Paradise in Sickness... 14 Money Matters 23 Paradise in Sickness... 14 Money Matters 23 Mala

Chlorophyll in Plants and Diet - The benefits of Parsley and Anything Green Heart Health In Bali BaliCore: Relief for Remote Villages

As the candles on our birthday cakes multiply to Hi I’ve been reading about the health benefits associated alarming numbers, we wonder from time to time how Lucky readers who are perusing this issue of the Bali with the celery juice craze, it’s been everywhere lately in our hearts are doing. We can’t see what’s going on in Advertiser, poolside in Canggu, or in an Ubud home the news, problem is most places in Bali only offer fresh there and it’s a bit of a worry. office overlooking a grove of shimmering palms. You fruit juices. Celery is one of the more expensive greens did it! You found a way to get fresh coconuts for a to buy, I was wondering if it is feasible to grow my own or are there any other alternative vegetables to grow and song, you’re surfing beautiful breaks, and maybe juice for maximum health benefit? you’re having a tough time not gloating about it when Regards Nicki. writing emails back to your friends and family stuck in the places you left behind.

As the years roll on, so to do the superfood fads. People claiming to discover things which have always existed. I say, beware of the ‘Instafad’ and those who peddle them. Last year it was kale and goji before that. So, now this year it’s celery!

If I was running the show next year it’ll be parsley but unfortunately for Instagram I’m not signed up - more likely fortunately if the truth be known!

But despite that, one thing is for sure - I’m not trying to sell you anything, get likes or increase my subscribers, so read on without suspicion.

Now while I’m all for people growing their own fruit and vegetables, just beware of the fads and fashionable foods! A healthy balanced diet is the most important thing. I find it amusing that the celery juice junkies are usually the same people posing on their Instagram feed next week, espresso martini in hand as the sun sinks low from their daybed vantage point - which could be anywhere on Bali’s west coast. But then again, what would I know…I’m not on Instagram right? But geez I love to have the occasional rant.

Look, the truth is, any green vegetable juice will no doubt have health benefits, it’s just that I take issue with the misinformation of the celery nuts. Yes, celery juice is good for you - much better than a coke, beer or cocktail. But it will always be so much better if you grow your own. A lot of these people talk the talk, but do they walk the walk? Where do they get their celery from, and why is that important? Well, chlorophyll is the key and I’ll explain why it matters for celery, in particular.

Chlorophyll is the green pigment that gives plants their colour and is an extremely beneficial nutrient to humans. To simplify, chlorophyll converts solar energy into plant sugars through photosynthesis - without which human life on earth would not be possible! The benefits or green juice come not only from the vitamins and minerals - but the chlorophyll content also is key.

Regarding celery, most people are not aware that store bought celery is a heavily sprayed crop, so enjoy those chemicals with your juice! Another biggie people don’t realise is that commercially grown celery is ‘blanched’ in the fields a few weeks before harvest whether it’s organic or not. The term ‘blanched’ in this respect refers to the mounding up of soil around the stalks or other methods of light deprivation so that only the tops remain exposed in the final weeks of growth. Why is this done?

Well, ‘blanching’ celery makes it sweeter, reducing bitterness, whilst also rendering it less stringy and more tender to the bite - but who cares if you pulverise it into juice anyway? But what I really need to mention is that the undesirable side effects of ‘blanching’ are reduced nutrients and a lowered chlorophyll content! nitroglycerin or rest. (By the way, gentlemen, don’t take nitroglycerin with Viagra; they both open the blood vessels BaliCore 2021 and its documentary project People of and may cause a blackout due to a dangerous drop in blood Bali is a way to give with confidence to proven yayasans. pressure.) You can combat or totally avoid Giver Burnout just by being able to see clearly what your money is doing, where “A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery gets it’s going, thanks to social media. Read on, because this completely blocked; stress or physical exertion may trigger a rupture of the plaque that leads to a sudden blockage,” is good. explains Dr Putra. “An electrocardiogram during an attack is the basic diagnostic tool. Treatment includes immediate In April, a small group of NGO volunteers will embark on a oxygen and blood thinners, and nitroglycerin to reduce any fact-finding and charitable relief trek to several of Bali’s artery spasm. One or more stents may be inserted to keep remote and at-risk villages, and the public gets to follow the blocked artery open. In cases of severe blockage, a along on Instagram and facebook. coronary bypass (open heart surgery) literally bypasses the blockage with a grafted vein or redirected artery. Meanwhile, in those with only narrowing of the arteries, stents generally The five yayasans aligned in this effort will channel our won’t prolong life, but may improve quality of life by reducing donations into planned projects for these communities, angina.” including nutritional assistance, sustainable agriculture and economic solutions, clean drinking water, veterinary It shouldn’t surprise us that all the old heart attack trials services, and more. were done on Caucasian males. Only recently has it been recognized that women, Asians and Africans may have different symptoms from the ‘norm’ of chest pain radiating to the left arm.

Here’s also a shout out to readers who didn’t quite get to that e-visa application page in time, who might well be watching sleet or snow falling, every time you glance up Cardiologist Dr Putra Antara of Ubud Care Clinic recently from the computer screen that has been ruining your eyes A classic heart attack is harder to diagnose in women, especially if they are over 65 and/or diabetic. Heart attack gave an excellent presentation on heart disease, followed for the last few months. You miss Bali; you’d love to be symptoms in women can be any combination of the by an intense hour of Q&A. Here are the highlights. part of it all again. following, bearing in mind that symptoms may be more vague and atypical: By the age of 70, our heart will have logged about 2 billion The reality for Bali is that the primary source of income beats. That’s a lot of wear and tear. Just think about how has been banned and the economy has been devastated. - Chest pain (the pain may be dull, hard to pinpoint the often we have to replace our pond pumps. But records between 1900 and 2010 show that coronary artery disease (CAD) in the west peaked in the 1960s and 1970s then CoVid-19 cases have to dwindle before the government PPKM restrictions are lifted and hotels and resorts reopen. exact location, it may be in the back or may radiate to the left/centre of chest) that generally goes on for more than a few minutes decreased because of improved medical care and Bali’s guiding principle for prosperity is three-pronged: - Nausea, vomiting education. People from high income countries are more harmony with the gods, harmony with other people, and - Anxiety likely to die of cancer these days, and those from middle harmony with the environment and nature. You’ve heard - Stomach pain and low income countries of CAD. In Indonesia, about half it before; it’s Tri Hita Karana, and this cultural foundation is - Pain in arm/leg/jaw of the cost of the national health care plan BPJS is paid out being threatened. Thousands of Balinese have fallen on - Shortness of breath for heart issues. such hard times that bold snatch and grab crime is up, - Sudden cold sweat - Feeling light headed or dizzy Risk factors include high cholesterol/blood pressure, resources are being illegally poached and sold, and - Sudden exhaustion diabetes, smoking, family history and obesity. In Indonesia unsteady voices tell of shaken faith and fears for Balinese - Palpitations smoking is the highest risk factor; Dr Putra recently treated society. Most Balinese are looking for ways to survive a 22 year old heavy smoker for a heart attack. which fall within this powerful trio of stability. In the United States, women coming to an Emergency Room with heart attack symptoms are much more likely to Prevention of CAD should start in our thirties. We all know So where do we privileged people fit in? I can predict a be dismissed than men. Dr Putra suggests that anyone the rules of a healthy heart: stay active, have a good diet, lose weight, control cholesterol and blood pressure, reduce few groans of Giver Burnout, and who hasn’t groaned a bit experiencing a possible heart attack should immediately tell the doctor they have never felt anything like this before, blood sugar and stop smoking. But no matter how virtuous when a new youth club from the banjar comes knocking, which should be a red flag. our lifestyle, the build-up of plaque in the coronary arteries or umpteen charitable causes stack up in WhatsApp? is inevitable; almost everyone will experience it over time. Which yayasan (charity) can you trust to empower people Heart attacks are somewhat more common in the small Plaque eventually narrows the arteries, limiting blood flow. and not make a one-time handout? Has anyone curated hours of the night. For this reason, Dr Putra suggests that The progression, over many years, is the gradual narrowing a selection of yayasans that make sense right now? blood pressure and blood thinning medications should be of the coronary arteries due to plaque. This can lead to taken at night, while beta blockers be taken in the morning. angina, the pain caused by narrowed arteries which is usually triggered by stress or exertion. Typically angina Well, here’s a good answer for all of that. What about the demon cholesterol? High cholesterol alone does not necessarily turn into plaque, in fact about half of all pain occurs in a larger area of the chest and is relieved with heart attack victims don’t have high cholesterol. Around 20-

Haven’t you noticed that celery stalks in the store are a pale shade of green, transitioning to white at the base? That’s not how it looks in my garden and that is the heart of my gripe with the celery food faddists. Real home-grown celery is a chlorophyll filled deeper green - better said ‘chlorofilled’ perhaps! A green juice should have chlorophyll levels at a premium, yet your average store-bought celery is deficient somewhat. For health it’s much better to be juicing some parsley which is especially high in chlorophyll, and also extremely bitter - but hey, no pain no gain! But you can always just throw a few sprigs in with a watermelon juice, you’ll barely taste it, but the benefits will be there as parsley is extremely nutrient dense - a tiny amount goes a long way. BaliCore is the organizer of a charitable alliance of these established and proven yayasans: Solemen Indonesia,

Scholars of Sustenance, Kopernik, Social ImpaKt, and

Living in Bali, it’s important to be educated and Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA). The project is informed. We can’t just call 911 to summon a fully being promoted widely, and the goal, with your large or equipped ambulance with highly trained small donations, is USD $20,000 (just under IDR paramedics to our door in a few minutes. 300,000,000). But as for store-bought celery as the new superfood? Sorry, I’m not buying it! Not to dis celery, I am a fan of it and I grow it as well - it’s required for stock base in soups - in which case who needs it blanched anyway? I’m just saying that celery with pale green stalks is an inferior product in my opinion - a pale imitation to the real thing. By the way, when juicing anything include the fibre by using a blender not a juicer - expel the fibre and there goes all the beneficial cellulose with it! So back to chlorophyll - How will you know if your foods are packed with it, and what is so great about it? Well, any green coloured leafy vegetable or herb is bound to be rich in chlorophyll, think parsley, kale, wheat grass, spring onions, spinach etc. The word chlorophyll is derived from the Greek words: Chloros (meaning green) and phyllon (meaning leaf) - no more explanation needed! The health benefits of chlorophyll are extensive - here’s a quick rundown. Chlorophyll detoxifies the liver, alkalizes the blood, boosts immunity, regulates iron levels, assistes healing, regulates blood sugar, activates metabolism, aids weight loss and has anti-ageing effects on the skin. Research has shown chlorophyll to retard cancerous tumour growths. It slows down the progression of lung cancer, allowing other healing agents to eliminate the already present cancer

idGuides, a community-based ecotourism education group, has a track record of successfully teaching villagers how to guide trekkers and responsibly maintain and use foot trails for visitors who want something authentic and back-to-nature. As a BaliCore advisor, idGuides has mapped a challenging route for the trekkers, at 15 to 20 kilometers per day, with low impact sleeping and eating arrangements, social distancing and other strict CoVId-19 protocols in place for the safety of these seldom-visited villages. BaliCore volunteers will tabulate how these villages have been impacted by Bali’s tourism closure, film the stories that need to be told, learn what the communities need and want, and lay the groundwork for sustainable solutions in harmony with local powers. A resulting project called People of Bali will serve as a documentary of the ten-day journey, from preparations onward. We can already begin following this extraordinary project on social media. Stories of compassion, purpose, and progress are already being posted. The facebook site is BaliCore 2021, their Instagram account is balicore2021 and the group can be emailed at balicore2021@gmail. com . The initiative lists these three targets: Support is growing, as seen in a crowdfunding account at 1. To assist in the development of sustainable farming https://www.gofundme.com/f/bali-ten-day-fundraiser?qid= efforts and social initiatives 3339817436e2fa885ee777bd41c142e0 2. To bolster the supply of food & essentials to outlying communities until international tourism resumes Alternatively, donations may also be made via bank 3. To increase the capacity of critical feeding and medical transfer: services for Bali’s stray dogs Yayasan Derma Atas Pangan Bank Mandiri KCP Denpasar Teuku Umar (Bank Code 008) One example of the effectiveness of donations is that USD Account No. 145-00-1338377-9 $20 (price of a bottle of Bali Moon Lychee Liqueur) Address: Jalan Teuku Umar 85, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia provides clean drinking water to a family for 3 years, while 80111 USD $30 (what you might pay for a half-day spa package) Phone: +62 (0) 361 257566 feeds a family for 2 weeks or helps deliver food and SWIFT code: BMRIIDJA medicine to dogs around the island. Long-range, when Bali is healthy enough to reopen, you Google any of these groups. Kopernik’s ability to empower will have the opportunity to get on some of that trail women and create economic diversity is very appealing yourself, and you’ll see with your own eyes how these right now. BAWA responds to crisis calls for all kinds of villages have enhanced their Tri Hita Karana with animals, not just our island’s mascot, the Bali Heritage sustainable and healthy solutions. Thanks to you and Dog. High-profile Solemen has an island-wide network of BaliCore. volunteers who go to work without hesitation. Scholars of Sustenance partner daily with the F&B industry to end food waste and give families the nutrition to stay healthy. And Social ImpaKt’s simple water filtration system is so amazingly portable, it’s another one of those miraculous inventions which upgrades living standards with very little cash outlay. 30% of our total cholesterol level is determined by diet, the cells. It has been shown to stop the division of breast cancer balance is genetic. Science now sees the obesity epidemic, cells and kills existing ones. It can also kill existing colon fueled by sugar, salt, and refined flour, as a more serious cancer cells. threat to heart health than ‘fat’ or cholesterol. If you’re a sceptic, do some of your own research to uncover I’ve always had high cholesterol, and a few years ago the facts. during a check up in Bangkok asked to have a CT coronary angiogram which was the only test I was aware of to According to the Oregon State University, some of the most visualize coronary plaque. Dr Putra explained that there chlorophyll dense raw vegetables are (mg per cup): • Parsley - 38 • Spinach - 23.7 • Cress - 15.6 were risks associated with this test, and it was also expensive. In Bali we can get a Coronary Calcium Scoring CT Scan at Siloam, Kasih Ibu and other hospitals which • Green beans - 8.3 costs only Rp 700,000 to Rp 1,500,000. Even if we have • Arugula (rocket) - 8.2 no symptoms, it might be a good idea to see what’s going • Leeks - 7.7 on in there and give us a baseline. By the way, although I’ve always had high cholesterol including the ‘bad’ or LDL Parsley tops the list - so let’s talk about its apigenin content cholesterol, I had no evidence of significant arterial plaque. while we’re here! That’s the tradeoff to the lifestyle we’ve chosen. So we Preclinical research shows that apigenin which is found in need to take more responsibility. parsley, retards mesothelioma cancer cell development. Natural compounds are often shown to interrupt cancer cells If you think you may be having a heart attack and are not and their spread. Over 50% of chemotherapy drugs come already on blood thinners, Dr Putra suggests immediately directly from plant sources or were developed in the lab by chewing 160-320 mg of aspirin/aspilet (in a pinch, it’s fine synthesizing a plant compound into a drug. Dried parsley, with 13,000 mg of apigenin per 100 grams is one of the most abundant natural sources. Fresh parsley is abundant also, with 225 to 300 mg per 100 grams. to take a full tablet of 500 mg) and 180 mg ticagrelol or 300 mg clopidogrel with a full glass of water. I had to order both of these through the clinic as they don’t seem to be available in pharmacies in Ubud. Have someone drive To get a 10 mg dose as used in the clinical trial by Prof. Harald you to Siloam, Kasih Ibu or Sanglah. Sanglah has a Hoensch of the University of Frankfurt, you would only need special cardiac unit called ‘Ruang Emergency PJT’ (be one tablespoon of raw chopped parsley per day, otherwise sure to use this one and not the ordinary emergency sprinkle a little dried parsley onto your food. Other sources entrance) and, because it’s a teaching hospital, always of apigenin include grapefruit, peppermint, thyme, celery, and has a cardiology resident on duty. The next best option even chamomile tea. would be the Siloam Hospital Emergency as they have the most cardiologists of the private hospitals. Bear in mind The apigenin that is so abundant in parsley has been found that Sanglah can be slow and bureaucratic. Ubud Care to have remarkable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects Clinic in Teges has an emergency ward where heart as well. Parsley also has more vitamin K than kale, with just attacks can be stabilized before the journey to hospital in 2 tablespoons of raw parsley containing 155 percent of the their ambulance. RDA. Vitamin K is known as the blood vitamin. The more I write the more I side with parsley over celery, though in reality a little bit of everything good is usually the way to go. Parsley is just so potently good for you that you can’t afford not to According to Dr Putra, forced coughing is used only for certain heart rhythm problems, but definitely not for heart have it in your diet - so next time eat your garnish! attacks (chest pain). It could even make things worse and trigger a blackout. In conclusion, grow and juice whatever green leafy vegetable you like, I just think that parsley is so good because of the This hasn’t been a very cheerful read, but forewarned is health benefits and the fact that it will effectively grow on its forearmed. I don’t know about you, but I’ll be preparing a own, flowering, attracting bees, easily self-seeding, small container with aspirin and ticagrelol to carry at all multiplying and sprouting up in rock crevices and pavement times. I personally believe than being happy and positive - hence its common name - rock celery. is a big part of mental and physical health, so take a big dose of that too. All bright blessings for 2020. Quite possibly parsley will be the next years fad - especially if I can have anything to do with it….now how about that Instagram account!

By Ibu Kat

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