Asian Eye Institute on Early Detection of Glaucoma

Sometimes, I think I’m not really a Filipino. Aside from the fact that my maiden last name is Adams, I also tend to live in my own world and I seldom practice Filipino values. But when it involves my family, somehow, the Filipino in me comes out. Take for instance being responsible for my aging parents. In our culture, we Filipinos tend to practice taking care of them rather than bringing them to an elderly home. Embracing this idea is a sign of love and gratitude for those many years that they have taken care of us, their children. Another way we can  show our gratitude to them is to help them detect early signs of certain illnesses, like perhaps help them detect early signs of galucoma. How do I do this? 

I have learned that  Glaucoma, is a a group of eye conditions, which are marked by  optic nerve damage and loss of field of vision. My mom is nearsighted, while my dad is a smoker, and his family has a history of diabetes. According to medical research, people who have a history of diabetes,  high nearsightedness or farsightedness, hypertension, eye accidents, family history of blindness, steroid use, history of blood transfusion, and are smokers have a high risk for contracting glaucoma. These kinds of people should see an eye specialist as soon as possible, then yearly thereafter. If glaucoma is left unchecked, it can lead to blindness. Early detection is the key to keep this from happening.

At Asian Eye Institute, they promote early detection of glaucoma. As advised by Dr. Edgar Leuenberger, glaucoma specialist of the Asian Eye Institute (AEI), we should bring our parents, or any family member, to go see an ophthalmologist as soon as possible in case they start experiencing headaches or nausea  while watching TV or movies, after reading, or difficulty in navigating stairs; if they begin to see halos around lights, or frequently bump into things. All these this could be an early symptom of glaucoma. In the case of my mom, even if she is using progressive lenses or corrective glasses, if she starts getting clumsy, or having difficulty estimating distances, or if there is dimming in her vision, I should immediately bring her to the doctor for glaucoma treatment.

Sharing the Gift of Youthful Beauty - Olay Regenerist Launches New Super Cream

On average, women all over the world spend $10 billion a year on beauty products, with luxury anti-ageing creams on the market ranging from $100 to as much as $1,500. Yet at the recently held in-store holiday launch of Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream in SM Makati, family and friends enjoyed the gift of firmer, younger-looking skin for less than $30 or at Php1,299! This delighted shoppers who have often paid tens of thousands in their search for a cream that works.      

The launch spread Olay Regenerist’s message that super creams don’t have to be super expensive, like some pricier premium creams. The internationally, multi-awarded Micro-Sculpting Cream promises to give skin the benefits of a firmer, tighter look without a facelift*. It keeps skin hydrated longer, outperforming 32 of the world’s most expensive creams – even the $350+ one – at a fraction of the price!

A study conducted by an independent third-party research laboratory in the UK specializing in testing the efficacy of cosmetic products, pitted Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream against some of the world’s most premium creams and measured which kept skin moisturized and hydrated longer.

Moisturization is especially important in keeping skin firm, plump and smooth. There are two factors that affect the firmness of skin – Collagen, which provides structural support for our skin, and turgor. Turgor is the volume and shape of our skin cells. Cells with good turgor have a full volume and shape, leading to firm, smooth skin.

Hydration is essential to maintaining healthy skin turgor yet our ability to keep skin moisturized declines with age. Our skin’s level of hyaluronic acid, called ‘nature’s moisturizer’, recedes as we get older, leading to sagging, unevenly textured skin.

In the study, skin hydration levels were tested at baseline and after 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours. Products tested were among the most expensive daily moisturizers from the UK, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, many of which are also available here in the Philippines.

Results from the test showed that Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream provided significantly higher levels of skin hydration versus all of the prestige moisturizing creams it was tested against even after 12 and 24 hours.

The new Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream addresses both collagen and turgor loss with Olay’s highest level of Amino-Peptide Complex.  This includes the amino-peptides pal-KTTKS that regenerates collagen, and Carnosine, which is also known as a potent anti-oxidant  to protect skin’s collagen from UV rays and free radicals.

It also contains Hyaluronic Acid, which forms a 3-dimensional meshwork on the skin’s surface to draw moisture into individual cells, helping to restore skin turgor.

This potent combination allows the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream to give women the benefits of firmer skin in as fast as four days, reducing fine lines and wrinkles and making skin smoother and plumper, for that look of sculpted youth.   

This super cream has already enjoyed worldwide success. In the US, the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream became the no. 1 anti-ageing cream just six months after its launch. A continent away, word of its phenomenal benefits resulted in a waiting list of 20,000 women eagerly anticipating its arrival in the United Kingdom. In Australia, it was sold out in a matter of weeks.

Jia Salindong, Country Marketing Manager for Olay, remarked, “We are very happy to finally bring the much-awaited Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream here in the Philippines. As you know, many premium creams cost tens of thousands of pesos – that’s an extremely high price to pay for beauty and so the benefits only become exclusively available to a select few!”  

In tune with the holiday spirit, shoppers who purchased the new Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream along with a friend received another bottle of this new Super Cream as a gift they for their friend.  So for those lucky ones who were able to catch the special holiday launch at SM Makati, youthful beauty was a gift shared with loved ones.  

At only P1,299 (SRP), the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream proves that the price of firmer, youthful beauty doesn’t have to be so steep.

*    *    *
*results not equal to facelift

About P&G Beauty & Grooming

P&G Beauty & Grooming products help make beauty dreams real for women worldwide and help men look, feel and be their best everyday.  With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G’s beauty and grooming products delivered sales of over $26 billion in fiscal year 2008/09, making it one of the world’s largest beauty and grooming companies.  P&G Beauty & Grooming offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs, including  Pantene®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, DDF®, Frederic Fekkai®, Wellaflex®,  Rejoice®, Sebastian Professional®, Herbal Essences®, Koleston®, Clairol Professional®, Nice ’n Easy®, Venus®, Gillette®, SK-II®, Wella Professionals®, Braun® and a leading Prestige Fragrance division that spans from point of market entry consumers to high end luxury with global brands such as Hugo Boss®, Lacoste®, and Christina Aguilera®.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G (NYSE: PG) and its brands.

Look and Feel Younger in Just 7 Showers with Olay Age Defying Bar

P&G Beauty & Grooming products help make beauty dreams real for women worldwide and help men look, feel and be their best everyday.  With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G’s beauty and grooming products delivered sales of over $26 billion in fiscal year 2008/09, making it one of the world’s largest beauty and grooming companies.  P&G Beauty & Grooming offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs, including  Pantene®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, DDF®, Frederic Fekkai®, Wellaflex®,  Rejoice®, Sebastian Professional®, Herbal Essences®, Koleston®, Clairol Professional®, Nice ’n Easy®, Venus®, Gillette®, SK-II®, Wella Professionals®, Braun® and a leading Prestige Fragrance division that spans from point of market entry consumers to high end luxury with global brands such as Hugo Boss®, Lacoste®, and Christina Aguilera®.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G (NYSE: PG) and its brands.

Super Cream Comes to Town with the New Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

A super cream is coming to town as Olay Regenerist launches its internationally, multi-awarded Micro-Sculpting Cream in the Philippines. Sold out when it launched in the US, UK and Australia, this cream gives skin the benefits of a firmer, tighter look without a facelift*. It keeps skin hydrated longer, outperforming 32 of the world’s most expensive creams – even the $350+ one – at a fraction of the price!  

There are two factors that affect the firmness of our skin – Collagen, which provides structural support for our skin, and Turgor, which is the normal cellular firmness of our cells caused by the water inside it pressing against the cell wall.  As we age, both of these are compromised resulting in skin becoming less firm and elastic, whilst visible wrinkles and uneven texture become more marked.

Collagen, the protein that provides structural support to the skin, naturally declines with age and the depletion is worsened by damage from environmental factors in the form of free radicals and UV rays.  The result is skin that is less firm, looks duller and reveals more fine lines and wrinkles.

While skin turgor is not often discussed in the world of skincare, it is a property of skin that we recognize instinctively. Good skin turgor occurs when skin cells are well-hydrated, enabling the contents of the cells to expand and attain their full shape and volume. Turgor is best visualized as the difference between a wilted plant and an upright plant.  

Turgor depends on two factors: hydration and a strong skin moisture barrier.  Hyaluronic acid, which is naturally abundant in young skin, is critical for hydration as it can bind up to 1000x its weight in water, giving young skin its soft, plump, and moisturized look and feel.  However, both hyaluronic acid levels and our skin’s moisture barrier decline with age, causing our facial skin cells to lose turgor.

The new Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream contains a potent combination of ingredients that addresses sagging and wrinkles by addressing both collagen and turgor loss.  It contains Regenerist’s highest level of Amino-Peptide Complex which includes 2 amino-peptides - pal-KTTKS that regenerates collagen and Carnosine which is also more commonly known as a potent anti-oxidant that protects skin’s collagen from harmful UV rays and free radicals.

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream also contains hyaluronic acid which forms a 3-dimensional meshwork on the skin’s surface to draw moisture into individual cells, therefore helping to restore turgor.

The result: hydration that regenerates the volume and shape of 10 million surface skin cells, lifting skin so that sag-prone areas become firmer, and skin’s surface is more elastic, smoother and plumper, for that look of sculpted youth.

Get the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream before its sold out and give family and friends the gift of firmer, tighter skin this Christmas without the $350+ price tag. Because super creams don’t need to be super expensive.

*    *    *

SRP: Olay Micro-Sculpting Cream – P1,299 (SRP)
Available exclusively at Watson’s and SM Beauty

*results not equal to facelift 

About P&G Beauty & Grooming

P&G Beauty & Grooming products help make beauty dreams real for women worldwide and help men look, feel and be their best everyday.  With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G’s beauty and grooming products delivered sales of over $26 billion in fiscal year 2008/09, making it one of the world’s largest beauty and grooming companies.  P&G Beauty & Grooming offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs, including  Pantene®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, DDF®, Frederic Fekkai®, Wellaflex®,  Rejoice®, Sebastian Professional®, Herbal Essences®, Koleston®, Clairol Professional®, Nice ’n Easy®, Venus®, Gillette®, SK-II®, Wella Professionals®, Braun® and a leading Prestige Fragrance division that spans from point of market entry consumers to high end luxury with global brands such as Hugo Boss®, Lacoste®, and Christina Aguilera®.  Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G (NYSE: PG) and its brands.

The Sad & Happy Week That Was

November is that time of the year that I get saddest the most. My favorite holiday has just ended (Halloween), Mama’s death anniversary and birthday are lurking in the corner (Peter’s mom), capitalism is at its finest in preparation for the Christmas season and it’s just simply the aligning of my stars and planets that have got my emotions in whack. I’m keeping them at bay, don’t you worry. And I’m not going to dig deeper into that. It’s just that as far as I can remember, the advent season (November-December) has always brought me mixed emotions since I was a child. Christmas makes me happy but it makes me so sad too. It didn’t help that Peter was away for the Ad Congress last week (Nov.18-21). I know I should be used to him not being around all the time, but it’s much more difficult when I’m the one left at home and I know he’s in a different region all together. It made me feel even more sad knowing that for the first time, I was lonely. It’s funny, I used to gloat how good I am at being a loner, heck I even told my friends I’d be happy too if I was single. But seeing how I was paralyzed that week got me thinking… all of my other friends who are single are so brave… they must be superhumans! Or maybe, they just don’t know what they’re missing and so they are better at being alone and lonely. As for me, it made me feel sick that I couldn’t even log in for work. I ended up finishing Paolo Coelho’s THE WINNER STANDS ALONE and Dennis Hambright’s MERCENERAY INTENT. I was missing Peter a whole lot. But at the same time, I was happy for him. He’s in his own element and he was having an amazing time. It’s enough that tells me he missed me too and couldn’t wait to go home. As long as I knew he was safe, he was learning a lot and he was meeting all sorts of people (including hot agency girls and even one who unknowingly showed her nipples to my Baboo), I was okay with it all. He has become the man that I knew he’d always be and more!

So anyway, when he got home late last Saturday night, I just finished watching THIS IS IT (again) and I was in the middle of singing I MISS YOU by Klymaxx on videoke. I was half tipsy (I made myself some cocktails) and I was excited knowing that he’s on his way home. Then there he was! The moment I hugged him tight and kissed him on the lips, I knew I was safe… I was happy again! Yipee!  I missed my Baboo soooo much!

Then I started noticing everything else. Man, he brought home two of the biggest loot bags I’ve seen in my entire life! There were all sorts of products, mementos and trinkets. Coolness! Then he showed me photos of the Ad Congress, including some hot girls and celebrities he’d met. Ooohhlalah! I was just glad he’s safely home. Our wonderful weekend can then start.

I knew he was tired from the trip so we just lounged at home, sang some more songs and watched DVD. I couldn’t even remember now what movie we watched. I was just feeling happy and content snuggled next to him, kissing him every few seconds and feeling his body next to mine. I was in Baboo Heaven. ^_^

We woke up late Sunday morning (before noon time) and I think you can guess what happened next. Teehee. We discovered a new position… we call it the standing doggie… we’ve never seen it in any adult flicks before so it must be unique to us. I love it coz my sexiness shows in all its naked glory and Peter loves it so much! Teehee. ^_^

The rest of our weekend was spent on a date… a married couple kind of date that is. We ran a few errands, did some shopping (I bought new clothes at YRYS and 248… they always seem to have what I like; Peter bought new black leather shoes at Mendrez),  had late lunch at Cabalen in Festival Mall (Peter loves their eat all you can Merienda. I looove their goto, dinuguan and turon), window shopped for a chair and umbrella set for our balcony (unfortunately, they don’t have the color we want) and did some groceries (I’m excited to cook some pesto pasta and grill some rosemary chicken after this post). Afterwards, we dropped off some stuff at home and proceeded to Ruins. We bought tons of DVD. Our “suking Muslim tindera” was oh so happy.  Hehehe.

When we got home,  before I prepared some grilled rib eye steak, toasted bread and veggie salad  for dinner, I sliced a piece of expensive fruit called RED PLUM and shared it with Peter.  It was the first time I tasted such fruit. It was like Duhat without the sappy taste, like Peach without the grainy texture,  like Apple without the sweetness. It tasted just right. Anyway, I always eat fruits before having a real meal. We both learned a while back that eating fruits with an empty stomach helps in digestion, makes one slim down naturally and is good for overall health. And it’s true! Even after I eat tons of food, my tummy is still not as bloated and easily flattens unlike before. Of course, it tremendously helps that I also drink Vita Plus after having fruits in the morning. ^_^ 

By the time our dinner was ready, minutes have already passed which is the best time to eat a complete meal after having fruits. Then we watched 2012. And OH MY GOD! This is the most realistic disaster flick I’ve ever seen. Though the story line is not as gripping as THE CORE or ARMAGEDDON, the possibility is so real that it really got me pretty worried. I wanna die quietly in my sleep… Not banged by some huge tidal wave or crushed in an earthquake! Oh Lord!

Our weekend ended at around 1 am. Peter had to do an all nighter for work and I cleaned up the house. I wasn’t sleepy yet so I went up and started watching this MICHAEL JACKSON DVD SET I got earlier. It contains all of MJ’s mini movies, music videos and concerts. I watched them all until I fell asleep (I still can’t get over the fact that he’s gone… I still cry every time I think about it).

I woke up with Peter by my side early this morning. We spent a little more time just curled up and snuggled in bed until I fell asleep again. Then he had to get readyfor work. We chatted just a while ago over YM and he said he'’ll be home tonight. Yay! I can’t wait! I want to watch 500 Days of Summer with him. ^_^

And that was the week/weekend I had. How about you?

I’ll continue  with may travel series (Cagbalete and Singapore) on my upcoming posts. ^_^

The Wonderful World of Coffee

Thanks to Ria for my “tapis”. So perfect for the event, haha!

I don’t know if I’ve told anybody this. But I used to not drink coffee. I’m more of a juice kind of person. But since I went out with Peter in 1999, I slowly got introduced to the wonderful world of coffee. When we got married seven years ago, I witnessed how coffee was very much a part of Peter’s family’s life and it still is until now. And I’m not talking about the 3-in-1 instant kind. I’m talking about their family, particularly his mom, brewing her own and Peter concocting all sorts of flavor for it — cinnamon, hazelnut, vanilla, etc. It was so awesome! Needless to say that through the years, I became quite addicted to coffee myself and eventually, I learned how to brew my own too. I started with a coffee maker and now, due to time constraints, I find it easier and faster to use a coffee press for my daily dose.  Lately though, we make sure that we buy Philippine coffee. Ours taste so much better anyway. ^_^  So when I found out about the Coffee 101 Seminar to be conducted by Ms. Pacita “Chit” Juan , co-chair of the Philippine Coffee Board, I signed up for it. ^_^ 

with my fellow coffee addicts

(from top, left-right: Ria, Arvin, Jonel, Earth, Azrael, me, Sire, Leirs)

The seminar was held yesterday, Nov. 17, 2009 at Le Bistro in Fraser Place, Valero St., Makati. It was my first time there. It was huge and cozy and since the holiday season is here, I keep thinking how perfect it would be to hold meetings and Christmas parties at Le Bistro. Hmmm. That’s really something to consider. I better tell my friends about it.

 Le Bistro’s ambience is sooo cozy! I loved the wall painting too!

Le Bistro is a coffee shop and restaurant that offers a lot of delightful dishes, desserts, coffee and drinks at very reasonable prices. They have salads, sandwiches, wraps, food for the soul, pasta, pizza, breakfast, spirited partners, hot and cold drinks and pastries. Better check their site for the complete list of menu. ^_^

 This was what I got — yummy Putanesca with fresh vegetables, Chicken Ceasar sandwich, soup and veggie salad!  

Anyway, the following were the topics discussed by Ms.Chit Juan:

The Myth and History of Specialty Coffee

Did you know that coffee was used and utilized primarily as food and medicine before it became known as beverage? Did you know that coffee originated in Ethiopia? It was first cultivated in the monastery gardens of Yemen (c.1000). And the people who brought coffee to our country were the Franciscan friars who brought 3 gantas of coffee beans into the Philippines and planted them in a monastery (1740). Today, coffee is the most drank beverage next to water. It is a giant global industry employing more than 25 million people! It ranks second only to petroleum in terms of dollars traded worldwide. How astonishing is that?!

Coffee Species

Coffee is the seed of a berry/cherry from an evergreen tree that grows in a subtropical belt that circles the globe, and grows to heights of 20 feet. It has four (4) species. We call them REAL Coffee: R - Robusta, E - Excelsa, A - Arabica and L - Liberica. Robusta is the most disease resistant and high yielding (from the word “robust”). It is used in blending coffee because of its body and strong character. Most, if not all, instant coffee blends are made up of Robusta because it is the most affordable of the species. I learned that this is the strongest kind, the one that has the most caffeine content and the one that can cause my heart to palpitate. Yikes! Excelsa  is characterized by a fruity taste. It is more popular as a blending variety and often used as extender. Arabica is smooth in flavor. It is the most widely-traded variety of  coffee in the world and the most fragrant among the four species. Liberica is locally knwon as “Kapeng Barako”. Its berries are the largest among the four and have a distinct earthy flavor and aroma.  

Phases of Specialty Coffee

Planting coffee takes 3-5 years. Next comes harvesting (selective picking, strip picking, mechanical picking), processing of cherries (wet [pulping, fermentation, dying] and dry), milling, hulling (friction and impact hulling), polishing, sorting and grading (gravity & screen, electronic, hand), decaffeinating (chemical and swiss water), roasting (hot air and drum), grinding and brewing (levels of roast: Cinnamon, City, Italian, French), blending , flavoring and cupping, packaging and storage. Whew! And did you know that per tree, one can only harvest about a kilo of fresh cherries per year? Once selected and roasted, this will go down to around 400 grams harvested per tree per year. No wonder coffee is so expensive! So beware of those selling cheap ones. They may not be made from real coffee beans. Or worse, they may be made from old coffee beans! Eww! 

Espresso 101
A concentrated coffee extract from 1.5 ounces of hot water (198 degrees F) passing through 6 to 8 gms of finely ground coffee at 135 psi within 20 to 25 seconds.

Coffee Trivia

“Over all research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful” - Dr. Tom De Paulis, Instiutute for Coffee Studies, Vanderbilt University. I guess, as long as it is taken in moderation, then coffee is a pretty safe bet to health.

The whole session was so educational and informative! I learned a lot that night.  But there are still so many things I gained. What I’ve shared with you is just the tip of the iceberg. It would be better if you attend a session yourself. I promise you fellow coffee lovers and addicts — you will have a grand time!

The Philippine Coffee Board holds Coffee 101 with Barista  101 Training. I learned how to  make my own mocha coffee using Le Bistro’s very expensive coffee machine (Ms. Juan said it’s priced around Php350,000.00.) Woot! And you will be trained too when you sign up for their courses:

BASIC BARISTA TRAINING

An intensive  3-Saturday course for corporate types looking for a new skill to learn . At the heels of Coffee Month, this special  course module is conducted by the Philippine Barista and Coffee Academy.
Le Bistro in Fraser Place, Valero St. Salcedo Village, Makati
November 7,14 and 21
Call Pam at 813-1028 or text 0915-576-7886 for inquiries.

COFFEE 101 with BARISTA 101

Basic knowledge about the world’s most popular beverage. Conducted by Chit Juan, Coffee advocate and Philippine Coffee Board Co-Chair.  A three-hour course to introduce you to the wonderful world of coffee. Includes Espresso-making and basic preparation of  cappuccino and latte drinks.
Le Bistro at Fraser Place, Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati
Schedules are after office hours! November 17, 530-830pm
Call 8131028 or text 0915-576-7886 for reservations

 L-R: Azrael, Ria, Dante,Janette, Ms.Chit Juan, Arvin, moi

Towards the end of our Coffee 101 and Barista 101 training, we were given wonderful tokens by ECHO Store.  They are Philippine-made, of superb quality and beautifully packaged. I think, how perfect it would be to buy Christmas gift baskets at Echo Store.  The green baskets would be fantastic  gift alternatives today! There are numerous packages to choose from! Take a look!

 These are the tokens I got — Antibac hand sanitizer (I love its lemon scent!), peppermint lip balm and Kape Isla’s Yrong Yrong Coffee Blend

(more…)

Show Off Your Shape in 14 Days

I am all for having a voluptuous body coz I do have one myself. I love to eat healthy and yummy food particularly vegetables. But I do love sweets and carbs too! So it doesn’t really hurt to be on a proper diet in order lose a pound or two especially if it means becoming healthier and most especially if it can let me wear designer clothes! Who wouldn’t want to wear expensive clothes, right? I for one would love to wear those fashionably designed clothes by Hermes, Rhett Eala, Michi Calica, Religioso, Kate Torralba, Jun Escario, Chanel, and 7 for All Mankind! And you can too! Yes, you can! In 14 days, you can wear one yourself — once you win in NESTLE FITNESSE’s 14 Days to Show off Your Shape contest. Out of all the designer clothes, here are some that I would really love to have:

by Kate Torralba

by Rhett Eala

by Jun Escario

So what is this NESTLE FITNESSE’s 14 Days to Show off Your Shape contest?

“It’s a 14 day meal plan where each of the team members or fitness partner will have to lose at least 2 pounds in 2 weeks!“

Here’s a summary of what you have to do… 

1.) Register online using the registration form on their site.
2.) Form a group/team (around 2-8 members).
3.) Attend the weigh in event on November 14, 2009.
4.) Take the 14 day meal plan.
5.) Invite your friends to vote for you to win the wardrobe.
6.) Write one journal to summarize experience of the 14 day meal plan - no need to write several posts, but online status updates are encouraged.
7.) Attend the weigh off on Nov. 28, 2009
8.) Winners will be announced on December 10,2009.

Once you’re registered, nominate a Fashionably Fit friend on FACEBOOK OR  on the Nestle Fitnesse  website. As for me, I nominated a couple of my fashionably fit friends on Facebook (Ninette, Ces, Abby, Anmarie, Angel, Adine and Ada). Those you nominate will be sent a free NESTLÉ FITNESSE sampler pack.

For your 14 day meal plan, you just have to eat more whole grains so you can weigh less. Independent research has evidence that those who do tend to lose more  weight  over time. That is why Nestle created NESTLÉ FITNESSE whole grain cereal. By replacing breakfast and one main meal for 14 days with a cereal such as NESTLÉ FITNESSE whole grain cereal, you can lose 1-2 lbs. You can lose more if you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat carbohydrate-rich foods coupled with an exercise regimen.  Do this for 14 days and you’re on your way to a new and more fit you.

As you are trying to get into this perfect fitness program, chic and dashing accouterment made by our top fashion designers and selected  by the country’s top fashion editors are offered to you, fashion aficionados, to give you something to salivate about. “This is the first of its kind in the country,” says Myra Garcia, Consumer Marketing Manager, Nestle Fitnesse. “After all, there’s no better motivation than walking the streets of Manila while looking fashionably fit.”

So folks, let’s not wait much longer. Let us all register now!

For more information about Nestle Fitnesse’s 14 Days to Show off Your Shape, please log on to   www.fitnesse-14days.com.

Sexynomad Drinks First Vita Plus Green Coffee

Before I got this Green Coffee as one of my freebie product rebates from being a First Vita Plus member, I used to drink real brewed coffee, my favorite of which is Viennese coffee which I brew myself at home. However, there are times when I feel its effects like palpitation and restlessness. And sometimes, I fall asleep which is weird. So when I was given this product for free, I immediately tried it! It tastes like real cappuccino with none of the bad side effects! Even if I’m already taking my First Vita Plus dalandan juice in the morning (and whenever I needed an extra energy boost), I still wanted to try this. After all, aside from the five power vegetables as its ingredients, it has unroasted green coffee extract which was proven to  have stronger antioxidant effect than green tea and grape seed extract. It’s perfect for weight watchers and it doesn’t have any caffeine! So I get to have all the health benefits, without the side effects. Wow!!!

Other benefits of green coffee bean extract include an increase in the effectiveness of pain killers, especially for migraine medications; a reduction in the risk of diabetes; and assisting the body burn a higher proportion of lipids (fats).

Litesse is a highly branched polymer of glucose, widely used as a fibre as well as premium bulking ingredient in sugar and fat replacement, aslo effective as prebiotic, aiding in the reduction of colon cancer risk.

It also makes you look younger and a lot healthier!

Vita Plus Green Coffee is available in 10 sachets per box for only P350.00.  Call me if you want to try some for yourself (0918-9270850). Need I say more? ^_^

First Vita Plus Questions… Answered.

I’ve been meaning to post here some Vita Plus related concerns. But due to the fact that I’ve been working round the clock to bring in more income for me and our family especially at this time of calamity and crisis, I didn’t have the time to do so.

Below are the answers to those questions related to what Vita Plus really contains and what Vita Plus really does. Please read on…

- The nutritional info at the back of every health product here in our country is made by DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute. They put the nutrients they find based on their own research. The reason why many of  Vita Plus health drink’s vitamins and minerals are not listed there is because aside from the fact that many of these vitamins and minerals are water soluble, there are just too many of them. This is also why, if  you notice, at the bottom of that white nutritional info box at the back of the sachet, it says “For complete nutritional benefits, see product brochure/literature.”

Here is the brochure that contains the complete nutritional information of First Vita Plus:

~~~oOo~~~

- For those looking or asking where does it say that malunggay, talbos ng kamote, dahon ng sili, saluyot and kulitis (or uray or Pinoy spinach) are part of the ingredients, it is there on the sachet. It’s just not written using the terms or vernaculars we know. Because First Vita Plus is marketed worldwide, it is important that the scientific names of these vegetables be used instead. If you notice at the left side of the sachet, it says “From selected premium leaves of Moringa, Corchorus, Capsicum, Amaranthus, and Ipomoea, packed to meet your daily requirements of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, anti-oxidants and immunity enhancing phytochemicals.”

Below are the corresponding vernaculars of these scientific names:
Moringa (this is malunggay)
Corchorus (this is saluyot)
Capsicum (this is dahon ng sili)
Amaranthus (this is kulitis or spinach)
Ipomoea (this is talbos ng kamote)

~~~oOo~~~

The sugar used in Vita Plus is not your usual refined sugar type (which is one of the ingredients of the top 5 cancer-causing foods). Notice how lethargic you feel after eating donuts and cookies. That’s the refined  kind of sugar you just took. The sugar that First Vita Plus use is SUCRALOSE. In our vernacular, yan yung unang katas ng tubo (sugar cane’s first extract) or molasses. Sucralose is healthy even for diabetics.  The reason for this is because sucralose is not immediately dissolved or absorbed by our body thereby helping in the maintenance of sugar levels. With refined sugar, you will definitely crash and burn. With sucralose, you will have a steady supply of energy that lasts for hours.

From Wikipedia:
Sucralose is a zero-calorie sugar substitute artificial sweetener. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number (additive code) E955. Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar),[2] twice as sweet as saccharin, and 3.3 times as sweet as aspartame. Unlike aspartame, it is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions. Therefore, it can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life. The commercial success of sucralose-based products stems from its favorable comparison to other low-calorie sweeteners in terms of taste, stability, and safety.[3]

From http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/sucralosebroch.cfm

Is sucralose safe?
Sucralose has an excellent safety profile. More than 100 scientific studies conducted over a 20-year period demonstrate that sucralose is safe for use as a sweetening ingredient. The data from the studies were independently evaluated by international experts in a variety of scientific disciplines, including toxicology, oncology, teratology, neurology, hematology, pediatrics and nutrition. Importantly, comprehensive toxicology studies, designed to meet the highest scientific standards, have clearly demonstrated that sucralose is not carcinogenic.

Which regulatory bodies reviewed the safety profile of sucralose?
Among the regulatory bodies that have evaluated the safety of sucralose are the U.S. FDA, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA); the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada; Food Standards Australia/New Zealand, the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, and a host of others in South America and Asia. Sucralose is now permitted for use in over 60 countries.

 ~~~oOo~~~

- The term power herbs was coined for marketing purposes because in the health and/or medical industry, vegetable is not recognized as a means for healing. It’s just considered as one of the foods in the food pyramid.  Even “herbs” are not that popular nor is it studied thoroughly in med school. The medical and health industry focus more on medicines made of chemicals rather than herbs and vegetables. This is also why in  the First Vita Plus campaigns, we stress that it is a vitamin in a drink, a natural health drink because simply put, it is just really all of those five potent vegetables in raw, powder form.

For more nutritional and health info, please visit:
http://vitaclub.multiply.com/journal

~~~oOo~~~

- On the packet, it says 400 calories per 100g…and packet size is 22g.  So is each sachet  is 88 calories?  Yes, the math is right.  If this seems high, don’t fret coz these calories come from fiber content and sucralose (which according to wikipedia is a zero calorie sugar) which are both healthy and easily metabolized. This is why for those wanting to lose weight, the product must be taken at least 30 minutes before breakfast. For more slimming effect and for overall well being, whether you’re taking Vita Plus or not, it is best to drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water upon waking up in the morning. This will help flush out toxins in your system throughout the day.

 ~~~oOo~~~

- Vita Plus will seem expensive if you are a mere user. There is a way for dealers to get these products for free. But I would need you to meet with me or attend one of our free biz forums in the office if you want to know how. Vita Plus will also seem expensive if you treat it like coffee or juice. It is not coffee nor is it just merely juice. It is a health drink with healing properties as  evidenced by a lot of testimonials from all sorts of people of different walks of like. If you head over to firstvitaplus.net and browse at the testimonials section (http://www.firstvitaplus.net/testimonials.html), a lot of diseases have already been healed thru Vita Plus. In one of the health symposiums I have attended, I heard of a testimonial indicating that  liver cancer and leukemia were healed, thanks to Vita Plus.

Vita Plus is not just any health drink. It does not only boost your immune system, it is also a natural medicine. For only P35 per sachet, that’s already quite cheap.  When Peter was hospitalized last January due to severe tonsillitis, we shelled out Php50,000 for his mediciens, doctor’s fees, lab tests, accommodation, etc . Two weeks ago, we earned back the same amount after a month of doing the  First Vita Plus business part time.  So who am I to say that it is expensive?  Actually, the Vita Plus that we are taking now already come for free. And once you become a dealer, these sachets will eventually become free for you too. I will teach you how. So no more illness, back to good health and it brings in cash too. That’s the power of First Vita Plus.

 ~~~oOo~~~

I’d also like to add that First Vita Plus was formulated by Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan. He is a graduate of UP College of Medicine, a foremost herbalist in the country, former DOH secretary  (1992-1994), consultant for UNICEF, WHO, ADB, USAID and World Bank. He wouldn’t dare taint his reputation by coming up with a fraudulent product. Below are his credentials. You may also google him for more info.

He served as Undersecretary and Chief of Staff of the Department of Health from 1992 to 1994.Prior to that time, he held senior positions at the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), both at the national and the regional levels. 

Earlier, Dr. Galvez Tan served as a rural health physician and trainer. He has been a consultant for UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), The World Bank (WB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and has been a Bill Gates Fellow since 2002.

Dr. Galvez Tan has widely published and has lectured in fifteen countries on different continents. The recipient of numerous awards, he is currently an International Consultant on Health Policy Development, Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of the Philippines Manila and Executive Director of the National Institute of Health. In 2003, he was unanimously elected as the Chair of the Global alliance for the elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF) in a meeting held in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

In 2002, he was a Resource person of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) for its various courses on health management. He also heads the Health Futures Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit, non-governmental organization, which assists communities, NGOs and local governments in health care management.

Dr. Galvez Tan has the rare combination of the following expertise : solid grassroots community work in far flung doctor-less rural areas, national and international health planning and programming, experience as faculty of colleges of medicine and health sciences, clinical practice combining North American-European medicine and Asian and Filipino traditional medicine; national health policy development, national health field operations management, management of national health promotion campaigns, essential national health research, reproductive health and family planning and private sector health business operations. He has worked with non-government organizations, the academe, international development agencies and with the Philippine government.

  ~~~oOo~~~

There are others who had they fair share of negative experiences with the product. Some of them experienced constipation, LBM, pain, fever, etc. This can happen on the first month of taking Vita Plus especially for those who haven’t been exactly living a healthy lifestyle.  If the cancer patients undergo withdrawal symptoms when they go through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Vita Plus patients experience varying levels of detox. We have to take into consideration the kinds of food we eat, when we eat them (even fruits, if you don’t eat them with an empty stomach, can cause a lot of discomfort and pain —http://vitaclub.multiply.com/journal/item/33/EATING_FRUITS ), how  often we eat, what’s our medical history, are we taking other medications, etc. All these things have to be taken into consideration because they will have an effect on the kind and length of your detoxification process. There are even others with worse kinds of detoxification. But they continued taking the product which resulted to eventual healing … healing of various kinds of illnesses and even several kinds of cancer. Simply put, the more unhealthy you are, the worse the detox will be for you but the better health you will eventually have through continuous intake.  

When you take Vita Plus, you give your internal organs some sort of a “spa”. If we have external spa through massages (which sometimes can be painful, right?), with Vita Plus, we have the internal kind of spa. It will rid your internal organs of toxins, chemicals and other waste products that are not naturally taken out of your system by your mere  lifestyle and eating habits.

Vita Plus is raw vegetables. Have you tried eating raw, green, leafy vegetables? What do you think will happen if you try eating tons and tons of raw, green, leafy vegetables? I’m sure a lot of you will vomit including myself.  Our body won’t immediately respond favorably to it. It’s something new especially if we have been so used to eating the top 5 cancer causing foods and the likes (hotdogs, donuts, processed foods, chips& cookies, french fries).  As our body heals and regulates its systems thru First Vita Plus, we experience changes. Some of these changes will be uncomfortable at first but through continued use, you, like the other loyal users of Vita Plus (including myself and my family), will start to experience its health benefits.  For some of us, we’ve experienced these healing powers  after  a week, while the others like my parents, will learn to appreciate it after about a month . We  have already been ignoring our other vitamins in the cupboard like Centrum, ascorbic acid, iron tablets, etc.   Since the time that my family experienced these benefits for themselves ( renewed strength, healing of  long time wounds for my dad who’s a diabetic, weekly bouts of fever for Peter and my Dad now gone, energy boost for all of us,  weight loss for me, regular bowel movement for me, sudden absence of body & joint pains for me and my parents, quick recovery from sickness for all of us,  overall wellness), we have stopped taking other vitamin supplements and have only been taking Vita Plus.
 
To those who are skeptical, all you need to do is educate yourself. Do your own research.  Study the product. Study the company. Talk to people who have been healed. Talk to the people who have experienced bad side effects. Did they continue taking it? Perhaps, they have stopped after only a week or so thus failing to fully experience its healing powers. For me,  I am fully convinced that the product does what it claims to do.   I think it’s my fault that I was not able to share with you all these things from the beginning.  I myself am continuously studying the product. This is also one of the reasons why Vita Plus is not readily available in the market.. users must also keep educating themselves on what the product does. That’s why the Vita Plus Networks are tight and readily willing to help should anyone have any questions and why there are free health symposiums at the office everyday conducted by doctors from PGH…So that people will really know what they are getting into, health wise. Unlike all those other medicines and health products you see on TV being endorsed by popular artists and personalities (whom most of us believe even if we don’t really know  what the ingredients of these medicines or health foods are –that’s the power of ads and mass media talking), Vita Plus delivers.

There are studies these days  saying that many of our medicines are fake :(http://www.168.am/en/articles/3721)

There are studies that show even antibiotics can kill due to liver cancer:
http://www.naturalnews.com/liver_failure.html

So let’s just be careful. Let’s have an inquisitive mind especially when it concerns our health. Be well!!! ^_^

 ~~~oOo~~~

Inspiring Stories of Healing & Succes Thru First Vita Plus