Feta im Check: Wie gesund er ist – und wer besser verzichten sollte

Stand:18.05.2026, 17:09 Uhr

Von: Alexandra Grauvogl  

Gesund und geschützt: Feta ist aus vielen Gerichten der mediterranen Küche nicht wegzudenken. So heißen darf der Schafskäse nur bei bestimmter Herkunft. © imagebroker/IMAGO

Feta steckt voller Kalzium, Protein und probiotischer Bakterien – und passt in fast jede Ernährung. Was das Kraftpaket aus Schafsmilch laut Studien wirklich kann.

Ein Strand am türkisblauen Meer, Olivenbäume, Essen auf der Terrasse in der Abendsonne – und auf dem Vorspeisen-Teller ein griechischer Salat mit Feta. Wer einmal in Griechenland Urlaub gemacht hat, kennt dieses Gefühl. Und wer weiß, dass die mediterrane Küche zu den gesündesten der Welt zählt, ahnt: Da steckt mehr dahinter als nur Geschmack. Neben den Kräften aus Olivenöl und frischem Gemüse steckt auch im Feta wertvolle Nährstoffpower – hier erfahren Sie mehr über unser Fit Food der Woche.  

Feta-Käse: Herstellung und geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung

Feta ist ein weißer, in Salzlake gereifter Käse aus Griechenland – und seit 2002 eine geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g.U.) der Europäischen Union. Das bedeutet: Nur Käse, der auf dem griechischen Festland oder der Insel Lesbos hergestellt wird, darf offiziell „Feta“ heißen. Wer im Supermarkt zu „Balkankäse“ oder „Hirtenkäse“ greift, kauft ein ähnliches Produkt – aber eben nicht das Original.

Hergestellt wird Feta traditionell aus Schafsmilch, der bis zu 30 Prozent Ziegenmilch beigemischt werden darf. Die Milch wird pasteurisiert, mit Milchsäurebakterienkulturen versetzt und zu Bruch verarbeitet. Anschließend reift der Käse mindestens zwei Monate in Salzlake – das gibt ihm sein charakteristisches, würzig-saures Aroma. Außer Milch, Lab, Salz und Bakterienkulturen kommt nichts hinein. Konservierungsstoffe, Milchpulver oder Farbstoffe sind im echten Feta verboten.

Verwendete Quellen

Dieser Text soll auf Grundlage von wissenschaftlich ermittelten Daten zur Nährstoffzusammensetzung von Lebensmitteln, offiziell empfohlenen Referenzwerten zum jeweiligen Tagesbedarf und durch Studien belegte Wirkungen auf die Gesundheit über die Vor- und Nachteile von Lebensmitteln aufklären. Auf folgende Quellen wird sich dabei berufen:

- Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel Datenbank des Max-Rubner-Instituts (BLSDB)
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V. (DGE)
- Studien-Datenbanken, insbesondere PubMed

Nährwerttabelle Feta-Käse: Diese Nährstoffe stecken drin

Feta ist fettreich und liefert dabei bemerkenswert viele Mikronährstoffe. Rund 75 Prozent der Kalorien stammen aus Fett, ca. 23 Prozent aus Eiweiß. Kohlenhydrate sind so gut wie keine enthalten.

Der hohe Kalziumgehalt von 248 mg pro 100 g entspricht bereits einem Viertel des Tagesbedarfs eines Erwachsenen laut der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE). Auch Vitamin A und Vitamin B12 sind für ein Milchprodukt überdurchschnittlich gut vertreten. Der Jodgehalt von 78 µg pro 100 g ist ebenfalls beachtlich.

Die folgende Tabelle zeigt die Zusammensetzung von Feta-Käse (mind. 45 % Fett i. Tr.) pro 100 g (Quelle: BLSDB):

Nährwert/Nährstoff	Menge pro 100 Gramm
Energie	284 kcal
Eiweiß	15,7 g
Fett	24,1 g
– davon gesättigte Fettsäuren	16,1 g
– davon einfach ungesättigt	5,1 g
– davon mehrfach ungesättigt	1,1 g
– davon Omega-3-Fettsäuren	0,24 g
– davon konjugierte Linolsäure	0,21
Kohlenhydrate	0 g
Wasser	55,4 g
Cholesterin	69,3 mg
Salz	2,39 mg
Natrium	957 mg
Kalzium	248 mg
Phosphor	223 mg
Kalium	57 mg
Magnesium	16,8 mg
Zink	1,04 mg
Jod	78 µg
Vitamin A (Retinol)	275 µg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	0,43 mg
Vitamin B12	0,44 µg
Vitamin K	31,7 µg
Folat	21 µg

22 Fit Foods im Check – gratis Sammlung

Oft halten Superfoods nicht, was sie versprechen. Unsere Fit Foods haben wissenschaftlich belegte Vorteile für die Gesundheit. Dieser Ratgeber stellt 22 von ihnen vor – inklusive einfacher Rezepte. Laden Sie sich die Sammlung als PDF jetzt kostenlos herunter.

Laden Sie sich die „Fit Food“-Sammlung jetzt kostenlos herunter. © IPPEN.MEDIA

5 wissenschaftlich belegte Vorteile von Feta-Käse

Die gesundheitlichen Vorteile von Feta. © IPPEN.MEDIA/IMAGO/imagebroker

1. 🦴 Knochen: Feta liefert Kalzium und Phosphor in einem Verhältnis, das für den Knochenaufbau besonders günstig ist. 100 g enthalten 248 mg Kalzium und 223 mg Phosphor. Beide Mineralstoffe sind wesentliche Bausteine des Knochens und wirken dem Abbau der Knochendichte entgegen. Schaf- und Ziegenmilch weisen dabei einen höheren Kalzium- und Phosphorgehalt auf als Kuhmilch. 🎓 Studie
2. 🦠 Darm und Immunsystem: Feta enthält lebende Milchsäurebakterien, darunter Lactobacillus plantarum, der laut Untersuchungen etwa 48 Prozent der Bakterienflora im Feta ausmacht. Diese Bakterien können im Darm krankmachende Keime wie E. coli und Salmonella hemmen und entzündungshemmende Prozesse unterstützen. Sie überleben auch extreme Bedingungen im Magen-Darm-Trakt, etwa Magensäure und Gallensalze. 🎓 Studie, Studie
3. 💪 Körperzusammensetzung und Stoffwechsel: Feta gehört zu den Käsesorten mit dem höchsten Gehalt an konjugierter Linolsäure (CLA) – einer Fettsäure, die ausschließlich in tierischen Produkten vorkommt. Sie ist laut Forschung mit einer günstigeren Körperzusammensetzung assoziiert: weniger Körperfett, mehr Muskelmasse. Zudem gibt es Hinweise auf eine mögliche schützende Wirkung gegenüber Diabetes und bestimmten Krebsarten. Feta aus Schafsmilch enthält dabei deutlich mehr CLA als Käse aus Kuhmilch. 🎓 Studie
4. 🥩 Hochwertiges Protein: Mit knapp 16 g Protein pro 100 g ist Feta ein solider Proteinlieferant. Das Profil ist vollständig: Alle essenziellen Aminosäuren sind laut WHO-Bericht enthalten, darunter Leucin (1,66 g), Lysin (1,37 g) und Valin (1,15 g) – wichtige Bausteine für Muskelaufbau und -erhalt. Gleichzeitig ist Feta kalorienärmer als viele andere Käsesorten wie Parmesan oder Cheddar, was ihn für eine eiweißbetonte Ernährung interessant macht. 🎓 Studie
5. 🩸 Wichtige Mikronährstoffe: Feta deckt mit 78 µg Jod pro 100 g mehr als die Hälfte des empfohlenen Tagesbedarfs für Erwachsene (150 µg laut DGE). Jod ist essenziell für die Schilddrüsenfunktion und die Hormonproduktion. Dazu liefert Feta Vitamin B12 (0,44 µg / 100 g) – ein Vitamin, das ausschließlich in tierischen Lebensmitteln vorkommt und für Nervensystem und Blutbildung unverzichtbar ist. Vitamin A (275 µg / 100 g) unterstützt Sehkraft, Immunsystem und Hautgesundheit. 🎓 Studie

Für wen ist Feta besonders geeignet – und für wen nicht?

Aufgrund der genannten Nährstoffe ist der Verzehr von Feta besonders gut geeignet für:

• Menschen, die ihren Kalziumspeicher auffüllen möchten (z. B. bei erhöhtem Osteoporoserisiko)
• Menschen mit erhöhtem Proteinbedarf, zum Beispiel Sportler und Ältere
• Low Carb und ketogene Ernährungsweisen: Feta enthält praktisch keine Kohlenhydrate
• Menschen mit leichter Laktoseintoleranz: Feta enthält weniger als 1 g Laktose pro 100 g und wird von vielen Betroffenen gut vertragen

Der größte Nachteil des Fetas liegt im hohen Salzgehalt: Rund 2,4 g Natriumchlorid pro 100 g sind ein beachtlicher Wert. Wer täglich größere Mengen verzehrt, kann damit schnell an die von der DGE empfohlene Obergrenze von 6 g Salz pro Tag stoßen. Besonders für Menschen mit Bluthochdruck oder Nierenerkrankungen ist das relevant.

Schwangere sollten zudem darauf achten, ausschließlich pasteurisierten Feta zu kaufen. Käse aus Rohmilch birgt ein erhöhtes Risiko für eine Kontamination mit Listeria monocytogenes, einem Bakterium, das in der Schwangerschaft gefährlich werden kann. Pasteurisierter Feta gilt hingegen als unbedenklich. Vorsicht ist außerdem für Menschen mit Kuhmilchallergie geboten: Da sich die Proteine von Schaf- und Kuhmilch strukturell ähneln, können auch auf Schafsmilchprodukte allergische Reaktionen auftreten.

Feta zubereiten: Was zu beachten ist

Feta muss nicht gekocht werden – er schmeckt pur, gegrillt, gebacken oder gebröselt auf Salaten. Den klassischen griechischen Salat mit Gurken, Tomaten, Zwiebeln, Oliven und Feta kennt wohl fast jeder. Diesen kann man auch leicht abgewandelt als Gemüse-Variante auf dem Grill zubereiten. Der leckere Melonen-Feta-Salat bringt sommerliche Frische auf den Tisch, Zucchini-Spaghetti mit Kirschtomaten und Feta lassen Low-Carb-Herzen höher schlagen.

Eine meiner liebsten Kombinationen mit Feta ist ein Rote-Bete-Salat – mit Rote Bete, gebröseltem Feta, Olivenöl und Walnüssen. Geschmacklich ein Genuss und voller Nährstoffe für Fitness sowie Herz- und Hirngesundheit.

Alexandra Grauvogl, Fitness-Redakteurin

Rote Bete, Olivenöl und Walnüsse haben wir im Rahmen der Serie „Fit Food der Woche“ bereits besprochen. Wenn Sie keinen weiteren Teil mehr verpassen wollen, melden Sie sich hier kostenlos für meinen Newsletter Einfach fit! an:

Hallo, ich bin Alexandra Grauvogl,
als ehemalige Ski-Rennfahrerin und ausgebildete Fitnesstrainerin beschäftige ich mich seit über 20 Jahren mit Fitness, Ernährung, Gesundheit sowie mentalem Wohlbefinden. In meinem Newsletter „Einfach fit!“ teile ich meine Erfahrungen und Empfehlungen mit Ihnen, liebe Leserinnen und Leser. Und keine Angst, im Newsletter geht es nicht um Spitzensport, sondern um einfache Tipps und Tricks für ein gesundes und fittes Leben, von denen auch Sie profitieren können. Ich freue mich auf Sie!

Hier können Sie sich kostenlos für „Einfach fit!“ anmelden

Alexandra Grauvogl, Redakteurin und Ex-Leistungssportlerin © McFit

Ein paar allgemeine Hinweise zur Zubereitung und Lagerung von Feta:

• Einwässern: Wer den Salzgehalt reduzieren möchte, legt den Feta 30 Minuten in frisches Wasser. Er verliert etwas Aroma, aber auch Salz.
• Nicht zu lange erhitzen: Beim Backen oder Braten schmilzt Feta nicht wie andere Käsesorten – er wird außen goldbraun und innen cremig, wenn er bei ca. 200 °C gebacken wird.
• Aufbewahrung: Feta hält sich im Original-Brinesud deutlich länger. Wer ihn ohne Lake kauft, bewahrt ihn in einem Behälter mit leicht gesalzenem Wasser auf. Hier erfahren Sie mehr darüber, wie Sie Feta richtig lagern.

Rezept: Gebackener Feta mit Kirschtomaten und frischen Kräutern

Zutaten (für 2 Personen):

• 200 g Feta (1 Block)
• 200 g Kirschtomaten
• 2 EL Olivenöl
• 1 TL getrockneter Oregano
• 1 kleine Knoblauchzehe (fein gehackt)
• Frischer Thymian oder Rosmarin nach Geschmack
• Schwarzer Pfeffer
• 2 Scheiben Vollkornbrot zum Servieren (optional)

Zubereitung:

1. Backofen auf 200 °C Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen.
2. Den Feta-Block in eine kleine Auflaufform legen. Kirschtomaten rundherum verteilen.
3. Mit Olivenöl beträufeln, Knoblauch, Oregano und frische Kräuter darüberstreuen. Mit Pfeffer würzen (kein zusätzliches Salz nötig – der Feta bringt genug mit).
4. Im Ofen 20–25 Minuten backen, bis der Feta leicht goldbraun und die Tomaten aufgeplatzt sind.
5. Direkt aus der Form servieren – mit Brot zum Dippen oder als Beilage zu Salat.

Mediterrane Ernährung – der umfangreiche Ratgeber

Laden Sie sich hier unseren kostenlosen PDF-Ratgeber zur mediterranen Ernährung herunter – mit einem Überblick über die Lebensmittel, die die Mittelmeerkost ausmachen (inklusive Rezepten), praktischen Tipps und Informationen zu den gesundheitlichen Vorteilen.

Laden Sie sich in der PDF-Bibliothek kostenlos den Ratgeber „Mediterrane Ernährung“ herunter. © IPPEN.MEDIA

Tipp: Wer mag, gibt zum Schluss einen Spritzer Zitronensaft und etwas frisches Basilikum darüber.

Übrigens: Auch Mozzarella und Hüttenkäse sind besonders gesunde Käsesorten.

Why the peso could weaken to 65:$1

 

BY HENRY ONG

MAY 20, 2026

Astronger peso is usually interpreted as a sign of confidence, while a weaker peso is often dismissed as a temporary disruption caused by external shocks or speculative trading.

Yet history suggests that major currency trends rarely develop because of a single event. More often, exchange rates reflect the gradual accumulation of structural imbalances that markets initially underestimate, then eventually reprice much faster later on.

 

SONG OF SONGS

By

 Mindanao Daily News

 -

May 19, 2026

0

180

The Song of Songs (or Song of Solomon) is a collection of Hebrew love poems celebrating the intensity, beauty, and intimacy of romantic and marital love between a man and a woman. It emphasizes mutual desire, commitment, and the goodness of physical intimacy within marriage, often interpreted as a metaphor for God’s love for his people. 

US musician and author Ted Gioia argues in his excellent book Music: A Subversive History (2019): “At every stage in human history, music has been a catalyst for change, challenging conventions and conveying coded messages – or, not infrequently, delivering blunt, unambiguous ones. It has given voice to individuals and groups denied access to other platforms for expression. Pop music has often been dismissed as “lightweight” given its young audience, simple snappiness and mainstream status, but those elements are really where its strength is concealed. Pop songs don’t originate themes of mental wellbeing, equality, liberty, activism – but they do transmit them to the broadest platforms possible”.

Snap the radio on, zip to any station, and what are you likely to hear? Love songs. Songs of new love, songs of disappointed love, songs of grateful love, songs of crazy love. I still remember my time as a radio host in Davao City several years ago playing the Hits of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Nothing has changed. Times change, but through history the flow of love songs is a constant.

Plenty of people are surprised or even shocked to find an explicit love song in the bible – complete with erotic lyrics. But “Song of Songs” is exactly that. It shows no embarrassment about lovers. Consequently, intermittent attempts have been made  to rule “Song of Songs” out of the bible. It’s like making it “for adults only”. Imagine, my dear reader, in 16th century Spain for instance, professor Fray Luis de Leon was dragged out of his classroom and taken to jail for four years. His crime? He translated “Song of Songs” into Spanish.

If you start reading “Song of Songs”, you will find out that this book conveys a very different atmosphere from most modern love songs and pop music. Since love songs are always popular, many people approach “Song of Songs” with great expectations. However, readers often find the book much different from what they had expected. One is the poetic imagery. Second: “Song of Songs” is hard to follow. One part  doesn’t seem connected to the next.

Song of Songs is a well-known but little-understood book of the Bible made up of eight chapters of ancient Israelite love poetry. While there is an introduction and a conclusion, the book doesn’t have a rigid literary design

Try to explore the “Song of Songs”. One thing is for sure. You’ll learn a lot about the love between God and His people.

###

PH mass transport projects: Governance tracks the future

 

By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published May 19, 2026 12:05 am | Updated May 18, 2026 05:50 pm

The fate of major mass transport projects in the Philippines is shaped not only by engineering expertise or access to foreign financing. More fundamentally, it is determined by the quality of governance that guides these undertakings from conception to completion.

The contrasting experiences of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the North-South Commuter Railway linking Clark to Laguna provide a telling lesson for policymakers and the public alike.

The Cebu BRT project, financed largely by the World Bank and its partner institutions, was envisioned more than a decade ago as the country’s first modern BRT system. It promised to ease congestion in Metro Cebu, reduce travel time, and modernize urban mobility. Yet today, after years of delays, restructuring, and ballooning frustrations, only a small portion of the project has been substantially completed. Loan proceeds have been partially canceled, targets drastically reduced, and the project itself rated “unsatisfactory” by its principal lender.

The reasons are painfully familiar: procurement bottlenecks, right-of-way disputes, leadership turnover, weak institutional coordination, insufficient staffing, shifting political priorities, and prolonged vacancies in critical technical positions. The result is a cautionary tale of how even well-funded infrastructure programs can stall when governance systems are fragile and inconsistent.

By contrast, the Clark-to-Laguna commuter railway project under the broader North-South Commuter Railway program, supported heavily by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has demonstrated far stronger implementation momentum. Despite the immense scale and complexity of the undertaking, construction has steadily advanced through disciplined project management, continuity of technical planning, close inter-agency coordination, and sustained political commitment across administrations.

The difference is not merely financial. It is institutional.

Japan-funded infrastructure projects have long emphasized rigorous preparation, strict timetables, technical continuity, and professionalized project management structures. These reduce opportunities for policy drift and bureaucratic paralysis. In many cases, project implementation offices are staffed by technically competent personnel insulated from excessive political interference.

The lesson is clear: infrastructure success depends less on groundbreaking ceremonies and more on governance discipline.

Major transport systems are multi-year, even multi-decade commitments. They cannot survive if priorities shift every election cycle or if project leadership changes repeatedly. The Philippines must therefore institutionalize continuity mechanisms that protect flagship infrastructure projects from political disruption.

First, project management offices must be professionalized and insulated from frequent leadership turnover. Technical expertise, not political accommodation, should guide appointments.

Second, procurement systems must be streamlined while preserving transparency and accountability. Delays caused by overlapping approvals and weak coordination exact enormous economic costs on commuters and taxpayers alike.

Third, right-of-way acquisition and resettlement programs must be addressed early and decisively. Infrastructure cannot move forward if land acquisition remains hostage to indecision and fragmented authority.

Fourth, long-term infrastructure planning must transcend partisan politics. Every incoming administration should refine and improve viable projects—not suspend or reinvent them for political branding purposes.

Finally, governance must prioritize public interest over bureaucratic convenience. Mass transport projects are not monuments to politicians. They are lifelines for workers, students, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens seeking a more productive and dignified daily life.

The tracks toward national progress are already visible. Onward progress depends importantly on the firm exercise of political will that supports effective governance of projects and insulates these from the known pitfalls that have derailed previous initiatives.

Of pencils and oranges: A review of Terence McNally's 'Master Class'

By Philip Cu Unjieng

Published May 19, 2026 10:55 am   




Maria Callas was one of those larger than life figures who made an impact beyond the world of Opera, where the Greek-American first made a name for herself.

In today’s world of social media, La Divina, as Callas was known in music circles, would be famous for being shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis’ girlfriend right before he pursued (and married) Jacqueline Kennedy.

Callas passed away in 1977 in Paris, as a virtual recluse. But in 1971, with her voice practically gone, and in the twilight of her professional career, she gave a series of Master Classes at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. The fact that she was conducting these Master Classes served as the inspiration for playwright Terrence McNally to write "Master Class," as a ‘what if we were a fly on the wall during these Juilliard sessions’?

Callas was notorious for being a diva, she was mercurial, imperious, and what we would call today, a ‘terror’. Could we match that image while showcasing her vulnerability, her life story, and the anguish and pain she would be experiencing at that stage in her life? 

The character study, "Master Class," premiered in 1995; and won the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s admired for its theatricality, and how it addresses themes of Art with the concomitant sacrifice and discipline; and chronicles the steep, uphill road to greatness - that many can aspire for, but only very few can attain. So, it was welcome news to have our Philippine Opera Company stage this very well-pedigreed drama once again. 

Directed by Jaime Del Mundo, and with Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo in the lead role of Maria Callas, the drama runs until May 30 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.

Supporting Menchu are Alexandra Bernas as Sophie, Arman Ferrer as Tony, Angeli Benipayo as Sharon, Nelsito Gomez as the Stage Hand, and Louie Oca as Manny.

Sophie, Tony and Sharon are the students who join the "Master Class," while Manny is the resident pianist who accompanies the students. 

The first Act is virtually a one-woman show, with Menchu firmly placing the audience - and the rest of the cast - in the palm of her hand. It’s masterful, it’s domineering, it’s subjugation; and we are willing, compliant acolytes. And I use the term acolyte because we literally enter this ‘Maria Callas Church’, and come out believers. That’s how entertaining, engrossing, and compelling this drama is. The lines are just wonderful, McNally has done his job, and its up to the cast to make the magic happen. 

Menchu interacts with the audience from the moment she makes her entrance. The ‘pencils and oranges’ phrase refers to when she was a 15 year old student of opera, and would always have a pencil on her for note-taking, and never have an orange because they couldn't afford it. So the pencil was an essential tool on her journey to artistic greatness, while the orange became a symbol for future success and financial stability. 

"Master Class" is a wonderful play to enter blind, as I did. I’ve read about it, but had never watched it, and the lines are magnificent. The interplay between her conducting a class and triggered memories are priceless, and presented with much drama. The shafts of humor are so engaging, like when she says, “When you’re fat and ugly, and I’m not saying you are…” Or when a student refers to contemporary Joan Sutherland, and gets a frosty reaction from Callas. And unlike other plays where so much is expended in the first act, then there’s a letdown in the second; this one kicks off on a sustained high note, and the second act only gets better. Book your seat, and be charmed by this production!  

CHANGES AND CHALLENGES

 

By

 Klaus Döring

 -

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

TO KEEP pace with a rapidly changing world, businesses continuously undergo organizational changes to outperform competitors, innovate, improve productivity, and drive revenue. Yet despite the increasing volume and complexity of these changes, only one in three change management initiatives succeeds.

Why do many of these initiatives fail? Often, organizations neglect the human aspect of change management.

It is important to humanize change. Many organizations underestimate the power dynamics within their structures and fail to consider the broader context in which change occurs. They also tend to downplay internal resistance, relying too heavily on a top-down approach and forgetting that imposed change is often met with pushback.

To minimize resistance, leaders must first conduct baseline assessments to identify barriers to change and address them effectively to ensure successful implementation.

Among the most common barriers to change are:

* Lack of clarity

* Ineffective communication

* Strategic shortcomings

* A culture resistant to change

* Lack of organizational buy-in

* Change fatigue

* Weak governance

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” Former British statesman Sir Winston L. Churchill (1874–1965) uttered these famous words in 1940 during the dark days of World War II.

Blood, tears, and sweat are also part of the changes and challenges we encounter in everyday life. How often does life challenge us to a duel? I am not referring to the provocative or defiant people around us who seem to enjoy obstructing progress or pushing our lives toward negativity. Such people often make “much ado about nothing” — to borrow the words of William Shakespeare. They wear polite but insincere smiles, yet rarely take even a single step toward meaningful change or genuine growth.

The rest is silence. And allow me to quote Shakespeare once more: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Every change brings a challenge. Changes in life are both important and necessary. Let us alter, improve, and make a difference. Let us move from one state to another, embrace fresh beginnings, and welcome transformation. Change means moving from the old to the new, from negativity to positivity, from ignorance to knowledge, from doubt and worry to understanding and awareness, from fear to faith, from stagnation to growth, from sadness to happiness, and from “I cannot” to “I can.”

Nothing is permanent except change. Change cannot be avoided, even if we choose to close our eyes to it. At best, it can only be delayed. Let us therefore open our eyes and embrace the challenge of becoming successful in life. Those who fail to change are eventually left behind by history. We cannot expect new results if we continue relying on old ways.

Burn the “lock fat” away, and perhaps one day we will wake up happier after enduring times of blood, tears, and sweat. After all, nothing comes from nothing.

***

Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or X – Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com/PN

The breath in Pentecost

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

THE gospel of the Mass on the Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us of that part where Christ breathed on the apostles and gave them the breath of God in a way that was new and was greater than the breath God gave Adam during the Creation.

“Peace be to you,” Christ told the apostles. ‘As the Father has sent me, I also send you.’ When he said this, he breathed on them, and he said to them: ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.’” (Jn 20,21-23)

This breath in Pentecost signifies the Holy Spirit, making us have the very life of God. It surpasses the breath in Creation that simply makes us a living being that came from dust. In other words, the breath in Creation gives us a biological and rational life, while the breath in Pentecost gives us sanctifying grace, making us adopted children of God.

We have to feel very much at home with this very wonderful reality and start to correspond to it as we ought. We have to go beyond our earthly dimensions and enter into the more fascinating world of the spiritual and the supernatural life of God and with God.

This does not mean that we escape from our earthly reality to be in the spiritual and supernatural reality. No. It means that while deeply immersed in our mundane conditions, we also have to learn to go beyond them to be with God. This is what the word ‘transcendence’ means.

To be sure, we are enabled to do that, because of our intelligence and will. These are powerful faculties that would enable us to know and to love, and eventually to enter in the lives of others and ultimately to be with God.

But more importantly, we are always given the grace so that our capacity to be with God is actualized. It’s not enough that we are enabled to know and love God. That potency has to be put into act with the grace of God who gives it to us in abundance.

We have to do our part, of course. And the first thing to do is to be aware that there is such a reality as developing a life in the Spirit, and from there start cultivating the proper attitudes, skills and virtues.

This may look like a daunting, overwhelming task, but it can always be done. Sure, there will be difficult, awkward moments, but those usually happen in the beginning of the learning curve. As long as we persist, time will come when living in intimate relationship with the Spirit becomes second nature to us.

We need to spread this Good News more widely, because many of us are still completely ignorant of it. And of those who may already know about it, a lot of confusion, doubts and misunderstanding abound. 

So more than spreading the Good News, we need a lot of teachers and models who can clearly show how this life in the Spirit can be achieved. Let’s hope that we can count on many people, especially those who are already active in the Church, to serve as teachers and models for this purpose.

Of special interest in this regard is the crucial role of parents. They should be the first teachers and models of their children in living the life in the Spirit. That’s why parents should do their best to be very consistent with their faith, because the most important duty they have toward their children is to make their offspring children of God, living the life in the Spirit!

How to Be Happy in Life?

1. Remember, everyone has problems. You’re not alone in facing challenges.

2. Life has ups and downs. Only someone who isn’t alive doesn’t have challenges.

3. Every problem has a solution. You can find answers to the difficulties you're facing.

4. How you see yourself matters. Think of yourself as valuable and special. Don’t let low self-esteem bring you down.

5. Don’t worry about what others say. Some people say mean things to make others feel bad.

6. Make friends with kind people who uplift you. Avoid those who tease or make fun of you.

7. When you have free time, enjoy your favorite hobbies like sports, movies, or games.

8. Don’t let anyone scare you with their money or things. A poor person today can be rich tomorrow. Change happens.

9. No matter how tough things get, don’t give up. As long as you are alive, there is still hope.

10. Pray often. Prayer can help bring good things into your life more quickly.

11. Be brave and go after what you want. Life involves taking chances. If you don’t try, you won’t reach your dreams.

Stay true to yourself because nobody can be you better than you. You are wonderful just as you are!

 

Peso extends decline, hits new record low of 61.75:$1

BY IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

MAY 19, 2026

FILE PHOTO

The Philippine peso slid to a new record low against the dollar on the first trading day of the week, as rising US Treasury yields amid mounting expectations of interest-rate increases from global central banks drive the greenback’s strength.

The local currency fell 2.9 centavos to close at 61.75 per dollar, matching the day’s intraday low and surpassing the previous record-low finish of 61.721 set in the prior session, data from the Bankers Association of the Philippines showed.

THAT MOVES ME

 

TWO major issues concern me: climate change and the coronavirus Covid-19. Millions of people around the world are exposed to the virus and dangerous levels of heat stress - a dangerous condition that can cause organs to shut down. Many live in developing countries and do jobs that expose them to potentially life-threatening conditions. These include being out in the open on farms and building sites or indoors in factories and hospitals.

Science editor David Shukman shares the worries with me and many others. Summers are becoming hotter and hotter for humans. Global warming will increase the chances of summer conditions that may be "too hot for humans" to work in.

When we caught up with Dr. Jimmy Lee, his goggles were steamed up and there was sweat trickling off his neck. An emergency medic, he's laboring in the stifling heat of tropical Singapore to care for patients with Covid-19. There's no air conditioning - a deliberate choice, to prevent the virus from being blown around - and he notices that he and his colleagues become "more irritable, shorter with each other".

Predictions shake me: more than 3bn could live in extreme heat by 2070. The monetary Siberian heatwave is clear evidence of climate change. 2019 was Europe's warmest year on record. And Dr. Lee's personal protective equipment, essential for avoiding infection, makes things worse by creating a sweltering 'micro-climate' under the multiple layers of plastic.

We can all imagine that working in a tropical climate can be extremely uncomfortable. One danger is that overheating can slow down our ability to do something vital for medical staff - make quick decisions.

Another is that they may ignore the warning signs of what's called heat stress - such as faintness and nausea - and keep on working till they collapse. If the body is unable to cool down properly so its core temperature keeps rising to dangerous levels and key organs can shut down. It happens when the main technique for getting rid of excess heat - the evaporation of sweat on the skin - can't take place because the air is too humid.

According to Dr. Rebecca Lucas, who researches physiology at the University of Birmingham, the symptoms can escalate from fainting and disorientation to cramps and failure of the guts and kidneys.

What impact will climate change have? As global temperatures rise, more intense humidity is likely as well which means more people will be exposed to more days with that hazardous combination of heat and moisture.

Another study, published earlier this year, warned that heat stress could affect as many as 1.2 bn people around the world by 2100, four times more than now. It's not a new thing for me and you: people need to drink plenty of fluid before they start work, take regular breaks, and then drink again when they rest.

But scientists around the globe agree:  avoiding heat stress is easier said than done. There's a practical problem as well - some people do not want to drink so they can avoid having to go to the toilet. And another fatal attraction in my opinion: For many people, there's a professional desire to keep working whatever the difficulties so as not to let colleagues and patients down at a time of crisis.

Highly motivated people can actually be at the greatest risk of heat injury, says Dr. Jason Lee, an associate professor in physiology at the National University of Singapore. He's a leading member of a group specializing in the dangers of excessive heat, the Global Heat Health Information Network, which has drawn up guidelines to help medics cope with Covid-19. It's spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and the US weather and climate agency Noaa.

This climate change will be a bigger monster and we really need a coordinated effort across nations to prepare for what is to come.