Source: Escobin and Rojo (2002)

AGOHO (Casuarina equisetlifolia L. Cauanrinaceae)

BANABA (Legerstroemia Speciosa)

BIGNAI (Antidesma bunius (L) Spreng.)

CABALLERO (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

HAULI (Ficus septica Burm. F. var. septica Moraceae)

KALINGAG (Ginnamomum mercadoi Vidal Lauraceae)

KAPOK (Ceibe pentandra)

MAHOGANY (Swietenia macrophylia King Meliaceae)

MALUNGAY (Moringa Oleifera)

MOLAVE (Vitex parviflora Juss.)

NARRA (Pterocarpus spp.)

PILI (Canarium ovatum) Engl. Burseraceae)

Natural family planning refers to methods for planning and preventing pregnancies by observation of the naturally occurring signs and symptoms of the fertile phases of the menstrual cycle. Intercourse is avoided during the fertile phase if pregnancy is not desired.

Advantages

• May strengthen the understanding, partnership and affection between husband and wife
• Easy to stop practicing once the couple wants to have another child
• No supplies or devices required; no procedures done
• No side effects
• Acceptable to the Catholic Church

Disadvantages (if you could call them that)

• Requires couples to avoid sex during the fertile days of the woman’s menstrual cycle if pregnancy is not desired
• Requires daily and close observation of what the woman feels in her body
• Effective only if there is correct interpretation of what the woman feels, her body temperature, physical symptoms, or quality of the cervical mucus discharge
• Needs the cooperation of the male partner

The four techniques of NFP are:

Cervical Mucus Method. This involves the daily observation and recording of the consistency of the mucus or cervical secretion. A feeling of wetness in the opening of the vagina during the phases of the menstrual cycle – the peak symptoms being a lubricant sensation and wet, stretchy mucus – signals the onset of ovulation; and the couple must abstain from intercourse during this period, if pregnancy is not desired.

Basal Body Temperature (BBT). This involves the daily recording of the temperature changes in the woman’s body. In recording her temperature, the woman needs at least three hours to continuous, uninterrupted sleep. She records her temperature at the same time every day before getting up or doing anything in the morning. A rise in the BBT may mean ovulation; and the couple should abstain from intercourse if pregnancy is not desired.

Sympto-Thermal. This is a combination of the cervical mucus and BBT methods and other physiological indicators of ovulation, such as tenderness of the breast and mid-cycle pain. This involves recording. If pregnancy is not desired, couples should abstain from intercourse until the third day of elevated temperature or the fourth day after the peak day of mucus, whichever comes first.

Breastfeeding or Lactational Amenorrhea (LAM). This is considered a natural contraceptive and is known to protect a woman from pregnancy for the six months after giving birth, depending on certain factors.

Breastfeeding is the main factor for delaying menstruation (lactational amerrhea). As the baby sucks, the nipples are stimulated, causing the woman’s body to produce prolactin, the hormone which induces milk flow.

Prolactin is also believed to suppress ovulation in the nursing mother, in addition to its main function or increasing the supply of the breast milk. Thus the more frequent and the longer the breastfeeding, the longer the delay of the menstrual period.

Breastfeeding provides 98 percent protection against another pregnancy only as long as:

• The baby is under six months old.
• The mother is fully breastfeeding, a minimum of six feedings during the day time and two night, and complete emptying of the breast during every feeding episode
• The mother is amenorrhoeic or has not experienced menstrual bleeding 56 days after delivery.

Breastfeeding also provides many other benefits. It is the best nutrition for infants. It lowers the incidence of infant diseases and deaths. It promotes bonding between the mother and child.

Sodium and high blood pressure. Is there an association? After more than 50 years of research, scientists have concluded that almost half of the people who develop high blood pressure are sodium-sensitive. Other studies suggest that the incidence of hypertension in a population closely parallels the amount of sodium consumed. Contrariwise, hypertensive patients, placed on sodium-restricted diets by their physicians, do experience lowered blood pressure.

While sodium (salt) may not be the only nutrient involved in the development of high blood pressure, its restriction is the best advice for those suffering from hypertension and those who wish to avoid such a condition.

Your body needs some salt. The minerals which make up salt – sodium and chloride – are, along with other nutrients, essential for maintaining the body’s fluid balance, normal nerve and muscles activity, and other important functions. The actual amount needed is between 1/10 and ¼ of a teaspoon each day. A normal person can probably consume between ½ and 1 ½ teaspoons without adverse effect. However, many people consume over two teaspoons of salt daily.

Although table salt is the principal source of sodium in the diet, it is not the only one. Sodium occurs naturally in water and most foods. In addition it is also added to many foods during processing. Some popular high-sodium foods are: smoked fish, fast foods such as fried chicken, hamburgers and frankfurters, pizza, ham, tomato sauce, meat tenderizer, chili, canned stew, and canned soups.

Low-sodium foods include fresh vegetables, and fruit juices.

To help consumers monitor their dietary sodium, food processors have been encouraged to include sodium content on food package labels.

Although even among medical scientists some controversy continues regarding the role of sodium in the development and improvement of high blood pressure, most doctors still stand firmly behind the traditional position that there is a strong link between sodium and hypertension.

Because it can’t be determined exactly who is sensitive to sodium, and therefore likely to develop hypertension from its use, everyone should keep their sodium intake at or below a moderate level. In practical terms this means no added salt to food at the table, elimination or drastically reduced use of salt-rich foods such as potato chips, smoked fish, and pork products, and fast food preparations.

Moderation in salt use seems the best. Try it that way. You’ll like it, and it’ll likely keep your blood pressure down too.

How can I know if my lifestyle is reducing my life expectancy or will result in some serious ailment such as cancer or diabetes? Numerous studies of populations have shown that certain behaviors are threats to optimum health. Some of these are more important than others. Many are interrelated, so that a change in one may break a chain-like reaction.

For example, the risk of high-blood cholesterol, a factor in fatal heart disease, is linked to a cluster of health habits: excess saturated (animal) fat and cholesterol in the diet, lack of exercise, excess dietary calories, sedentary habits that contribute to obesity.

What difference does it make if I don’t change my bad habits? Quite a lot, especially if you’re willing to accept the facts.

To best understand the risk involved, let’s consider the risk of heart attack and stroke in two individuals. We will examine only six aspects of their life, all of which are related to habit patterns.

We’ll call the first individual Healthman and the second, Highrisk.

Healthman does not smoke cigarettes, is of an ideal weight, eats little salt in food, and has a low blood pressure (systolic of no more than 110), does not use foods high in saturated fats or cholesterol (virtually no animal flesh or products), is physically active (exercises vigorously four or more times a week), and is rarely tense or anxious.

Highrisk, on the other hand, smokes 35 or more cigarettes each day, likes salty and convenience foods, has a systolic blood pressure of 150 or higher, eats a lot of meat, cheese, eggs, and whole milk, rarely exercises, and is usually tense and takes tranquilizers to keep calm.

What difference does this make? In practical terms it means that Healthman will have the very lower risk of heart attack or stroke, averaging less than one-tenth the rate in the average Western 35-65 age group.

On the other hand, Highrisk has about four to five times the same average probability of having a premature heart attack or stroke.

In other words, Highrisk is 40 to 50 times as likely to suffer severe cardiovascular problems as Healthman.

The choice is obvious. It’s our decision and we individually know what changes we need to make.

There are many ways to treat diseased conditions. Ultimately, however, any disease can only be permanently remedied by uprooting the cause. In the vast majority of cases, the cause lies in unnatural unbalanced physical and or mental habits. Therefore, changing one’s bad habits is the most important part of treatment. Natural therapy systems facilitate the rapid cleansing process, and then strengthen the body’s immune system. The most important of these systems are:

1) Water drinking. Healthy people need to drink three to four liters of water daily. Sick people need four to six liters or more. Water should be drunk between meals. If it is taken near mealtime, it will dilute one’s digestive juices.

2) Simple detox methods. Basically of three types:

• Internal water-cleanse in the large colon by temporarily filling the colon with water. The various types include colonics, colema, and enema.

• Herbal-cleansing by ingesting natural ingredients which cause the colon to reject old encrusted toxic waste, so the colon becomes free to absorb toxins from the bloodstream and other organs, even from the bones.

• Hot and cold external water, mud or sun application to cause sweat or to stimulate an increased flow of blood to specific body parts.

3) Food. The foods which are most difficult to digest are eggs, meat, fish, and deep-fried foods. Secondary are junk foods and refined grains. These foods give more work for the body than assistance and should be minimized or eliminated. On the other hand, the nutrition in fresh fruits and vegetables is easy to digest, so they should be proportionately maximized. These fresh foods also have a high amount of fiber, which facilitates both digestion and cleansing. Individuals require somewhat different diets.

4) Exercise. In natural therapy, two types of exercise are emphasized:

• Yoga exercise is primarily for gently balancing the glands (hormones), strengthening the nerve system, improving the circulatory system and the digestive system, dealing with specific diseases, etc. It is best if the postures are individually prescribed. One daily set takes between 15 and 30 minutes to practice.

• Vigorous exercise is primarily for the respiratory system, the heart, the digestive system oxidizing the blood, etc. The therapist may help you determine which exercise is best for you.

5) Graduated fasting. For a day or a few days, one abstains from all the foods or from the more difficult-to-digest foods, which facilitates healing. There are many ways of fasting, according to the capacity of the patient.

6) Mental exercises and meditation to convert stress into positive calm healing energy. Natural therapeutic systems are well-programmed for long-term and short-term in-patient treatment.