7 Things to Keep You Busy After Your Early Retirement

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Getting your early retirement is an achievement. It is a privilege desired by many who are sick of the hustle and bustle of the working life. But life should not stop there. You only retired from work, not from having fun!

You have dedicated your yesteryears making yourself financially stable. It’s time to let yourself engage in things that you may have forgone before just to achieve what you have today. Your retirement from work should not be boring!

Check out these fun and interesting diversity of activities and side hustles to keep you busy after your early retirement.

1. Start your healthy eating habits.

Choosing to eat healthy meals is something you may have missed while you spent years working and earning money. You were so busy chasing time, beating deadlines and prioritizing things that didn’t include making yourself a hearty meal.

Now is the time to say good bye to those instant noodles, three-in-one coffee and other fast foods that you used to take just because you don’t have time for yourself. Since retirement gives you all the time you want, all you need is the willingness to start making the effort.

Take your time shopping for all the healthful food you see at the grocery store. Watch videos from YouTube and don’t be afraid to try cooking nutritious recipes. This is also a perfect time to delight your family make up for the times you weren’t home to prepare their meal.

2. Read books.

Recover all those books that you once had to give up just because you had to prioritize learning stuff related to your career. It’s time to awaken your bookworm self for you now have the all the time in the world!

Visit the nearest bookstores in your place. Take time scanning through synopses of novels you tried to ignore before. There’s no need to hesitate whether to buy the whole set of a series or not. It’s time to reward yourself! Reading is now for recreation, and not as a requirement.

3. Go to the gym.

You did well in establishing yourself financially. Now is the time you work on enhancing your physical self. Sign up for a gym membership and get yourself a personal trainer. Make doing exercise a habit.

As you gained experience and wealth from working over the years, you may have also gained fats and muscle pains. Set a goal with your trainer and exert extra efforts in achieving that goal. Change the way people look at retirees.

4. Challenge your body.

Your journey to achieving physical fitness is not just about going to the gym. Engage yourself in other exhilarating activities such as running a marathon, cycling for miles, hiking or even rock climbing. Learning how to skateboard is also a must-try!

Don’t worry, you need not become an expert of the mentioned activities. You only have to challenge your body a little. Discover the things you didn’t know you’re actually capable of doing. 

5. Travel.

You may find young people filing for vacation leaves to go on trips trying to keep a work-life balance. What those young people feel can never be compared to how you feel when booking your one-way ticket and not minding when to schedule your return ticket since no boss anticipates when you are coming back.

Make a bucket list of the places you’ve always wanted to visit. Don’t mind how much you will be spending for what you are about to gain is priceless. You will not just get a glimpse of beautiful places; you also get to meet new people.

6. Create side hustles.

Retiring doesn’t require you to work harder. It doesn’t prohibit you from working either. You could always choose to keep earning so you have unlimited funds for your future recreational activities and travels.

There is no easy way to further sustain your retirement, unless you win the PCSO Lotto or the Singapore Pool 4D Lottery. You may opt for businesses or jobs that are done online so you still manage to spend more time to relax at home with your family. It’s also an edge if you choose a field that you are passionate about so you won’t just work to earn, but also to have fun.

7. Get a hobby.

You may go back to the old hobbies you had to abandon before, or better yet, get a new one. It’s always delightful to discover something new. Exciting must-try activities include enrolling in an art class, learning how to play an instrument, taking up a new sport like tennis, setting up movie marathons, and even volunteering in organizations.

6 Effective Tips for Infant Oral Health and Hygiene

Source: https://pixabay.com/photos/baby-care-caucasian-cheek-child-17327/



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Oral hygiene forms an integral part of our overall health and it is equally important for our young ones. Sometimes, we tend to believe that primary teeth will any way shed and it does not require any extra attention. Sadly, children are prone to tooth decay and many teeth problems begin much earlier than we expect it to be. Once a tooth decay reaches Blame it on the current lifestyle and exposure to processed food, fighting against tooth decay has become a necessary evil.

Your infant’s teeth need some extra attention too and if you find it difficult to comprehend where, to begin with, then don’t worry. In this article, you will discover easy yet effective ways to take care of the oral health and hygiene of your little one.

SourceSource: https://pixabay.com/photos/vegetables-vegetable-plate-paprika-4873856/

1. Choose an age-specific cleaning routine

A clean mouth and teeth are the first step to oral hygiene. The food and formula milk particles that remain in the mouth of the child can cause bacteria to attack, thus, causing problems like early childhood caries. Cleaning the teeth every day ensures that bacteria in the mouth do not get any sugar to combine with, and hence preventing potential chances of decay. The cleaning routine for your infant may, is a little different than adults. Choosing a plan specific to their age is very important. If in any case, there is tooth decay, then your dentist may prescribe you a stainless steel crown that would help repair the tooth and prevent it from further decaying.

From birth to six months you must wipe the gums of your baby with clean gauze or a soft wet washcloth. Right after your child feeds, you must wrap a wet washcloth on your index finger and gently massage the surface of her gums, moving from one direction to another, making sure that the entire surface is wiped clean.

When the teeth start to appear around the age of 6 months, you can go for gentle brushing using a soft bristle brush. You can consult your dentist for the type of toothpaste to use.

2. Keep an eye on the sugar consumption of your child.


What causes cavities? By now, it is clear that sugar attacks teeth bacteria to form early cavities, hence, the dentist suggests, no additional sugar to be given to your child before the age of 2. However, eliminating sugars from their food is nearly impossible. Infants are picky and can demand food that might not be good for their teeth health. Avoid foods that are high in sugar content. Even a cup of fresh-pressed juice contains a huge amount of sugar. Also, everyday food items such as flavored baby food, juices, and even medicines have a huge amount of sugars in them. Keep an eye on the sugar content of such items, make sure you rinse every time they consume hidden sugars.

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/TCYj_UxoIUY

3. Avoid bottle decay and wean the pacifiers.

Tooth decay that usually happens in the front teeth of a child is known as bottle tooth decay. If you put your baby to bed with a bottle having anything sweet, such as juice or even formula milk, the prolonged exposure to it can cause caries to develop. Make sure that your child had their last meal way before bedtime. You can put water in the bottle to pacify a fussy child. As your child grows, you can introduce a drinking cup to her. Unkempt pacifiers and bottles are major culprits in causing bacteria to build-up in a baby's mouth. Therefore, you must thoroughly clean them before use. You can avoid saliva transfer from your mouth to the baby by not sharing their cups and feeding spoons.

4. Get a dental appointment within the first year of age.

By the time your child reaches one year of age, or his/ her first tooth starts to appear, you should make an appointment with a dentist, as suggested by ADA. Your dentist will thoroughly check your child's teeth for any potential trouble such as a bite formation and teeth spacing. At the time of the eruption of the teeth, he will also provide an appropriate guideline and care for comfortable teething. Regularly check your infant's teeth for any brown spots or erosion, if there is any sign of irregularity, you must seek immediate dentist appointment.


5. Allow them a healthy munch between meals.

It is necessary to maintain a pH balance of your baby’s mouth. The acidity in the mouth can cause tooth enamel to corrode and thus lead to decay. The pH level drops when a child consumes anything sweet or acidic, and it takes almost 20 minutes for saliva to neutralize these effects. With everyday activity, the caloric needs are more for your child and to suffice that you may be giving them frequent meals. The consistent disruption of the pH balance can create an unhealthy situation for your infant teeth health. You can give them crunchy foods to chew in between the meals that help in maintaining a healthy balance in their mouth. Fruits like apples, peaches, and carrots act as a natural scrubber to teeth and can help maintain good oral health. Calcium-rich foods, such as unsweetened and unflavored yogurt, can help strengthen their tooth enamel.

6. Inculcate good habits.

As a primary caregiver, you need to understand the importance of early intervention in your child's oral health. Habits that they learn in early years stay a long way. By the age of one, a child develops an understanding of routine habits and it is a perfect time to inculcate a brushing routine in them. ADA recommends at least two minutes of brushing twice a day. You can make brushing a fun activity for them by playing a two-minute song while brushing their little pearly whites.

A strong foundation leads to a better future. As your infant turns into a toddler, he/she may start to experiment more with the food. A strong and healthy set of teeth will ensure that your child gets maximum nutrition from the food they eat. Taking care of them in infancy is the beginning of a life-long healthy lifestyle.

Civil Society Organizations Ally to Combat Malnutrition in PH

Wazzup Pilipinas!

On March 5, 2020, civil society organizations (CSOs) from different regions will convene at Hive Hotel, Quezon City to unify efforts to address malnutrition in the Philippines. This summit is organized by the Scaling-Up Nutrition Civil Society Alliance Philippines (SUN-CSA PH) and Philippine Coalition of Advocates for Nutrition Security, Inc. (PhilCAN), together with the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR), in partnership with Inquirer.net, InqPOP, Wazzup Pilipinas, and DZUP. This event hopes to create a collaborative environment where CSOs can align their distinct strategies, programs, and resources with the government’s national nutrition priorities.

CSOs in the Philippines have long been active partners of the government in supporting and contributing to national policies and plans. In this upcoming event, the significant role of CSOs in tackling malnutrition will be highlighted and explored. They will be encouraged to strengthen their projects and programs using the ‘nutrition-sensitive’ lens, where any development intervention is tweaked to contribute to nutrition outcomes. Examples include incorporating water, sanitation, and hygiene in school or community programs to prevent malnutrition-related child death, targeting of the nutritionally vulnerable (pregnant and lactating women, elderly, etc.) as beneficiaries of livelihood projects, improving access to nutritious food in feeding programs, etc.

This event stemmed from a national convention coordinated by the same organizers last August 2019. In that event, nutrition experts from the government, academe, local, and international organizations noted the lack of harmonized efforts among CSOs is hampering successful implementation of national plans that address malnutrition. Through the joint efforts of civil society, government, and the private sector, the Philippines can fight and rise above the prevailing challenges set by malnutrition.

This event is part of the 18-month project of IIRR, in partnership with SUN-CSA PH and NNC, titled “Strengthening capacities of civil society and government stakeholders on nutrition-sensitive programs.” Launched in April 2019, this project is funded by the Scaling-Up Nutrition Pooled Fund Grant.

IIRR is an international NGO with demonstrated capacity in integrating nutrition in food security programs/food-based approaches and in engaging various government agencies. It shares its models and lessons through active engagement in the local and international nutrition community. It is a founding member of Philippine Coalition of Advocates for Nutrition Security, Inc. (PhilCAN), convener of Scaling Up Nutrition- Civil Society Alliance Philippines (SUN CSA PH), and has been actively engaged in SUN Civil Society Network (CSN) activities.

The Scaling-Up Nutrition Movement Civil Society Alliance Philippines (SUN-CSA Ph) is one of the global movers of SUN Movement that takes collective action to attain a world free from malnutrition.



See the link here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1038099209908029/
Civil Society Organizations Ally to Combat Malnutrition in PH

Event in brief

March 5, 2020
Hive Hotel, Quezon City
9AM-1PM
(Press conference: 1 PM onwards)

A gathering of civil society organizations to commit in combating malnutrition through nutrition-sensitive programming.


Organizers

Scaling Up Nutrition-Civil Society Alliance Philippines (SUN-CSA Ph)

Philippine Coalition of Advocates for Nutrition Security, Inc. (PhilCAN)

International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)


Why participate?

The media plays a crucial role in putting a spotlight on the significance of CSOs and government working together to fight malnutrition in the country. Media’s engagement can spark public awareness on nutrition issues and provoke critical discussions that can push for better legislative measures. Malnutrition, despite being a public health concern, has long been downplayed in most platforms.

Huge efforts of CSOs to effectively contribute to national nutrition outcomes remain undocumented. This activity will map-out CSOs and their contributions to nutrition outcomes, although limited to the networks of existing organizations.



What stories can be developed?

Successful CSO initiatives that address malnutrition in the country;

Relevance of fighting malnutrition in the face of pandemics and climate change;

Effects of malnutrition to PH’s economic growth;

Status of the PH national nutrition plan as of 2020;

How seemingly non-nutrition programs/projects address malnutrition


Background:

In 2014, the Philippines signed up to the global Scaling-Up Nutrition (SUN), global movement that envisions a world free from malnutrition in all its forms. And three years later (2017) the SUN civil society network in the country- i.e. SUN-Civil Society Alliance Philippines, was established. SUN-CSA Ph envisions that through levelling the understanding of CSOs on the nutrition contributions of their sectoral initiatives, CSOs can better harmonize their initiatives towards common nutrition goals.