Living water

by Irene Mparutsa

Oum Pak

The Samaritan woman at the well gives the stranger a drink of water and in return she receives the Living Water; freed from bondage, she is the one who proclaims the Christ, the coming of the Kingdom.

Last month, we went to Kampong Thom Province (3 hours north of Phnom Penh, in the interior of Cambodia), to see people who had come to the HIV/AIDS workshop held last October. Oum Pak, one of the participants shared her testimony:

“When I returned from the workshop to my church, I shared what I had learned. I told them how AIDS is not spread. I told them that we cannot catch AIDS by touching people or by sharing food. I told them that it is ok to live together with people with AIDS. Before I went to the workshop, I could not tell anyone that my husband had died of AIDS and that I and my two children are HIV positive; I was afraid that people would not like me. Now my two children and I get monthly HIV medicines at the Kampong Thom Provincial Hospital. World Vision helps us with transportation money to go to the hospital, organizes a support group we go to and gives us school fees so my children can go to school. My life has changed; I find that people are loving and caring; I have hope and I can bring hope to others.”

Like the woman at the well, Pak has received the Living Water. She has gained new freedom, a new life for her and her family. She is becoming a leader in her community; she leads a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. Like the Samaritan woman, she could not keep the Good News to herself either; she had to share it with her family, her church, others in her village sick with HIV/AIDS, everybody!

This story tells why I am passionate about community-based health care ministries: It shows how we helped just this one Pak and she is going out and helping these many others.

This understanding that we women have in UMW about multiplying our gifts by all working together is one of our great strengths, I think; and Pak shows us practically how our gifts of prayers and support are taken and given over and over throughout a village.

The Facts About Asthma

It seems that these days more and more kids are discovering that they have asthma. For some it is allergy related and for others it may be environmental or hereditary. While in our current society we seem to act as if difficulty breathing is normal, the truth is that it isn't. Everyone should be able to breathe and if they can't there are probably some significant reasons for this difficulty.

Many doctors believe that it is because many children are not given the opportunity to develop fully, and that maybe the timetable that Obstetricians are using to figure out when babies should be born may be off either because the amount of time that it takes a fetus to develop is increasing or because there are so many babies being taken out before they are truly full term. Of course, being that the lungs are one of the final organs to develop this could be a major contributing factor to the increase in asthma in children.

Many factors exist that can add to breathing issues in the young and we ought to be careful not to fail to notice troubles with the atmosphere, problems with cigarette smoke and other pollutants in the atmosphere, in addition to all the other irritants we are exposed to daily. There are even persons who think that the augment in instances of asthma may be due to partially the prenatal examinations performed habitually on the fetus.

A food allergy can also cause asthma flare-ups. Additionally allergens in the air can stop a person from inhalation and leave them out of breath. This can be an extremely scary experience for both kids as well as adults. When a person cannot inhale or exhale it only takes a small number of minutes prior to their color change and they faint which is the reason it is so significant to recognize an asthma attack in the early hours and to bring life-saving medication around with you as backup.

Asthma is considered a very common condition these days and while there are instances of individuals dying from asthma for the most part by using cortico-steroids and a rescue inhaler most people can live a relatively normal life. This does not mean that we should consider not having the ability to breathe freely as a normal facet of life. Everyone should be able to breathe freely and if there are things you can do to avoid those issues that cause asthma flare-ups then that is definitely a better way to manage your asthma.

Diabetic Diet Therapy

Managing diabetes is a process of balancing the intake of nutrients, energy expended and the dose and timing of insulin injections or oral anti-diabetic agents. A diabetic has basically the same nutritional needs as a normal person with the exception that their diet must be more structured in order to prevent hyperglycemia. Dietary management for adult diabetics are based on guidelines established by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in 2002. These include:

• Maintain as near normal blood glucose levels as possible by balancing food intake with insulin or oral glucose.

• Achieve optimal serum lipid levels.

• Provide adequate calories to maintain or attain reasonable weights, and to recover from catabolic illness.

• Prevent and treat the acute complications of insulin treated diabetes, short term illnesses, and exercise related problems; or the long term complications of diabetes.

• Improve overall health through optimal nutrition, using dietary guidelines for Americans and the food guide pyramid.

Carbohydrates:

According to the ADA carbohydrates need to be individualized to each diabetic's specific needs. The amount of carbohydrate and monosaturated fat should make up 60 to 70 percent of the daily diet. Carbohydrates contain 4 kilocalories per gram ingested.

Diabetics can get their carbohydrates primarily from plant sources such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, milk, and some other dairy products. Carbohydrates are divided into simple sugars and complex carbohydrates. Research has shown that sugars do not actually digest faster then complex carbohydrates which in the past was believed to increase the chances of hyperglycemia. It has been found that fruits and milk have a lower glycemic response than most starches, and the glycemic response of sucrose (sugar) is similar to that of bread, rice and potatoes.

Using sugar as part of the diabetic diet does not impair blood glucose control in people with diabetes as long as the sugar and sugar containing foods are substituted gram for gram for other forms of carbohydrates. Fructose from fruits and vegetables actually produce a smaller rise in plasma glucose than sugar and most starches, making it a good choice as a sweetening agent if used in moderation because of its potential to adversely affect serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

Protein:

The recommended daily protein intake is 15 to 20 percent of total daily kilocalorie intake. Protein has 4 kcal per gram. Sources of protein eaten should be low in fat, low in saturated fat, and low in cholesterol. The amount of protein recommended is less then most people normally consume during the day, the reason for such a low amount is to help prevent or delay possible renal (kidney) complications. It may be hard for the newly diagnosed diabetic to adhere to these protein restrictions immediately so the best course of action is to gradually decrease protein intake over a longer period of time.

Fats:

Dietary fats should be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fats should not be higher than 10 percent of the total calories eaten per day and dietary cholesterol should be no more 300 mg per day. Fat contain 9 kilocalories per gram eaten. There are many sources for the different types of at that include:

• Saturated fat. These come from animal meats (meat and butter, fats, lard, bacon), cocoa butter, coconut oil, palm oil, and hydrogenated oils.
• Polyunsaturated fat. Sources are oils of corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, sesame seed, and cottonseed.
• Monosaturated fat. We can get these from peanut oil, olive oil, and canola oil.

Another reason for the diabetic to limit fat and cholesterol consumption is to help prevent atherosclerosis, a disease that diabetics are more susceptible to.

Fiber:

Dietary fiber is helpful in treating and preventing gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation and colon cancer. It also creates a feeling of fullness and large amounts have been shown to be beneficial for serum lipids. Soluble fiber is found in beans, oats, barley and some vegetables and fruits including peas, corn, zucchini, cauliflower, prunes, pears, apples, bananas, and oranges. Insoluble fiber found in many of the same foods also helps to increase intestinal motility and helps give a feeling of fullness.

The optimum amount of fiber eaten per day should be in the 20 to 35 gram range. Any increase in fiber consumption should be done gradually as it can lead to nausea, diarrhea or constipation, and increased gas and flatulence. This is particularly true if fluids are not also increased at the same time.

Sodium:

The amount of sodium most people consume each day exceeds by far the amount the body actually needs. 1000 mg of sodium per 1000 calories per day is the recommended daily intake and it should not exceed 3000mg per day. For the diabetic increased sodium consumption can increase the risk of hypertension, a condition that can be a problem with those with diabetes. It is recommended that all diabetics avoid table salt and processed foods that are high in sodium.

Sweeteners:

Any diabetic diet plan will restrict the amount of refined sugars that are eaten. Because of this restriction many diabetics turn to artificial sweeteners in their foods and drinks. All the non-nutritive artificial sweeteners used in the United States have been approved for use by the FDA. This category of sweeteners includes the following:

• Saccharin - Sweet & Low
• Aspartame - NutraSweet, Equal
• Acesulfame potassium - Sunnette.

These artificial sweeteners have little to no calories and produce little change in blood glucose levels when eaten.

Diabetics also use nutritive sweeteners, including fructose, sorbitol, and xylitol. The caloric content of these sweeteners is much the same as table sugar but they do not cause as great a rise in blood glucose levels.

Alcohol:

For the diabetic it is recommended that if they do choose to drink alcohol that they do it in moderation. Consumption of alcohol can increase the hypoglycemic affects of insulin and oral medications. For men the ADA recommends that they consume no more than two drinks per day. For women the recommendation is one drink per day. The following is a list of guidelines for alcohol as recommended by the ADA.

• The signs of intoxication and hypoglycemia are similar; thus, the person with type 1 diabetes is at an increased risk for an insulin reaction.

• The two oral hypoglycemic agent's chlorpropamide and tolbutamide can interact with alcohol and lead to headache, flushing, and nausea.

• Liqueurs, sweet wines, wine coolers, and sweet mixes contain large amounts of simple carbohydrates.

• Light beer is the recommended alcoholic drink.

• Alcohol should be consumed with meals and added to the daily food intake. In most instances, the alcohol is substituted for fat in calculating the diet. A drink with 1.5 ounces of alcohol is the equivalent of two fat exchanges.

Following these ADA guidelines is an important part of managing diabetes. Failure to do so can lead to a host of complications that in some cases can be life threatening.

Diabetes Health?

Anyone who has never known a person who is a diabetic probably doesn't know too much about the condition and might ask "What is diabetes health? Is it different from the health of someone who doesn't have diabetes?" The answer to the latter question is yes, it is different because the nature of the condition makes different parts of the body react differently to those areas in a non-diabetic.

Diabetes is a condition where either the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin to lower the levels of glucose in the blood (Type 1 Diabetes) or the body cannot properly use the insulin which is produced (Type 2 Diabetes) or sometimes both. As a consequence, the glucose levels become abnormally high (known as hyperglycaemia) thus damaging the cells which the glucose would otherwise be nourishing. Over time the retina, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels can be affected.

As a consequence, anyone who is diagnosed diabetic needs to takes special care over certain aspects of their health.

• Eyes. Retinal damage caused by diabetes can cause blindness. A diabetic must see an ophthalmologist at least every year to ensure that no deterioration is taking place (or already had prior to diagnosis).

• Nerves. Diabetes can cause a loss of feeling in the extremities, particularly the feet. A diabetic should never cut their own toe nails but should see a qualified chiropodist specialising in diabetes about every six weeks to have their nails trimmed, hard skin removed and nerves assessed. Any damage to the feet or legs should be treated immediately by a health care professional to prevent infection setting in. Failure to do so could ultimately result in amputation of the foot or leg.

• Kidneys. Damage to the kidneys can lead to kidney failure so a urine test every three months is essential so that a doctor can assess what impact the diabetes or the medication is having.

• Arteries. Diabetes speeds up the formation of plaque in the arteries which can lead to thromboses, heart attack and poor circulation in the arms and legs. Regular blood tests can detect this.

• Blood. High blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides can result from diabetes all of which can contribute to cardio vascular and kidney disease. A blood test at least every three months will enable the monitoring of these levels. An adjustment to lifestyle or medication can usually sort out any problems quickly.

In addition, a diabetic will need to ensure that they take their prescribed medication regularly and adapt their eating, drinking and smoking habits to help the medication to do its job.

8 Mistakes After Meals

Apparently there are some that we think are good habits can actually interfere with the digestive sistem. We have a lot crammed full of knowledge about the rules before eating. Such as choosing healthy foods, and finally, wash your hands before eating it. But often times overlook some small habit after eating, and unexpectedly good living habits are not likely to be fatal for the health of the body. What are the habits that?

1. Eat Fruits, habit to eat fruit after a meal it is the wrong habits. After the food into the stomach, the stomach takes 1-2 hours to digest. If a suitable meal and then eat the fruit, the fruit will be hampered by the food which had already eaten, resulting a fruit can not be digested normally. If prolonged, will cause the symptoms of flatulence, diarrhea, or constipation and other symptoms.
   
2. Tea, Tea leaves contain lots of tannins ( tanat acid ), because of it, drinking tea after eating will makes proteins that have not had time ti digest the stomach together with tanat acid and form sediments that are not easily digested. This will affect the uptake of proteins and ultimately affect the digestion of food. Tea can also inhibit the absorption of iron, if circumstances so prolonged symptoms of anemia may occur due to lack of iron. Drinking coffee, milk and calcium are also not recomended after meals by blocking the absorption of iron in the body.
   
3. Smoking, Dangers of smoking after a meal larger than 10-fold when regular smoking. Why? Because the circulation of blood in the digestive tract after eating are on the rise, consequenly a large number of ingredients in cigaretes, which is not good for health, will be absorbed and can damage the liver, brain and blood vessels of the heart.
   
4. Bathing, Bathing after meal makes the volume of blood flow in the surface of the body will increase. While the volume of blood flow in the intestinal tract and stomach is reduced. This condition will result in lower stomach and aggravate intestinal digestive function.
   
5. Excercising, Excercising after meals can affect the metabolism of the body to absorb food nutrients and can make blood pressure decreased and impairedcardiac function. Wait 2 to 3 hours after eating before you start excercising.
   
6. Sing, It seems strange, really sing it banned. Actually is not prohibited, but wait a while after eating. Because, after eating the contents of our stomach to dilate, the stomach wall becomes thinner, the volume of blood flow increases. As such, the singing can make the midriff moved down, load the abdominal cavity increases, if the light will cause poor digestion, otherwise may cause stomach and symptoms of other diseases.
   
7. Driving a car, accident-proneif it turns out after every meal and then run the vehicle. This is because after eating, stomach and intestine requires a large amount of blood to digest food. These conditions resulted in a large brain deprived of blood for a while, thus reducing the concentration risk. Because of satiety, you also tend to sleepy. Certainly dangerous when forced to drive. Better, taking a break before restarting your car.
   
8. Making Love, Making love as well as exercise. After eating, all blood flow and centralized organs to digest food. Making love with a full stomach will reduce the enjoyment because the energy is depleted, not necessarily led to orgasm and ejaculation.

Vision and Mission

Vision Of Community Health Centers
Make the Health Center as a center of excellent quality health care

The Mission Of Community Health Centers

1. Provide quality health services, proactive, affordable and integrated
2. Make the Health Center as a center of health development
3. Make the Health Center as the center of the movement of community participation
4. Implement transparent management at each program

Motto
Provide rapid, accurate, honest and sincere