shamcey and her beauty secrets

Shamcey shares her beauty secret

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 31, 2013 

 

Beauty queen and newly-wed  Shamcey Supsup admitted she was not always keen on skincare and makeup until she joined beauty contests. Then she had no choice but to be a tiis-ganda.

“When I started [on beauty pageants], sinabi nila na para akong monkey sa sobra kong balbon! So I would wax or shave everything as often as I can, whole body pa, including my face. Sobrang sakit!”

The 27-year old stunner admits that she was super conscious about her “super duper hairy” body. Hence, she religiously shaves and waxes to solve her problem. Little did she know that shaving has its perils. She said her skin became thick, rough, and had chicken skin. Her skin would also always break out.

Her makeup problem is another story.

“The makeup is different when you are a beauty queen. It’s heavier and people aren’t used to seeing us with fresh [and light] makeup,” she says.

There was a time when the makeup wouldn’t stick to her face because it became too overused and irritated. She had to do a series of pictorials and by the third layout, her makeup wouldn’t work anymore. “Ayaw na kumapit nung makeup because my skin was overused and tired. It was really mahapdi and irritated from all the retouching and brushing.”

But now, Shamcey isn’t tiis-ganda anymore. She has found a non-invasive and effective way of treating her skin and hair problems.

Shamcey is the newest face of Facial Care Center (FCC). She says she is a fan of the Laser Light Hair Removal, which makes her skin softer and her body hair finer, and the RevLite Total Rejuvenation. The Total Rejuvenation solution for the skin is FCC’s newest offering. Its sophisticated laser technology lightens uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation, freckles, and melasma. Add to these is Revlite, which also improves skin texture such as the unwanted chicken skin.

The secret lies in the rapid pulse widths of the lasers, which need lesser heat and thus highly safer. Its Photo Acoustic Technology Pulse technology does not hit the healthy skin tissue and only focuses on the problem areas.

Now, Shamcey has been enjoying the fruits of her sessions and said that there’s no looking back to yesterday’s tiis-ganda moments.

Shamcey joins the roster of other beautiful women ambassadors like Bianca Gonzales, Dawn Zulueta, and Charlene Gonzalez, among others.

For more information, call Facial Care Center in 892-SKIN.

Salmon: Affordable luxury on your plate

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 31, 2013

We may live in an archipelago surrounded by bodies of water that yield varieties of fish but majority of the Filipino foodies still prefer meat as their comfort food. From time to time, cheap and readily available varieties of fish like bangus, tilapia, and galunggong are served on our everyday plates.

Salmon is one of the most versatile foods. You can eat it raw, put some olive oil, or make a sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

But, one kind of fish that is not accessible in our local seas but available in the market today is salmon. It is one of the most popular fishes in the world thanks to its tender meat and rich taste. Yet it remains unfamiliar to the majority of Filipinos for it is often branded as a luxurious fish that is only available in posh restaurants and hotels.

Because of this thinking, we may lose out on the nutrients we can get from salmon. Just like tuna, salmon is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for people with heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. It is also good in preventing cancer, memory loss, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. For pregnant women, Omega-3 helps in preventing premature birth and bearing children with hyperactivity.

Salmon for everybody
But things are definitely changing. Nowadays fresh salmon is relatively cheaper; at least one company is trying to lessen its retail selling price in the market by as much as 20-30 percent to fit in the budget of many.

“While salmon is not an everyday commodity, still many Filipinos think that it is very expensive. We want to change this thinking. We believe that salmon products need not be expensive, hence our mission is to make salmon as affordable as possible while maintaining the best quality taste-wise and health-wise,” Superfish and Domestic Market Business Unit Head Juan Paolo Araneta says.

This being said, the Philippine-based international processor and distributor Big Glory Bay Salmon & Seafood Company Inc. (BGB) wants to change this notion by the introduction of Superfish, its competitively-priced salmon brand. BGB is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Singapore-based Alliance Select Foods International (ASFI), which is a tuna export company publicly listed in the Philippines.

“Our salmon is especially high in Omega 3, having almost twice the levels of other salmon species. It only takes 150g of salmon per week to meet the weekly requirements of Omega 3. It also contains an essential trace element of Selenium, which plays a vital role in protecting against oxidative damage,” Araneta adds.

Each worker wears washed boots, coat, hair net, mask, and gloves to avoid contamination.

Clean and green plantation
Some media men were invited to personally witness the art of producing world class salmon. The facility is strategically located in the heart of the Tuna Capital of the Philippines: General Santos City. While BGB also produces tuna, our main goal was to learn more about their salmon production.

We were asked to wear hair net, mask, coat, and boots, which we personally wash from time to time. The entire area smells fresh and looks spic-and-span. We also had to sanitize our hands more often. The plant uses state-of-the-art equipment however, we were asked not to take photos of the machine. The seafood plantation holds the reputation of being the country’s most modern seafood processing plant that adheres to the highest international standards thus, promising the best quality seafood products.

The salmon are carefully deboned, salted, or smoked by skillfully practiced artisans. The seafood products are sold locally and overseas where there is a high and strict standard of food quality and sanitation like in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and New Zealand. Given the strict standard, the company has gained international recognition for its freshness, taste, and optimal health benefits. The salmon are sustainably sourced from the waters of New Zealand.

All the products are mercury-free, MSG-free, and zero trans fat. Currently, Superfish is available in 46 stores in Metro Manila including Rustan’s Supermarket, Robinson’s Supermarket, Shopwise, and Unimart among others, and in Cebu, Davao, Pampanga, Palawan, and Cagayan de Oro.

 

The fight of lights

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
November 27, 2013

Proper lighting makes or breaks the ambiance and look of a room, hence its importance. As in fashion rules, the warm yellow light mellows down a face and can hide someone’s imperfections; the white light on the other hand highlights one’s features. This golden canon is also applicable to styling homes. Apt lighting can downplay or upgrade the style of a space such as the living room.

This is where the key roles of layering lights come in the picture especially in the living room since it accommodates and plays different facets such as the entertainment, study area, and/or sometimes dining area, it should be properly lit. A well-designed and thought-of living room must include layered lights, meaning light fixtures that accommodate for the general lighting and for the accent lighting.

There are thousand lighting fixtures to choose from but the bigger problem lies on what are the best kind of lights to buy.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of light types according to the Design Recycle (www.designrecycleinc.com):

Incandescent lights are cheap but die quickly because they use 90% of their energy to become light. The fluorescent lights on the other hand are more expensive than incandescent and they light 20-30 times more.  Obviously, the LED lights are the best given the factors in the table although they are the most expensive. On the plus side, LED lights are also environmentally friendly and can last for over 20 years.

General and Accent Lightings

As mentioned, a living room must have two kinds of light fixtures: the general and the accent lights. The general light as its term implies is used for the all-purpose illumination. The accent lighting on the other hand only complements your wallpapers, cabinets, coffee tables, and other living room accessories.

The classy and elegant chandeliers and pendants (the smaller ones) fall under the general lighting category. They are excellent sources of lights for the living room. Aside from that, they are good house accessories.

The chandeliers and pendants come in different designs, colors, and materials. Price starts at P50,000 depending on the materials.  Your favorite stores—SM Department Store, Robinson’s Department Store, Home Depot, Quiapo, Dapitan Arcade, Divisoria, Marks & Spencer, and online shops—offer them.

Lamps, candles, lanterns and scones (light fixtures affixed to the wall), meanwhile are the accent lights. Aside from giving accents, they can be used as aides for reading, surfing the net, or playing games.  The accent lights costs for as low as P5,000. Again, SM Department Store, Robinson’s Department Store, Home Depot, Quiapo, Dapitan Arcade, Divisoria, Marks & Spencer, and online shops offer them.

Here’s a quick tip, the color of a living room plays an important role on illumination. A pastel/light colored room reflects lights thus making it bigger, homier, and happier while a dark room absorbs light hence making it gloomier 

Femme fatale

Feeling tired and looking haggard? Perhaps you are lacking iron

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
November 12, 2013

Dr. Corazon Gamilla, Chair UST OB GYNE Department

Everybody needs a supply of iron in the body to last through the day but women need it most especially. Why? To replenish their monthly blood loss, maintain health during pregnancy, and sustain their everyday roles as super women. Imagine juggling careers, love life, family, and other responsibilities all at once!

Iron is one of the most vital minerals we need because it carries oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Thus, some of our bodily functions will suffer if we lack iron. It is also a major component of enzymes, which help the body digest food.

“In layman’s terms, iron contains oxygen, which we need to live and function accordingly. We cannot do without oxygen,” UST OB-GYNE Department Chairman Dr. Corazon Zaida Gamilla says.

However, despite its indispensable role, we tend to forget, or sometimes forgo eating iron-rich foods like red meat, eggs, liver, nuts, and oatmeal, among others.  Thus, low red blood cell count or anemia results to pallor, lack of concentration, tiredness, easy fatigability,  shortness of breath, unusual headache, and vertigo.

According to the 2008 National Statistics Office data, there is a prevalence of anemia among pregnant women, lactating women, and babies between six months to one year old because of malnutrition.

Treating anemia however is easy and seemingly manageable, Gamilla says. Aside from eating foods fortified with iron, daily exercise and enough sleep work wonders.

“Catnaps are powerhouses because they reinforce sleep but nothing compares to nocturnal sleep,” Gamilla says when asked if siestas and morning slumbers can replace the usual bed time routine.

An average eight hours of sleep restores our blood count/iron to its baseline. Pregnant women need a minimum of 12 mg while women in general need 1500 mcg of iron. Males meanwhile have an iron baseline of 14 mg, Gamilla says.

However, let us admit that maintaining the right amount of iron in our body can be as demanding and daunting as our daily activities. Good thing there are iron supplements we can all resort to. One of the available supplements in the market includes Sangobion. Unlike majority of the iron supplements, Sangobion does not contribute to constipation, thanks to Sorbitol, an anti-constipating agent. Moreover, it has chewy chocolate flavor hence, there’s no metallic smell. Moreover, Sangobion contains vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, and folic acid.

Gamilla says that it is best to drink supplements and medicines with water before eating breakfast for better absorption.

Katrina Halili: better than before

Better than before

Actress Katrina Halili talks about her life as a new mom

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 7, 2013

Katrina Halili with baby Katrence (Photos by Nice Print Photo)

Being a parent definitely changes people. For the young sultry actress Katrina Halili, the transformation goes beyond the physical.She has gone from sexy to wholesome to being a completely different person. Parenthood can do that to you but it does not come easy and no one knows that more than Katrina.

Prior to her pregnancy, Katrina could be seen gracing the covers of men’s magazines and heating up the screen with her sultry looks. She was definitely enjoying her single life and showbiz career then… until Katrence came.

Baby Katrence got her name from Katrina and her partner, singer Kris Lawrence. She came so unexpectedly that for a while Katrina didn’t know what she was going to do. “Having Katie is life-changing. I became more responsible with my actions. And my life has become more meaningful. Of course, as a first–time mom, I wasn’t ready yet and the pregnancy was unexpected. I had to think it over for two days. And then after that, I accepted the situation and I was happy with it,” she explains. “When you’ve learned to accept the baby wholeheartedly and when you can already sacrifice everything and be happy that you are now expecting her (Katrence) then, you will know that you are ready to become a mom.  Siguro motherly instinct na maging ready ka.”

With her one-year old baby girl Katrence, she is now taking on the challenges of being a mom head on. Her past life experiences and actions have definitely taught her a lot, which she is now applying to her new role as a mom.

Mama Katrina

Having a baby when you are still young, barely experienced, and unprepared for motherhood is hard. She had to adjust and sacrifice a lot of things. Her life definitely turned a full 360-degree since giving birth to Baby Katrence. Even her priorities in life changed.

For one thing, she has less me-time now since all her time is devoted to taking care of Katrence, which she jokingly calls “mommy duties.”  “Time for myself definitely lessened because Katie is now my priority.”

Aside from that, she also needs to adjust her schedule as well as change her food choices. “Even though I am really sleepy you have to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of her, especially when she is crying,” Katrina explains. But thanks to to Kris, her mom, and the internet, she believes that she is coping well.

Despite all the sacrifice, she has no regrets. She loves baby Katie so much, describing her as “happy, charming, and lovable.” She remembered being so happy the first time she saw Katrence. “I was amazed and very happy because I waited her arrival for nine months.”

Her best mom moment happens whenever they are together. Like any other mother, she enjoys waking up with her, taking her for a walk, and giving her a bath. These, she treasures the most because sometimes she needs to leave her for work.

Other than these, she has no problem with baby Katie since she is a “happy, charming, and lovable baby.”

How the internet helps

The cyberspace has actually been very helpful for Katrina. As an inexperienced mom, she had to read a lot on parenting. Self-help books and the internet gave her useful information and tips.

Although the internet has guided Katrina through this new journey, nothing beats first-hand experience. Thus, she advises first-time moms like her to just enjoy the pregnancy and being a parent and just learn from it.

“Do not be afraid. Everything is worth it the moment you lay your eyes on your baby and the first time you hold him or her. Also, follow your doctor’s advice and treasure family support,” she adds.

There are more life lessons to learn and Katrina is savoring each moment. Whatever the future holds, one thing’s for sure, motherhood changed her, for the better.

Baby Katrence in various layouts by Nice Print Photo

the architecture of beauty

Bringing body care and spa products into the comfort of your own home

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 3, 2013

The hype about Korean beauty is not likely to wane, but for a change, here’s a Thai brand brought by beauty and wellness expert Paul Harn (left). At right, the packaging of Harn’s products are inspired by his architecture and aesthetic philosophy.

“Oh well, you are not unique,” Thai architect and beauty and wellness expert Paul Harn (Vuthichai Harnpanit) said with a seemingly faint trace of indignation. He was referring to the Filipino penchant for beauty products that promise fairer, smoother, and softer complexion. He said this fondness also applies across Asia.

But the bigger problem lies on what products to use. It is perhaps a common fact that the Korean cosmetics are among the best selling items today. But are they specifically designed to match our own morena skin?

“Among Asians, Thai skin is one of the closest skin types to Filipinos because we also share and experience the same tropical climate and weather,” Harn explained.

This being said, Harn opens up the Harnn concept store in Glorietta 5. Harnn is a leading Asian brand of body care and home spa products that sets a new standard for luxurious lifestyle. Harnn products come in the form of hand creams, skin revitalizing lotions, body polish oil gels, bath and massage oils, and hair conditioners.

“Each formulation is inspired from holistic approach by utilizing the finest natural ingredients to help restore and refresh the body and mind. All the active ingredients are natural,” Harn said.

Many formulations come from the traditional herbal medicines from plant extracts and essential oils such as the following:

Rice bran oil

The rice bran oil acts as a natural skin moisturizer, anti-oxidant in the form of vitamin E, and sunscreen. The Natural Rice Bran Oil Soap Collection is infused with lemongrass, lavender, rosemary, black rice, mangosteen, and red rice among others.

Jasmine

The Jasmine flower, or Sampaguita in the local terminology, offers aromatherapy and can also clean and purify the hair and skin.  Jasmine is also a good defense against heat. Jasmine oils are infused with other active ingredients such as pomegrenate, aloe vera, and wheat and rice oils.

Cymbopogon

The Cymbopogon or Lemongrass has natural antiseptic, antifungal, antimicrobial and anti-inflammation properties, thus good for sensitive and irritated skin. The Cymbopogon collection is synthesized with lavender, a sweet and therapeutic scent that also acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Rose

The Oriental Rose Collection enhances the natural skin tone. Rose extracts are also good for dry hair. The key active ingredients utilize high technology in processing extracts from red seaweed and greed seaweed to stimulate collage and elastin production.

Water Lily

Water lilies contain minerals that boost the skin’s collagen production thus preventing wrinkles and other skin problems like dark spots, freckles, and enlarged pores.

Sandalwood

Sandalwood comes from the same botanical family as the European mistletoe, which is known to brighten skin. The Tropical Wood Collection uses the pure essential oils of Sandalwood and Orange Blossom to create a calming and restful scent. Also, the Nano White Technology reduces dark spots and skin discoloration.

tea spa

Tea for spa, anyone?

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 10, 2013

A hot cup of tea after every meal works as a digestive aid as it also detoxifies our body. Hence, the sudden influx of milk tea shops around the metro was not surprising. But tea for a spa treatment? Now that is something innovative.

And why not.  Did you know that two cups of tea are as effective as seven cups of orange juice? Moreover, a tea plant as an antioxidant is 200 times more potent than vitamin E. Thus, it helps erase the signs of aging by neutralizing the free radicals (from air pollution, smoke, drugs) that damage our skin’s elastin and collagen. This perhaps explains the flawless complexions of Korean and Chinese women.

So, off I go to Sofitel’s Le Spa to experience its newest and exclusive range of treatments that utilize the power of teas called Themae, (or temae in Japanese, a term for tea preparation ceremony), which is dubbed as the best in French cosmetology.

Themae honors the benefits and powers of tea and uses them to concoct relaxing and soothing formulations such as creams, balms, and scrubs for my facial and upper body massage session. The spa experience uses the natural powers of four tea extracts as the main ingredients, which are the regenerating white tea, stimulating black tea, soothing red tea, and anti-oxidant green tea.

“White tea is the most expensive among them because of its sophisticated way of harvest. It must need proper timing and perfect weather conditions,” my personal massager, Elvie explains, while I loll, almost half asleep, thanks to the tea aroma and its therapeutic effects.

Elvie started by cleansing my skin and rubbing it after with minute granules that stimulated my blood flow as well. The process utilized the soothing effects of red tea. Then, in between facial massage was a calming eye cream that used white tea extracts. A detoxifying facemask topped off my facial spa.

Also, my rejuvenating Instant Glow Facial included a massage of neck and décolletage, “so the face color matches the neck”, which is a common boo-boo among women who only focus on face whitening, Elvie said.

What sets my Themae experience apart from the various facials I’ve experienced is its injection of traditional Asian practices like the use of nuat naa (Thai facial massage technique), which is a facial roll with two Tiger-eyes (marbles). The nuat naa does not have tiny needles for pricking acnes but just a stick with two cold marbles on the end, which stimulate pressure points while inducing sleep.

I woke up feeling fresher and cleaner, just the same feeling as drinking a cup of tea after a hearty meal.

Softiel’s Le Spa also offers other signature facials, body scrubs, and massages. For inquiries visit www.sofitelmanila.com.

let's go to the gym, gym

Gym class heroes

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 10, 2013

Shaking an exercise ball 10 times as big as your head with sand in it sounds so fun—but it’s not that easy. It eventually gets so hard to do as each minute passes by. But on the bright side, you can feel your flabby arms and not-so-flat stomach core swaying to your own rhythm. Then, it feels so good afterwards.

An hour or two of body torture should be this fun and engaging. Alas, for the traditional, exercising at home or going to the gym has always been blah, always been the same, always been on routine: a 30-minute treadmill run, 20-minute barbell, and then an hour of push-ups and then the cycle goes on and on until you find yourself fed up.

Fortunately gym routines nowadays are more free style, made easier and more charming but produce the same—or sometimes better—results of having fitter and healthier body within months.

“The free style and unorthodox gym exercise is very engaging and its novelty will not wear off that easily,” says Fitness First Free Style Master Trainer Archel Gabaleo.

He adds that free style exercises let you train your own way, which allows you to hit your target by cutting your workout time but gives you the desired results.

Yes, exercising and hitting the gym is now made easier thanks to these new heroes:

All the Freestyle equipment are available at the Fitness First RCBC Plaza, Makati. For more information, check www.fitnessfirst.com.ph.

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ViPR

The Vitality, Performance, and Reconditioning freestyle workout is said to be the “revolution of free weights”.  The equipment is like a huge bamboo. It is actually a fusion of barbell, dumbbell, Kettlebell, speed ladder, medicine ball, and stability ball.

Target/s: whole body

Benefits: strength, stability, vitality, flexibility

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Battle Rope

The battle rope works by pulling the strings, which weigh 20 kilograms, together until you create waves. It sounds so easy and fun but don’t let it fool you, nobody can last for more than five minutes of nonstop rope pulling.  The trick is to pull the ropes fast and hard while swaying your hips for easier maneuvering.

Target/s: arms, core, hips whole body work out, speed/strength

Benefits: strength, balance, endurance

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Suspension Cables

The suspension exercise lets you defy gravity and lets your arms or legs test your body resistance. The possibilities are endless with these two suspended straps: you can swing, hang, twist, or do combination poses.

Target/s: arms, legs, core

Benefits: endurance, strength, balance, resistance

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Monkey bar

A monkey bar inside the gym? Yes please. Swing and hang yourself and let your inner kid-at-heart enjoy the benefits of ripping your arm and leg muscles.

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Balance Ball

The balance ball utilizes your arm strength and endurance.  Shake the ball as fast as you can while maintaining the balance of the sand inside, which means they should stay on the middle of the ball. Shake it to the front, to the side, or both.

Target/s: core, shoulders, triceps, biceps, chest

Benefits: endurance, balance, muscle stretching, stability

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RIP Training

RIP training banks on the idea of uneven or asymmetrical load we carry every day. So, the training utilizes a lever bar and resistance cord, which you can pull to test your balance and resistance. The RIP training bar integrates rotational movement (like rowing a boat or hitting a baseball), which is an effective method to training your arms and core.

Target/s: arms, core

Benefits: stability, coordination, balance, strength, control

Do more!

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 10, 2013

Photo shows (at left) innovator Rolando Dela Cruz, president and CEO of Darwin International School System in Bulacan and (at right) the artist winner and peace muralist AG Saño.

An artist, an innovator, a challenger, a luminary, a civic hero, a digital vanguard, a social entrepreneur, and a global Pinoy welfare advocate in one room do not mean a clash among philosophies. Rather, together, they inspire Filipinos to do more than they are asked for and then create a ripple of change toward a better self and nation.

The eight achievers were recognized in the recently concluded Do More Awards brought by Rexona and Rappler. The awarding ceremony serves as an apt reminder that there are still do-gooders who are willing to help beyond the call of their duty. They are in the personas of ordinary citizens who do extraordinary deeds. Aside from recognizing them and their inspiring stories, their innate compassion reminds us that there is something to celebrate and there a lot more to do.

The essence of doing more according to our winners:

“Doing more is about not being content with just liking or sharing posts. It’s not just about reading the headlines and the first paragraphs or articles. It’s about learning more and arguing about things that you want to understand more about,” said Red Tani, the founder of Filipino FreeThinkers Organization, a platform for free thought sans the constraints of dogma and tradition. Tani is the winner under the Digital Trailblazer category, which recognizes online users who utilize their clouts for change.

The Rexona and Rappler team together with the winners

Meanwhile, for the Innovator category winner, Rolando dela Cruz, doing beyond what is asked for means, “it is not enough that we are always contented with ‘bahala na’ or ‘pwede na ‘yan’. Every school must be involved with the idea of social re-engineering”. Dela Cruz is the founder and CEO of Darwin International School System in Bulacan. As a staunch education advocate, he wants to inject nonconformist ideas to our education system like including the studies of Humanities as early as Grade 11 and thus produce world-class students. For him, to be innovative is risky. One risks his/her resources, relationships, and even own life all with the goal of a better tomorrow. Dela Cruz is a columnist of the Manila Bulletin, Schools Colleges Universities (SCU) section.

Doing more and contributing change meanwhile runs in the Saño family. Remember the Filipino UN representative who recently made a tearful plea during the Climate Change Summit in Warsaw? That was Yeb Saño, older brother of the Artist category winner AG Saño. The awardee, clad in a bandana, is also an environmentalist. AG paints dolphins to symbolize his advocacy on saving them and rainbows that translate to world peace. Apparently, while working as a marine researcher back in 2010 he found out that thousands of dolphins are slaughtered annually. Thus, with the help of his brush, willpower, and advocacy, he and his supporters paint the town with hope and positivity.

The other winners are:

The Global Pinoy: OFW-welfare advocate, President of the Blas Ople Policy Center, Manila Bulletin Panorama Columnist Susan Ople

The Luminary: UNTV CEO Daniel Razon

The Civic Hero: Gawad Kalinga Executive Director Luis Oquineña

The Challenger: SEA Games medalist and triathlete Mimi Lucas

The Social Entrepreneur: Co-founder and president of Hapinoy, a Sari-Sari store program, Mark Ruiz

All award winners were given a cash prize of PHP 50,000 to be given to their chosen charity.

Senator Bam Aquino, one of the panelists, gave the night’s closing remarks and said that the Do More Awards is “a call to action for those who don’t do more.”

A total of 200 inspiring stories were nominated in the Do More Awards, which only means there are community heroes within us, who are ready to do more. How about you, what are you willing to contribute?

staycation!

A whole new meaning to ‘staycation’

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
October 8, 2013

WACKY YOGA SHOT! Participants of the weekend wellness activity held at the Discovery Suites

“Clasp the hands together on your forehead so you may think of happy thoughts, on your lips so you may speak of kind words, on your chest so you may grow love… Namaste.” Words to this effect are as refreshing and rejuvenating as an early weekend yoga class with professional instructor Bee Marfil.

According to yoga gurus, hands pushed together means the union of the brain hemispheres, which promotes positive thinking thus, happy and healthy wellbeing.

It was before sunrise, while the city was still in slumber, when we found our bodies slowly yet surely following Bee’s instructions and poses (arms stretched, legs apart, downward facing dog, forward bend, and meditation poses). It was also a Saturday morning, just what one needed to shake away the stress from yesterday’s hard work. The twisting, lifting, turning, curling of the bodies were a labor for a first-timer but turned out therapeutic after some time. Yoga promoted relaxation of the mind, body, and soul.

The one-hour yoga session was at the highest floor (42nd) of the Discovery Suites Hotel in Ortigas Center, a perfect setting for a weekend ‘staycation’ with friends and families.

Bee Marfil makes a Vinyasa pose seemingly easy.

This basic Vinyasa yoga utilizes proper posture and breathing exercise. The Sanskrit word literally means to place (nyasa) in a special way (vi) or a breath-synchronized movement. Bee said it can relax the yin and yang energies. Moreover, it aides in re-energizing and detoxifying the body, as well as in muscle toning.

Then, a Yin yoga session at the Balance Gym with Flow Surf Yoga Samba co-founder Monica Eleazar-Manzano came next. Yin yoga is a slow-paced exercise, each position lasts for five minutes or less. The poses—happy baby, butterfly, and toe squat—for instance, encouraged deep stretching of the connective tissues in the spinal area, hips, and thighs.

Both yoga classes uphold the relaxation of the tired bodies, weary souls, and confused minds.

HEALTHY GOURMET. The hotel houses Restaurant 5 and 22 Prime.

Healthy food and therapeutic massage

In between the yoga sessions were healthy gourmet food fair, therapeutic massage and retail therapy. Discovery Suites houses Restaurant 5 and 22 Prime, which offer fine dining with nutritious food selections.

After a fulfilling meal, a therapeutic spa session comes next. After all, a ‘staycation’, or vacation for that matter isn’t complete without a visit to spa centers. Though a series of yoga classes can be therapeutic on their own, a trip to Discovery Suites’ exclusive Terra Wellness Spa is as calming.

Its spa treatments include the Terra’s Touch Signature Massage, which combines slow and graceful strokes applied to pressure points to relieve muscle tensions and aid proper blood circulation. For sports lovers, the Deep Tissue massage is a winning combination of sports massage and healing techniques to warm or repair the muscles from lactic acid build up. The traditional Hilot Massage meanwhile renews the ancient Filipino art of healing though kneading with the use of banana leaves.

Before the one-hour spa treatment, each customer is asked to choose between a lavender or orange-vanilla oil to soften callous and rough skin. The professional therapists are all licensed and trained.

Happy tummy and relaxed mind and body, these and more define a perfect staycation.

For further inquiries or reservations, call (02) 7198888 or visit www.discoveryhotels-resorts.com.

make a healthy switch now!

Make a healthy switch today

by Nickky Faustine De Guzman
December 17, 2013

Glasswares provide a safer alternative to plastic containers in terms of being used as food storage

The country is slowly becoming plastic-free. Many Metro Manila districts and provinces are implementing the ban against plastic bags, all for the noble reason of saving our planet earth.

Plastics are synthetic materials made from a wide range of organic polymers. Owing to their long-lasting quality, they are utilized in almost everything—shampoo bottles, credit cards, cellular phone and computer parts, remote controls—that we use. However, the problem lies on how we take care of them.

According to research, some plastic materials, especially the everyday plastic kitchen utensils and ware, can pose dangers to one’s health because they release toxic materials as they wear and tear through time.

According to the dailymail.co.uk article, “Poisoned by Plastic: Chemicals in water bottles and food packaging have been linked to infertility and birth defects,” written by Steve Bogan,  research has shown that compounds such as the Bisphenol A (BPA), “can leach from plastics into the food and drinks that we consume—more so if they are heated to high temperatures, raising additional concerns about the kinds of plastics that are used in containers in microwave ovens.”

Furthermore, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2004 found traces of BPA in 93 percent of urine samples taken from 2,517 people. BPA’s have been found to be the sources for reproductive health illnesses, brain defects, and prostate gland problems, among others.

Also, there were news reports saying that plastics especially made in China had been allegedly found with high lead content. Studies say that lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain and nervous system, anemia, liver damage, and hearing loss among children. Meanwhile, it can also render poor muscle coordination, increased blood pressure, and reproductive health problems among adults.

Chef Katherine Jao demonstrates a healthy approach to cooking by using glasswares in food preparation. (Photo by Jim Guiao Punzalan)

HEALTHY SWITCH

Given these facts, today is perhaps the perfect time to switch from plastic to glass especially in food and beverage preparation and storage.

“While everybody knows the importance of proper nutrition and exercise, healthy lifestyle starts from our house, on what kitchen wares we use to prepare fortified and delicious meals,” Culinary Consultant and Food Stylist Chef Katherine Jao says.

With this, Jao sampled some healthy feasts (Spicy Chicken and Clam Noodle Soup and Fresh Mushroom and Sausage Stew) using world-renowned glass products from Corelle, Corningware, Pyrex, and Visions during their recently concluded “Healthy Switch” campaign held in SM North Edsa.

“The health of family is our topmost concern. Healthy eating does not start and stop with healthy food but with healthy preparation,” Director for Corporate Marketing of Raffles and Co. Inc Lorie Acop says. Raffles is the distributor of brands above mentioned.

PLUSES OF GLASS

Chef Jao says cooking using glasswares comes handy. Given their transparency, one can see right through a pot or pan if a meal is about to cook even without constantly opening the cover and peeping inside it.

“Also, food styling is an important component in eating because we initially eat with our eyes, the other senses come secondary,” she says.

Good thing, the glass products from Raffles vie for sophistication in food preparation and storage. Each product comes in different patterns, designs, and colors. The product lines are also long lasting, microwave-friendly, hygienic, non-staining, and safe. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves Corelle dinnerware hence, each kitchen and dining piece meets the highest global safety standards for food contact.

Also, each glass item is not a heat conductor and non-porous, which means it does not absorb odors and after-tastes from the previously prepared meals.

The downside of glass products though is their vulnerability to break hence they must be handled with constant care.