MY SECOND GIFT to you after the Gospel of Sex, my dear readers, is the Epistle of Good Health.
Because I am a nurse.
Because I am a teacher.
And I believe that things can get better when you have good health.
*
And although I stress physical health—healthy diet, exercise, enough sleep, clean lifestyle, please understand that I also strongly advocate mental, and emotional, health.
I seriously think that if you cannot laugh heartily, you are not healthy.
That if you cannot cry in the movies, you are retarded.
That if you cannot express your anger, you are dead.
*
I do not think it is healthy when you do not have sex.
Or, if you haven’t had sex in a very long time.
Of course, I also think it is not healthy to have sex three times daily.
I like sex.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a regular sex partner anymore.
But I still do have a considerable amount of sex.
*
It is scary to have sex with multiple partners.
Or with strangers.
But I do what I have to do.
(Condoms, condoms, condoms!)
And so, I also subject myself to regular HIV, and STI, screenings.
*
Shoutout to my sex, and kissing, partners in the Philippines, and Canada: Thank you for not giving me anything in my blood, in my throat, in my genitals, and in my ass, during my last vacation!
My December HIV test came back negative, too!
Cheers!
*
I love Filipino food—coconut milk, pork, shrimp, oysters, mung beans, lechon, organ meats, sweets, you name it.
I even like Filipino beer.
But I hate the uric acid in them, and the gout they give me.
Since my diagnosis years ago, I’ve stayed away from gout medications so I tried to control my eating.
I still eat Filipino, but only spoonfuls of these devilish dishes.
*
I like the climate in the Philippines because it makes me sweat without much exertion.
Compared to my home in Maryland, the Philippines is desert hot.
I drink a lot of water in the Philippines.
I drink, I sweat, I piss.
I love that.
I think that’s how uric acid is excreted best.
*
I like walking around in the Philippines.
I refuse to ride the trisikads and pedicabs.
My townmates think I am crazy for walking five kilometers every other day or so.
It’s not uncommon that tricycle drivers stop to offer me rides when they see me walking, or running the main roads of my town.
I let people talk shit about me.
*
I eat moderately.
I don’t cook. So when I go to a turo-turo, I order vegetable dishes: laswa, pinakbet, amargoso, tambo, takway, KBL.
I order half a serving of dinuguan, or a serving of pork adobo.
Or, fish—either fried or paksiw.
I stay away from pop soda.
*
If a have a craving for softdrinks, I’ll probably have it once in two weeks.
And likely to be just half a bottle.
On momentous occasions like a friend’s birthday, wedding, barrio fiesta, or someone’s wake, I may take a bottle of softdrinks.
But in most likelihood, my personal budget for a meal from a carinderia is P30 or less.
My personal assistant orders at least P50 worth per meal.
*
I’m a big believer of vegetables: squash, tangkong, patola, kulitis, jackfruit, alogbate, bitter gourd, beans.
I’m a big believer of fruits: star apple, soursop, mangoes, papaya, bananas, watermelon, pineapple.
In America, I can only afford oranges, bananas, and cheap apples.
I believe in water to drink.
I believe in the simplest teas.
I take black coffee in the morning.
*
I know I’m not doing as much exercise as I should.
I used to run at least 2 miles a day.
But I believe in brisk walking.
And I consider great sex a good exercise.
*
I’m also not sleeping as much as maybe I should.
But I relax myself generously.
I watch a lot of TV, and movies.
I still read books just so I could say I read everyday.
I take time to listen to music.
And maybe dance a little to most dance tunes.
*
I don’t enjoy dental insurance benefits in the US.
I prefer to have my dental work done in the Philippines.
During my last vacation, I opted to have two teeth extracted before they get infected.
I’d rather loss molars than suffer toothaches, and/or bad breath.
I think dental health is important.
I like kissing so much.
*
Good health is not about seeing doctors.
Although it is a good idea especially if you are of a certain age.
It’s about clean living, and making healthy choices.
It’s also about being mindful of our emotions, stress levels, sleep debts, exercise, and relaxation techniques.
It’s also about sexual health, and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (if you are sexually active like me.)
*
At my age, I really believe that health is wealth.
I wrote this article because I felt that I should just mention, or write about this not so secret element to a happy life.
Because other than these secrets, I really don’t have much gifts to give you this Christmas.
There. Merry Christmas! (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
