The Ilocos Times

By Noralyn O. Dudt "WE HAVE no king but Caesar " came the rallying cry from the agitated crowd at the praetorium, outside the palace of the Roman governor. Pilate brought Jesus out with the crown of thorns already on his head, blood streaming down his face. He asked the Jews, "what do you want me to do with your king?" It had  been a long  grueling ordeal for Jesus. Just the night before, he was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane where he was in deep and earnest  prayer.  "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done." He was so anguished that  he was sweating drops of blood. Sweating drops of blood is rare but very real. It is known as "hematidrosis," a  medical condition that causes one's sweat to contain blood. The sweat glands are surrounded by tiny blood vessels that can constrict and then dilate to the point of rupture, causing blood to effuse into the sweat glands. The cause of hematidrosi

By Noralyn Onto Dudt "THEY HEARD  the sound of the Lord GOD walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord GOD among the trees of the garden. But the Lord GOD called the man and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Then the Lord GOD said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said,  "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." The man and the woman whom we now know as Adam and Eve were actually hiding from the One who had created them and placed them in that garden, the One who had been visiting them in the time "of th

By Noralyn Dudt SUGAR—we all love the sweet white stuff: in our coffee and other beverages, in cakes and cookies, even in spaghetti sauce.  While the body uses sugar for energy, excessive amounts can be damaging.  As sugar travels through your bloodstream to your cells, it's called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. The term glucose is derived from the Greek for sweet. blood glucose is crucial for bodily functions  and provides a source of energy for most cells. However, maintaining normal blood glucose levels is an important part of avoiding long-term health issues, managing weight and supporting overall well-being. An unbalanced sugar intake can start a cycle of blood sugar imbalance. An "enseymada"  (sweet roll) in the morning breaks down into glucose, spiking blood sugar levels. The pancreas releases insulin which drops blood sugar levels. A rapid rise and rapid drop in blood sugar levels can cause fatigue, and signal the release of cortisol, a stress horm