking alto-
FE
WATMORE
Registered Nurse
gether.
If trying to conceive, ask
your partner to help you by cutting down his drinking as well, as
drinking impairs sperm count and
heavy drinking cause temporary
impotence.
Damage can be done in the first
few weeks of pregnancy when a
woman might not yet know that
she is pregnant - the risk increases if the mother is a heavy drinker.
FAS does not occur if the
mother refrains from drinking
during pregnancy. If you are a
woman with a drinking problem
who wants to get pregnant, seek
help from a Health Care Professional.
REFERENCES:
fasdtrust.co.uk
Healthline-FAS
Femail.com.au/foetalalcoholsyndrome.htm
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia