The City of Makati appears to be strengthening its anti-smoking campaign. I noticed last week on JP Rizal Street, near the boundary of Makati and Manila, posters that listed the major health problems caused by smoking, such as lung cancer, heart disease and gangrene.
One poster, with a photograph of a baby, warned against the hazard of second-hand smoke. Children, of course, are more vulnerable to the unhealthy effects of cigarette smoke.
But I do not think that the posters are conspicuous enough. I hope the city plans to have even bigger posters and display them more prominently. Also, I think the illustrations should be more graphic so the message would be more emphatic.
Many health experts believe shock tactics are really needed, not only to encourage smokers to quit, but also to discourage young people from picking up the habit. They have suggested adding really graphic warnings to the text “Cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health” on cigarette packs.
Acidic foods and health
People often say casually that they suffer from high acidity, but do not seem to be very concerned about it. Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D, writing for the blog site Care2 Make a Difference, lists “8 Ways Acidic Foods Damage Your Body.” She says there are actually more than these eight ways that acidity damages the body:
1. Excessive amounts of acid deplete oxygen, which is needed by every cell in the body to function properly.
2. It damages the mitochondria—the cells’ energy centers—so the cells will not have enough energy to perform their vital functions properly.
3. Excessive amounts of acidity, if not eliminated, will be stored in tissues and joints, causing damage over time.
4. If not properly eliminated or neutralized, excessive amounts of acid can damage brain cells and other cells.
5. When acid levels are excessively high, they create a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.
6. Acid can damage tissues, joints, organs and glands, resulting in any number of imbalances or dysfunction.
7. It depletes alkaline mineral stores in the body, particularly calcium from bones and magnesium from muscles.
8. Superfluous acidity overburdens the detoxification organs like the kidneys and the liver.
I mentioned before that a herbalist has suggested reducing the body’s acidity by including kamote in every meal.
(For more on what Cook says about acidity, log on to https://www.care2.com/greenliving/ways-acidic-foods-damage-your-body.html#ixzz21 MoRhCBK)
Rewards card
Cardholders, who feel inconvenienced by having to collect and save charge slips just so they can avail of rewards for using their cards, may want to check out the new Citibank Rewards Card. The new product eliminates the need to show the charge slips when claiming the rewards.
Bea Tan, credit payment products director of Citibank in the Philippines, said the new card would automatically credit purchases for reward purposes so users could just present it in theaters to claim movie passes and at department stores for rebates. The card could also be used for an annual fee waiver.
For instance, every P2,500 purchase made here or abroad automatically earns a movie pass worth P100. The reward is credited to the cardholders account three business days after the purchase and is valid for 30 days.
Sergio Zanatti, consumer business manager, said the range of rewards was meant to address every Citibank cardholder’s needs and lifestyle. Sanjiv Vohra, City country officer for the Philippines, said the new product was another manifestation of how effective the 200-year-old bank was in helping improve people’s lives through innovation.
Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail lbolido@inquirer.com.ph.