BatJay's Mga Kwento ng Batang Kaning Lamig: A Healthy Book!

BatJay, our homegrown prolific and award-winning blogger, has come up with another superb follow-up to his first bestseller Kwentong Tambay. Still yellow, it now has the spoofed caricature of one of my favorite superheroes swinging into action in its front cover. Now that there is talk of either a real or imagined rice shortage looming upon us, I think BatJay must have been some kind of clairvoyant for having perfect timing.

Inside info: BatJay now recommends food tripping on veggies and using them as excellent substitute for rice. Great and healthy idea, right? If one still prefers eating rice over veggies, he endorses cooking and eating brown rice instead. 'Still a good idea because most Filipinos still prefer white rice. Surely, shortage of brown rice remains a remote possibility.

Now, why I am I reviewing his book? Isn't this a health and medical blog?

Well, I, myself, was surprised to find out that BatJay's second book is also health and medically related. No, I am not pulling your leg. It is true! In the book, he offers unconventional health advice on matters people seldom talk about:

1. he offers an excellent tip on how to prevent premature ejaculation


2. he tells you the right way to clean your nose


3. he relates a story how love can help get rid of body odor (yes, it can!)
   


4. he reveals in a poem what food items to avoid if you suffer from gouty arthritis

In addition, he expounds on his own health experiences on the benefits of exercise and walking, taking good care of one's teeth, watching what one eats, and lastly, why one should stop smoking.

As a doctor, it is sometimes (very) difficult to exhort patients to quit smoking and begin changing their harmful lifestyle habits. This is particularly true in the Philippine setting. As I have related in a previous post, Filipino patients agree with their doctors inside clinics and hospitals. But once they step outside, it is a different ballgame. They seldom follow what their doctor told them. Filipinos, in general, do not believe in the virtues of prevention. They prefer to live life to the fullest no matter what the consequences are. What do they always say? "'Tis better to die full and satisfied, than to die hungry and with a horrible frown on your face!"

That is why BatJay's second book serving is truly a welcome development. He tells the benefits of staying healthy from a layperson's point of view. This is a great way to communicate with those patients who still hesitate in changing their harmful lifestyle habits. Another great thing is that one can finish reading BatJay's book in one sitting. It is never boring and time-consuming.
I highly recommend this book!

Like the first book, it gives the added perks of a detailed and comprehensive picture of how a Filipino overseas worker acclimatizes to foreign culture. It gives many other useful tips from paying taxes to buying your own house. Loneliness still remains as the greatest obstacle, but Filipino humor is constantly there to balance things and make everything run smoothly.

Mga Kwento ng Batang Kaning Lamig is now available at P120 each in the following local book shops: Bound, Popular Bookstore, Jade Bookstore, Precious, and Schoolzone. Next month, it will be available in National Book Store, Fully Booked, and Powerbooks.

On April 14, this coming Monday, at 4pm, BatJay will personally launch his book and sign copies from readers at Fully Booked in Bonifacio Global City. Go there to see and talk to him personally and say hello.