Alfred Vargas Shares Struggles and Fitness Journey

It must have been so hard for Alfred Vargas to have gained weight over time especially with, causing him to have lower self esteem and depression. As an actor, he was always seen being that guy who had over and beyond machismo, huge muscles when he was still making movies back in the day. He admitted this on one of the videos on his YouTube channel. The councilor for the 5th District of Quezon City admits "It was something that I didn't know I would go through, but in one morning, when I looked in the mirror... I just said I didn't know who I was when I got to 251 lbs. It was a wake up call, people started to call me Tito when they approached me. I didn't know it was getting worse, so I decided to change and do it not for vanity or projects, but for my kids, my family, so I could live longer for them."

He adds "I've lost a lot of weight, from 251, I am now 201 lbs. It's been 3 years, I've documented my struggles as well on my YouTube channel. I decided to share a few things that made me lose weight, plus a few things like parkour with the help of Ms. Kate Robles. She's a single mom that had the same problem as me. With our coach Raven Cruz, we've started to share how we were able to do it."

The series is called "Vargas Tries, pwede? pwede!". He also gets Cong. PM Vargas in some episodes. What's good is that fans and subscribers can ask them questions or request, even do odd jobs just to try it out. He's also going share what he learns about it. A new episode will be uploaded every 2 weeks, and pretty soon it'll become a weekly thing.

So make sure you head on to Alfred Vargas' YouTube channel here (youtube.com/@VargasTries), start subscribing, like and share!

Filipino Wins Fitness Professional Trainer Of Asia Award

Working out is already hard, but making a career out of it, takes so much passion. That's what Marlon Herrera has been doing in the past few years. Ajudged in Bangkok, Thailand, he won Fitness Professional Trainer Of Asia. This was no small feat as they had to choose out of 20 professional personal traners from around the world, and this happened after 3 years of pandemic restrictions in the region.

Marlon says "This is such and honor to represent the country in this international stint. It's in the fitness field, and they dedicated this event to the clients and trainees we've had who have always wanted a healhier lifestyle." This was witnessed by over 500 delegates in the annual event hosted by Canadian Helen Vanderburg and Lawrence Biscontini from the US. This is officially the first time that a Filipino won the award in the competition's history.

Marlon Herrera has a Nutrition Science degree from Stanford and has been doing this profession for 27 years. He was also a power lifter, and now dedicates his time as a strength and conditioning coach for the Philippine Women's Basketball Team, geriatric therapy and children. If you want to know more about him, message him via @itsmarlone on IG, or call +639178566758 else, email him via lonherrera72@gmail.com if you wish to avail his services.

Congratulations Mr. Herrera!

Century Tuna Superbods 2022 Finals Night

It's been a while since we've last seen Century Tuna hold this event because of the pandemic, and this year, they're back with a bang with the Century Tuna Superbods 2022. Hundreds of Filipino health buffs, body positivity enthusiasts have lined up and auditioned for this and it.... was definitely a show.

Aside from the executives, the event was graced by Bea Alonzo and our boy Alden Richards. Judges had Anne Curtis and former Darna Nanette Medven-Po, it was a sight to behold before the event started. Needless to say, they all brought their A game and talked about their causes on video. They donned athleisure wear and walked the stage.

Here's a video compilation I did of what happened that evening!

Congratulations to the 32 finalists, it was a really hard battle to do since they're all in their best form. In the end, winners Kurt Bondad and Christelle Abello topped the competition. Runner ups were Michelle Arceo and Gee Plamenco Jr.. Mind you the prizes were huge, 500K and 200K respectively, plus, it's tax free!

I had fun this evening, congratulations to the finalists, you all did good!

Start the Year Healthy with the Quaker Strong Bootcamp

The new year comes so fresh, a time to start over and put your diet and fitness goals on track. Thing is, Quaker Oats is going to be there to help you achieve them. To start off things, they're holding the Quaker Strong Bootcamp Challenge st on January 31st to February 6, 2022.

These are various classes and sessions from local fitness studios to jumpstart physical activities and each day, they'll be holding free classes via Zoom sessions. There's Ride the Beat with Rid Revolution on the 31st, February 5 and 6. You can also participate in TMS on February 2. There's some sessions from Saddle Row on February 3 plus a Flyweight Boxing session on February 4th.

 

 

All you need to do is register via https://bit.ly/QuakerStrongBootcamp before February 5 and early birds will get to receive their own Quaker Strong pack that includes healthy snacks which you can consume prior or after your workout sessions. Aside from that, first 100 to complete the Quaker Strong Bootcamp Bingo Challenge will get the chance to get Quaker merch, pretty good stuff!

 

 

Quaker has been my buddy for years and it's got 7x more fiber, 1.7 times more protein which helps in digestion and muscle growth. It also has Beta Glucan which would promote a healthy heart. Follow QuakerOatsPhilippines on FB and they've got lots of information about this on their social channels.

There’s a Garmin for Everyone at Shopee

Athletes and health freaks often think of one brand when it comes to fitness watches and that is Garmin. I’ve heard about this from office mates who run, bike and do triathlons, I asked myself back then if the price was worth it because it does have a premium look and feel when I got to try it out in Singpore a few years back. Top of the line watches always have certain attributes that certainly make it a cut above the rest. Garmin has definitely done a good job providing accurate information on GPS, heart rate, to check your pace, distance and how many intervals you’ve done. It’s also a smart watch which connects to your phone, checks messages, plays music so you don’t have to take out bulky stuff when you workout.

It also supports activities particularly running, cycling, indoor track, treadmill, elliptical, cardio, yoga, which you can all do at the comforts of your home. Or in conditions you can go back to the gym or workout places. It tracks your progress, all and beyond things you ask for a smart phone, fitness band plus a whole community (via Garmin Connect). It also stays ON for 7 days as a smartwatch.

Looking at Shopee the other day, I felt Dads and boyfriends would figure this would be the perfect opportunity to purchase them as they’ve got several Garmin models in different price points. Now it’s more affordable, delivery is a breeze because yes, it’s all on the official store on the Shopee App. And really, there’s no excuse not to workout. There’s even these nice sports watches that fit your budget.Go download Shopee app from the App Store or Google Play. 

Garmin Official Store https://shopee.ph/garminofficial?smtt=0.0.9


Garmin vivofit 4 https://shopee.ph/product/92737936/1578164134?smtt=0.0.9


Garmin Forerunner 45 (Red) https://shopee.ph/product/92737936/2457922386?smtt=0.0.9


Garmin Forerunner 45 (Black) https://shopee.ph/product/92737936/2457897569?smtt=0.0.9

It’s a good thing!

FitLine Showcases Products in Beauty and Trade Show

Direct selling European giant PM International just showcased their FitLine products to the public via a trade show in Elements Centris Quezon City. 

They dubbed this as Rethro Fitness and it was fun seeing them utilize, take in FitLine Health, Wellness and Beauty Products so they can last all the activities they planned throughout the day. They were also joined by other merchants so there were things to shop for like shoes, bags, hair products from Herbatint, Omitosh Cassava Chips, Diabetamil diabetes nutrition, Skin Enhance products, Pru Life UK and their home grown native wares and accessories.

I guess they started off with something healthy, then they proceeded to a skin care health seminar and even a beauty session by a local make up artist. 

The FitLine products they showed us were called PowerCocktail and Restorate. The first of which, had few calories and sugar. It's a food supplement that's got B Vitamins, provitamin A, fiber, caffeine and trace element Selenium. Honestly it tastes like orange soda but it is flavored with Orange and Black Currant. It enhances your immunity so take once a day. 

The Restorate has calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, metal elements and Vitamin D. It promotes cellular regeneration and makes your bone strong, pretty good for athletes or active people. It's like a citrus drink, easy to take in. The Activize Oxyplus on the other hand has Vitamin C, B2, gives you more power and promotes concentration. It would make you look less tired from work and over fatigue. These are all imported from Germany and is being used by professional athletes to boost their performance the natural way.

Madame Conelen Cariño also shared her beauty regimen and recommended a couple of her ALC Vitamin C Serum (for anti aging), Vitamin A Night Cream, Pink Rose Hydrosol Toner and her Cell Roman Bio Luminant Peptide Mask. Thank you for the samples! :) I will try them today!

Meanwhile at the venue, they had a talk with Sophia Baino, Veronica Gualberto, Ivan De Guzman, Joyce Sola and Alyanna Kagandahan. They talked more about how to have a healthy lifestyle, how to invest in ourselves and keep it strong by being physically active, put more time and effort in our bodies so we can work, and survive.

Kapuso actresses Thia Thomalia and Kim Dominguez also graced the event and shared some of their lifestyle habits. They obviously work out, do yoga, and told us the value of sleep. They spend hours for work, even sleep on the set, they couldn't even make time for that but they do what they can in a day. They needed help so we asked the owner himself about it.

Owner David Lim explains FitLine products on stage

David shares "It's the whole day support that it gives that makes FitLine the perfect accompaniment so you have that energy you need for work. It's from Germany so there is high standards of quality, we also have third party accreditation, it's also very safe. The recent drivers in Thailand also took this and was glad they did. It is also affordable, it helped me personally to get sleep. 6 out of 10 pinoys experience that and the good benefits need to be shared. I think it will benefit a lot of people especially those who work very hard, experience the products for yourselves." 

Kim and Thia says "We like the Power Cocktail because it gives you a boost of energy which we can drink in the morning. If you don't have enough sleep, you have to take vitamins and water because you wouldn't be able to function or work properly. It is very important otherwise we would feel sick and tired easily. Please support us in The Gift, and all the show's of GMA".

If you want to know more about FitLine, contact a PM International dealer or call 09394463376.

KUMAGCOW 

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Anytime Fitness Now 100 Branches Strong

Living a healthy lifestyle hasn’t been always a priority for Filipinos. With the way things are, the incidence of lifestyle induced illness is at an all time high because of our diet, lack of exercise, things we all know already but refuse to do it. Anytime Fitness provided a really good way for Filipinos to actually have no excuse, with operations open 24 hours a day, we all have been eager to work out and make it a part of our lifestyle. The gym brand is ramping up their expansion this 2019 with branches sprouting in huge mall and commercial spaces and even catering to more residential communities. Now with their affordable monthly dues, there’s no stopping them anymore as they put up their 100th official branch in Capitol Commons in Pasig City. And probably, a long withstanding change in the theme of the existing ones too.

Maurice Levine, CEO of Anytime Fitness Asia says “I am very confident that the Philippine market is ready for Anytime Fitness. It has shown with the number of clubs we have in the country, a testament to the new and invigorated dedication of Filipino people to health and fitness. Yes, they create the need - and we are here to heed the call.”

To put it into words, they’re saying “You’re Welcome!” in every facility to answer the decade-long stigma of gym intimidation, no one should ever be discouraged to work out.

Jap Angeles, Anytime Fitness Asia Regional Marketing Manager says “We are nspired by the brand values that we want to share with our community. It reflects the future we aspire to have; to be the safe place where everyone can be themselves without any judgments, intimidation, or discrimination”.

To know more about the Anytime Fitness, visit anytimefitness.ph and follow the Anytime Fitness Philippines page on Facebook.

Bike Run and Play as SunPIOLOgy Turns 10

I haven’t been the healthiest guy there is. I get stressed every day, I eat a lot than usual, and just learned (a couple days ago) all my fears for the past few years of having headaches was caused by too much sugar, heightened cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and my doctor told me I could be a candidate for pancreatitis or heart attack. It was scary stuff, now imagine how much Filipinos have the same condition that I have and that even if they are insured. This is why Sun Life Philippines thought it was a good idea to not only get people covered, but become their partners to a healthy lifestyle, that’s a good thing.

Have you heard of SunPIOLOgy? Sun Life Philippines has been doing these runs and activities for 10 years. With this, they are launchig SunPIOLOgy TR1O which means they will be holding a trio of events namely SUN CYCLE PH, SUN LIFE RESOLUTION RUN and SUN vs STARS with Star Magic which will all happen in November 17 (BIKE) and January 26, 2019 (RUN and PLAY).

Kisses was there also!

Ms. Mylene Lopa of Sunlife Financial Philippines says “We are celebrating something big but now our purpose is to Help Filipinos Get Lifetime Financial Security and Live Healthier Lives. To get started, we established GoWell.com.ph where community members get exclusive invites, perks, discounts and rewards to motivate people to live better. We have products designed to achieve that and got involved in dozens of events and launched Health and Wellness Ambassador Enchong Dee. We will also be hosting the 5150 Event in Cebu, so watch out for that! So far our mother company knows and sees what we are trying to do, so far we have all activities approved. Some other countries even adapted it. We are one of the diabetes hotspots in the world and people sometimes don’t know it could be managed by a healthy lifestyle, it was one are where people can be cured by living a healthy life.”

This means they’ll have more funds for scholars, embrace the different advocacies they support and fund them in ways they can. So for those who want to join the SunPIOLOgy TR1O. Sun Life Cycle will take riders to 4 cities namely Taguig, Manila, Makati and Pasay. Routes will be for beginner and expert bikers. Ambassadors like Matteo Guidcelli and Piolo Pascuall will also be in the race.

The SUN LIFE RESOLUTION RUN on the other hand will be a semi regional spectacle which will happen in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Vietnam. They will help Hebreo Foundation, Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation, Nordhoff Foundation and then Star Magic Scholars.

Piolo says “We have already gotten more scholars over the years, some of them are already successful and were able to graduate. We want to do more this year and thanks to Sun Life Financial and Star Magic’s partnership, it is possible. The new PLAY part will be something new where there will be other sports included like Basketball, Volleyball and Badminton. This is our way to encourage people to live healthier lives. Some kids also have not been able to study, so through the scholarship and foundation, we have generous supporters to add more kids, more students where even our graduates also support the cause.”

He adds “I’m not a saint but I know how to manage my lifestyle. I don’t get sick, the pressure is there but since I get to eat well, live well, I don’t get sick anymore and that’s a great thing. With the Star Magic community joining our efforts, it goes beyond just being the ambassador of the brand. My friends, my family, even my son is now part of the Sun Life family. It’s a blessing.”

If you want to register for this event, visit their site sunpiology.com because it’s gonna make you sweat, move, groove and be healthy. Race kit includes the bag, bib with timing chip, Sun life insurance card, Sun Life Sports Bottle (because they don’t want people to throw around trash or paper cups).

Runners should come early so they can find parking and be early at the starting line. Fans have something to look forward to and hopefully, not just take their members off the couch and in their running gears, but get kids who can’t afford to study the opportunity to do so and change their lives.

John Bueno for 

KUMAGCOW.COM

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Give Dad The Gift of Health with Nestlé

Still trying to find the perfect gift for Dad? Well I just received a bag of goodies from Nestlé Health Science group and it's got all these lovely products in it.

Dad would love a dose of Calcium from the Bear Brand Adult Plus, to give him strength in his bones even as he gets older. Age is not an excuse not to drink milk you know!

For me, I don't really have breakfast (yes I know it's unhealthy) but if I do I need to have Milo everyday so I'd still get energy. I'd also like to have a bowl of Fitnesse as breakfast cereals have really high fiber content. I'd have Milo with that too because I'm not that fond with milk.

If it's noontime, I just don't want to be sitting in front of the tv without a drink because even if it's officially the end of summer, it's still so darn hot outside. My Nestea keeps me hydrated, a welcome treat when I'm so thirsty!

At night, I'd have my cup of Nescafe Classic paired with Nestlé Coffee Mate. One teaspoon, hot water and about two teaspoons of creamer is my formula for a good cup. No sugar, I don't need a lot of that in my life. The smooth creamy and slightly bitter brew just hits the spot.

Now if you forgot to give Dad a gift, go to the groceries tomorrow and grabe these treats for him. At least he'll know you are thinking about him on this special day! Thanks Nestlé Health Science group! :)

For more information about their artists:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

Unilab Foundation Helping One Click at a Time

Have you seen www.unilabfoundation.org? If not, this might be the opportune time to do it. Their mission, is to build a healthier Philippines and they believe that every Filipino has the right to complete holistic health. They basically build programs to effectively address health gaps and use replicable techniques so it can be done by others, making it possible for them pay it forward and enlarge their scope and affect a greater number of people and make a BIG difference one person, one community at a time. They have created a system of partnerships, by tying up with other organizations, subject matter experts that would benefit and teach others in achieving their goal of a healthier Philippines.

Their Programs:

Play It Forward - It's comprised of three segments: Post Disaster, On The Move and Hospitals. It addresses specific health issues in different child development stages, different cases like trauma, stress and rehabilitation of the psyche. The first is building facilities like play areas and make a corresponding curriculum that get children from disaster or war stricken places some needed psychological support. The second deals more on volunteer work on dealing with the kids and victims directly. The program also trains facilitators so that they'd be able to do it to more people. The third one concentrates on clinical spaces and making it fit to cater to pediatric patients, making it kid friendly and better for them to recover. They even have this already running on 4 places in Metro Manila which has clearly benefited a lot of people already.

Leadership Journey - Doctors, health workers who want to have self-confidence and leadership training can undergo this developmental program specifically designed for them. It's the Unilab Foundation Leadership journey made in partnership with Except One Pte, Ltd from Singapore. Definitely top notch.

Project Inclusion - One of the nicest things I've seen that evening is this particular program. Project Inclusion speaks about having differently abled people to find sustainable employment and integration to the mainstream society. There's a law in particular that gives them protection but still, it's a long way before this actually gets enacted as some companies still do not hire PWD's. They also have published a book entitled "From Exceptionality to Exception: Inclusion of Differently Abled Persons in the Workplace" together with De La Salle Publishing House. Getting information and educated in this realm would be beneficial for corporations who would want to know the right means in employing PWD's.

Ideas Positive - Aimed to address and transform communities with the help of the Filipino youth sector. Recruitment for this project is on going, join and get more information about Ideas Positive Run 5 by visiting www.ideaspositive.org.

Bayanihan Sagad (Collaborating to the fullest) - This is one of the social programs implemented by Unilab Foundation for the more elderly citizens of the country. It basically aims to build a healthier Philippines too for Senior Citizens and make their quality of life better, and empower to be better citizens of the country. No matter what age, they would still be productive and be part of building the community.

Director Rhodora Fresnedi, the Director of UNILAB Foundation Inc. says "Digital Media might be an entirely different world but it is powerful but it bleeds transparency. Unilab Foundation wants to be there and perform "Bayanihan" with experts becaue we can't reach all of them. Our goal is to have 100 Million healthy Filipinos and we need magnifiers and amplifiers like you to help us relay the message one person at a time, and that includes you. Each time you write, it can make someone think, and I hope this would be a start of a conversation."

Roanne Duran, UNILAB Foundation's Communications Officer says "The portal is a digital hub of different volunteer projects and activities. Every share, tweet and blog will be an act of volunteerism. We'll make it easy and fun by making a full web based online game on the portal. Just make a Voluntar or a Volunteer Avatar. Each activity will win you items, each time you use it, you win points. Don't worry about not having so much time because we've got lots of future activities to come. Sharing, Tweeting and  Accumulating points will rank you up until you become the alter-reality world version of the President of the Healthier Philippines."

Health Is Happening with Unilab Foundation!

We had the privilege of actually seeing the first salvo of this nice little campaign to make small changes you can commit to be a reality. While playing and registering on the site, you can volunteer on the project called #healthishappening by following the rules listed there. It's just 21 days of committing to a small goal, it'll be easy and you'll see hundreds of people doing the same thing. It's healthy, just stick with it for 21  days and you'll be free, who  knows, you might win an iPhone in the process too.

I learned a lot from the site and the programs they're running. I love the people behind it too. Now, would you want to join me in my 21 day journey? :)

For more information about their cause:

Unilab Foundation

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.unilabfoundation.org/

Fat Or Obese Is Okay, Exercise Is Medicine

Dr. Mark Stoutenberg and Dr. Rodolfo Florentino

 

I'm not the healthiest guy out there and my idea of "exercise" is just a few kilograms of dumbbells. I thought too that I was already doomed because I know how big I was. Lo and behold Dr. Mark Stoutenberg Ph.D. MSPH brings me good news that clinical studies in the US has proven that there is no clear amount information to claim - that being overweight or obese would mean you''ll die early. Being in that state has no relation whatsoever in the mortality rate. We listened very carefully about the study and the reasons behind it.

 Unbelievable? Well no, because actually it does make sense. It doesn't mean when you are bigger, you would die easily. No matter what shape or size you are, just as long as you keep the activity intense and on a regular basis... then you might just even live longer than naturally thin people. In the US, they have computerized their database and have found out in a couple of questions that there's no clear correlation between having higher weight to having heart attack or death. That was their conclusion after checking their records and seen how the value of involving a healthier lifestyle for someone be a great catalyst to make someone's condition better than when not doing it at all.

"Exercise Is Medicine" or EIM is an international initiative for physical activities whose goal is to ultimately promote the the skill to health professionals and practitioners and make it a vital measure for disease prevention and management. EIM might be new in the Philippines but most do not know how it's been in existence in over 40 countries, 7 Regional Centers in North America, Latin America, Europe, Southeast Asia, China, Africa and Australia. It's officially their first year in the Philippines and together with their international partners like Coca Cola Philippines, they have been working hard to involve the different groups, professionals that are health care practitioners, some research scientists, to physical fitness experts and make them in touch with the future development and evaluation of EIM in the country.  

Training sessions were also done by EIM Philippines last August 28th and 29 for 12 Doctors and 6 Fitness professionals. The activity would be just a start so people from both industries would meet eye to eye when recommending regimens and exercise programs and know what the others would do in their respective professions. The deal is, they want this to be the possible outcome for every recommendation from Doctors. They also need to include workout regimen and programs that would fit every patient needs without getting conflicting ideas from other fitness professionals, making it safer and better for the end user, YOU.

The possibility of working out at least 150 minutes with moderate intensity and of aerobic nature is achievable for ordinary people, I could use some of that too. Dr. Florentino says it will have a significant impact in someones life. By then, 300 minutes of it would be doubly better and will get you to achieve more. To know more about how EIM can work for you, check out their channels below.

For more information about their organization:

Exercise Is Medicine

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.exerciseismedicine.org/