The Ilocos Times

(Sequel to “The gut and brain link”) By Noralyn O. Dudt MICROBIOME of the Gut is the newest frontier in Medicine as extensive research has "uncovered" its role in both health and disease, establishing its involvement in human metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune function. Whether you're aware or not, your gut (lower intestines) is home to a colony of microbes. These human digestive-tract associated microbes are referred to as the gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is a microscopic world within the world of your larger body. The trillions of microorganisms that live there affect each other and their environment   in various ways. They also appear to influence many aspects of your overall health,   both within your digestive system and outside of it. Each individual has a his/her own   "colony" of these microbes. We are born with them, and the colony develops as we grow. The colony's development depends on the food you eat, and the lifestyle yo

That queasy feeling,   butterflies in the stomach, a lump in the throat which we all have experienced   at one time or another. Studies have shown that these gut reactions are responses to our psychosocial environment and circumstances -- travel, school examinations,   public speaking,   dietary indiscretions are familiar provocations. We often respond to strong emotions or changes in circumstances with such digestive symptoms as nausea, heartburn,   abdominal discomfort, or altered bowel habit. But why the gut ? And how does the brain factor in all of these? The Enteric Nervous System   (ENS) and its neurotransmitters influenced by hormones play a role in this process because the gut and the brain are linked. Gut is an old Anglo-Saxon word that applies to the passage from the mouth to the anus. The word intestine, like many Franco-English words, may appeal to the sensitive, but it excludes the stomach and the esophagus. Bowel and intestine refer only to the lower gut. The digestive,

By Noralyn Dudt It was on April 30, 1898 when the verdant coastline of Cape Bolinao came into view for the U.S. Navy Asiatic squadron under the command of Commodore George Dewey. Cruising southward along Cape Bolinao, the ship's doctor wrote, "poet or painter never pictured a lovelier scene" as he watched the 'Edenic' country slip past in the afternoon light. He probably wished that he and his shipmates would stop even just a while to admire such a view after having sailed the 560-mile voyage from Hongkong. But it was not for the views they have been sailing.   It was to reach Manila Bay and locate the Spanish Pacific fleet under the command of Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron. Dewey's line of ships slipped into Manila Bay during the early morning hours of May 1, 1898. As they approached the bay, they found   no sign of the Spanish fleet. However, Dewey had an inkling where they could be. The main ship Olympia turned to her right, paralleling the coastl

Imagine a "pabuniag," ( baptism) a "pakasar," (wedding) or a "pamunpon" (funeral) and several Manongs are missing. "Where's Manong Jose, Manong Pedring, Manong Ben, Manong Damian," everyone asks. Who were the Manongs, what were they, and where did they come from? The term "Manong" comes from the Ilokano word for "elder brother" a term so endearing that denotes respect, yet loaded with familial responsibilities. In the old days, the "manongs and the manangs" of the family carried the responsibility of assisting their parents in providing   the needs of their younger siblings even after they got married and had families of their own. It was quite a responsibility in a place called the Ilocos region where arable land was scant, a narrow strip of land wedged between the mountains and the sea. It's a place unlike Central Luzon and the Visayas where large tracts of land called "hacienda" or plantations

OUR ADDICTION to our chairs and sofas isn't just hurting us, it's literally killing us. The problem is so profound that it has spawned the meme, "sitting is the new smoking." It's a meme that the National Institutes of Health does not recommend as it promulgates direct comparisons of the health consequences of sitting and smoking. But  the threat of prolonged sitting  to our health and survival does exist and  the more so because it's able to hide in plain sight. Sitting passively on the chair or on the sofa is assumed to be our normal resting position and until results of  these research studies came out, we were in the dark about the harmful health consequences of our "addiction." A great number of research studies by Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health and other prestigious research centers has linked prolonged sitting or other sedentary behavior to diabetes, poor heart health, weight gain, depression, dementia, and multiple cancers. These studies sho

By Noralyn Dudt "MUCH ADO about nothing" I can almost hear William Shakespeare uttering the phrase as I attempt to write about him and his plays. But before I go on, let me say a bit about the play   "Much ado about nothing." It's a light-hearted comedy that was probably   written in 1598 and 1599—a smart   guess that was   obtained from written records indicating that the play was premiered in 1600.   The play is laden with humor but   darker themes of dishonor, death and deceit run beneath that humor. The word   "ado" is synonymous to a heightened concern, worry or excitement that is unnecessary or greater than the situation. It's basically fussing about something inconsequential. The following paragraphs however are not about "nothing" at all. There are numerous lessons to be learned from Shakespeare's writings. William Shakespeare known as the 'Bard of Avon' in his lifetime, was a poet, a playwright, and an actor. Alth

By Noralyn Dudt When people actively seek out opportunities to assist others in need, it's called volunteerism . Volunteers make considerable and continuing commitments to provide assistance,   and sustain these commitments over extended periods of time,   often at considerable personal cost. That's exactly what Alphonsus de Alban and his wife Kimberly did when they founded St. Philomena School Kids' Comfort Zone in 2008.   They and their co-founders were driven by a purpose to offer quality educational services to children with disabilities. The school started as a "pro-bono" private Special Education Center and because of the lack of facilities offering special education programs,   they then applied for permit to operate as a school. . Today, St. Philomena School is government- recognized,   accredited by the Department of Education and is a thriving institution catering to students with diverse needs like autism, ADHD, DS and intellectual disability,   as

By Noralyn O. Dudt Germany is all precision and punctuality, that is... until you board a Deutsche Bahn train.   Of all the German institutions,   the Deutsche Bahn may well win first prize in   tearing down the reputable German punctuality. The Germans value punctuality and as a people, they are religiously punctual. And the Deutsche Bahn which is still very useful and a lifeline for so many,   is driving them crazy. By Deutsche Bahn standards, a train is considered delayed when it reaches its destination at least six minutes later than planned. I remember about 30 years ago when I was visiting a friend in Freiburg, a former student. I was waiting for the train to Bonn and suddenly an announcement came on the loudspeaker. My knowledge of the Deutsche Sprache [German language] was still very elementary then so I couldn't understand exactly what was being announced. I asked another passenger who said dismally, "the train is five minutes late and they apologize."  

By Noralyn Dudt A SUMMONS from Montgomery County Circuit Court to serve in the Grand Jury in 2018 surely came as a surprise. It has been 30 years since I requested the Montgomery County Court to remove my name from the jury pool as it was nearly impossible for me to leave my job if I were to be selected. In 2018, I was already semi-retired   and I had time to spare so receiving the summons was… well.... sort of exciting. The Jury Commissioner has a big list of potential jurors and I never imagined I would be among the 23. But just a day before the voir dire (jury selection), I was surprised to get a call from the Commissioner's office. She wanted to make sure that I would be at the Courthouse the next day. What is a Grand Jury ? A Grand Jury is a group of citizens who are presented with evidence associated with a case and then determine if there is enough information to move forward on those charges based on the evidence presented to them. They are selected at random from a cro

By Noralyn Dudt BACK in 1790 when Pierre L'Enfant was at work designing what was to become the nation's capital with wide boulevards and common squares,   he probably never envisioned the Washington, DC   that it is today. Although he had helped George Washington's Continental Army in fighting the army of another George (the   King of England) and had an inkling what the new republic would look like, he may not have foreseen nor understood the magnitude of what it would take   to smoothly   run a   democratic republic. That this new nation would require three branches of government to check each other may not have crossed his mind. This was a rather new idea—not since the Athenians   who introduced the concept of democracy around two thousand years earlier. That checks and balances would need a myriad of federal agencies to   efficiently maintain   the functions of government would have been unthinkable at the time: the Supreme Court, the Department of Defense; the Depar