HAPPY WEEKEND

From hell to health
(Rev. Fr. Moreno Tuguinay writes this week's column)

My name is Moreno Lindawan Tuguinay, 67 years old and a retired clergyman of the Episcopal church in the Philippines. I am at present connected with the St Theodore’s Hospital doing Chaplaincy work.

I had been a sickly person for the past several years which I believe was due to the abuses I did to my body, soul and spirit. I don’t admit it was due to ignorance but because of my negligence and stubbornness. I had been a person who loved so much to eat fatty, salty and junk foods. I also smoked a lot until 1982. As a result, I had been having uncontrolled high blood pressure and was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

In addition to that, I had kidney stones, arthritis and a heart attack resulting in my having to undergo multiple heart bypass surgery in 1996. After the terrible heart bypass, I felt better and so I went back to my indiscriminate eating and drinking believing that my health was back to normal though I had to take several maintenance medications.

Again, in August 2005, I had another heart attack necessitating an expensive angioplasty. After the ordeal of those heart attacks, I decided to take control of my health but the temptation to go on eating and drinking anything was so strong. I succumbed to the same habit reasoning out that, anyway, I am taking my medicines religiously.

However, despite my daily medications, my blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels remained elevated and worse, I had been having irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and chest pains such that I had to be put on oxygen.

St. Theodore’s Hospital, thru the initiative of Medical Director, Dr. Clare A. Lalwet and the support of the staff, started a Health and Wellness Program with a plan of establishing a Wellness and Healing center. By God’s grace, a fasting enthusiast, Mr. Tom Coghill, who had undergone a health crisis before, came to Sagada looking for a place to put up a detox center. Again, by Divine plan, Dr. Clare met him and since both have similar vision, they agreed to include fasting and detoxification in the Wellness and Holistic Healing Program based at St. Theodore’s Hospital.

One day, Dr. Clare shared me two books written by Tom on diet and juice fasting. I started reading them and was fascinated, so I went on reading until I finished the two books. Believing that the proposed Wellness and Healing Center is a noble program and that it has to start somewhere, I decided to fully participate in the venture and try it. On Sept. 7, I started my fast drinking only vegetable and fruit juices.

On the second day of my fast, I checked my blood pressure and blood glucose and they were low so I did not take my medications and observed for a while. A week before the launching of the program, I shared my experiences with Dr. Clare and Tom and they were so encouraging and supportive.

So I went on with the juice fasting and tried my best to monitor my blood pressure and blood sugar even without medicines since I decided to forego taking them. Surprisingly, my blood pressure and blood glucose stayed normal. Dr. Clare asked me to share my experience during the launching of the program which I did.

The first few days were like hell especially when I see and smell food on the table. I prayed hard for guidance and strength to resist the temptation. It dawned on me that this is a severe struggle between the mind and body. I experienced hunger, dizziness, acidic taste in the mouth, irregular
heart beats, and numbness on my right hand, stomach pain, and sleeplessness.

Choosing between health or hell, I chose health and so I continued the fast. I am very happy that my wife and children are very supportive of my struggle to regain my health. As the days went on my wife and children tried to participate by taking juice and small amount of solid food. My wife said, “It is so encouraging when the head of the family starts something good for health.”

I had been taking juice made out of raw fruits and vegetables such as pineapples, bananas, apples, persimmons, pechay, squash, water cress, sayote, camote and Dama de Noche shoots. They have different tastes specially when mixed together but I experienced my taste buds made the necessary adjustments. My favorite juice is pineapple, carrots and pechay.

I took 1 1/2 liters of juice a day and after 25 days of juice fasting, I lost 7 lbs. of my weight and what matters most is I am happy and healthy.

On the 25th day of my juice fasting, my blood pressure and blood glucose remain normal even without my taking medicines. I experience mild arrhythmia and slight chest pain only once in a while unlike before which was everyday and more intense. I lost weight so I feel lighter and move more freely.

Even when fasting, I could walk back and forth from my house to the hospital (10 km total distance) without feeling faint. With all the benefits I have experienced, I decided to go on with my juice fasting until I completed thirty days which culminated on Oct. 5.

After my successful fast, I resumed eating food but in moderation, and as much as possible avoid fatty, salty, sweet foods and drinks. I will eat more raw foods also. I have learned my lesson and realized the meaning of what the Bible said that the “body is the temple of the Holy
Spirit”.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank God, Dr Clare, Tom, the STH staff, and my wife and family for their prayers, encouragement, support and care for my struggle to go on juice fasting. Praise the Lord!