Healthy Morning Routines and Habits

It must have been a little too hard for people to absorb the term work-life balance. Whoever coined it must have been buried in work still to take credit for it, but I fully understand because we all have such a fast paced lifestyle. This makes you think a lot about how you could start your day right.

Yes, a good routine would certainly be beneficial for folks like us. Starting at breakfast, we need to make sure we have the right amount of food that can increase our energy levels so when it's already time for work, we have the power to induce productivity when we need to. A short prayer, meditation, would clear your mind off things before ticking off tasks in the office.

Waking up with a meal like yogurt and oatmeal would be sufficient, something fruity and light so you don't feel sluggish in the first hour, to last throughout the day. Like Dr. Angelica Carsula who does this most of the time, she feels it's best to have a low fat yogurt, and team it up with something that is good for digestion (oh oatmeal does that!).

Aside from the usual fare, you could add activities to help you get into the mood. There are tons of exercises that Eloiza Regaliza suggests you do, particularly running and riding a bike. It gives her focus to do a lot, but never forces friends to over exert themselves, just encourage them. She even adds eggs, veggies and bread with the yogurt too.

Popular host Show Suzuki can be seen extra energetic every time we see him in events. He does the same routine to make sure he has the energy to also make the audience feel his vibe, as it is one of his priorities. He gets one of these Nestle Yogurt cups to push him at the start of the day. This is with the help of over 1.25 billion live healthy bacteria that not only gives the energy, but also strengthens his bones and boosts his immunity. He makes sure it is part of his breakfast, because he cares much about his gut health. If you want to see the possibilities, go follow Nestle Yogurt FB and IG accounts, their website, or simply but a cup off fridges in leading supermarkets and stores nationwide! 

As they say, #YoGurtThis!

TCL Philippines Works with TESDA to Encourage Healthy Food Consumption

Promising to see how global electronics brand TCL Philippines has been working with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in various efforts in food preparation and skills training at their TESTA Technology Institution centers in the National Capital Region. Recently, they donated units of the state of the art TCL AAT Inverter+ Refrigerators. They also added some training supplies for the center's trainees which will surely benefit more people in the long run.

Eric Li, TCL's Product Manager for Washign Machine and Refrigerators says "Our collaboration with TESDA hopefully inspires everyone. We are looking forward to work with more entities in the near future." They also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TESDA officials at the TCL Philippines Headquarters witnessed by stakeholders. TESDA actually trains individuals in food processing to equip them with skills to perhaps bring source of income for their families. July is also Nutrition Month, so it surely is perfect timing!

TCL produces home tech products and puts them at a reasonable price, and make sure it's environmentally friendly and easy to use.

TESDA is currently doing a lot of community based training, they promise to put it to good use and benefit a lot of individuals who go through their courses. TESDA was also represented by their Manila District Director Niña Connie G. Dodd. This is just the start of TCL's movement, and they hope to work with even more organizations in the years to come.

For more information about their CSR efforts, make sure to follow their social channels by searching for TCL Philippines on various platforms.

Healthy Recipes for Summer from Woolworths

It looks like it's a good day for recipes since it's been extra hot in the Philippines. There's always good stuff around, like fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, lots of things you can whip up for a meal, afternoon snack or a drink to cool you down. Here's some of them you can follow so you can prepare some for your loved ones, quite easy too.

Fiber is a really good place to start. For breakfast, there's this Muesli Breakfast Bowl which you can prepare for your kids or husbands/wife. This also is good for the heart much like other fiber rich foods, so enjoy!

Muesli Breakfast Bowl

Combine half a cup of Woolworths Toasted Honey and Cinnamon Muesli in a bowl, the juice of one calamansi juice, half a cavendish banana, and chopped dried mangoes. You can also add a small container of low fat yogurt, a quarter cup Woolworths Free Form Lactose Full Cream Milk, Coco Sugar or Honey, a dash of ground cinnamon, cashew nuts on top and eat it all!


Summer Macaroni Salad

The usual Macaroni Salad in the country isn't really that healthy, but here's an alternative recipe that would make you probably a few pounds lighter after a holiday. In a mixing bowl, a cup of Woolworths Macaroni, a quarter cup red onion, a small minced carrot, a stalk of celery minced, a cup of Woolworths Tropical Fruit Juice (which you should drain), half a cup of cooked ham, a cup of Woolworths Mayonnaise Shredded Chicken Breast (lesser calories than usual Mayo), a teaspoon of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, plus a teaspoon of coco sugar. Put it in the fridge and serve during snack, before lunch or dinner.

Tomato and White Cheese Penne Pasta

A really good mix of the usual flare and local "Quesong Puti" is just something so good to pass on.

Get 400 grams Woolworths Penne, 2 table spoons cooking oil, 5 table spoons Olive Oil, a medium bulb onion chopped, 400 grams Woolworths Diced Tomatoes, 2 table spoons Tomato Paste, one Thai Bird Chili (siling labuyo), salt, half a cup Quesong Puti cut to small cubes. Cook pasta to package directions, mix everything together and simmer in pan, top with Quesong Puti and lower the heat til it melts. Add veggies if you prefer, much better if you've got basil too.

Couscous Salad

Couscous has low glycemic index so no worries for diabetics like me. Get half a cup of it and cook to package directions, mix half a cup of red and green bell pepper, yellow if you have that too. Add two table spoons green onion, a handfull of chopped parsley, lemon juice to taste, a third of a cup of olive oil, salt and chopped oven toasted almonds on top. Enjoy!


Drink: Peach Papaya Power Smoothie

Something cold to have on a summer month would be good no? This smoothie would be a nice play to start to get needed vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables.

Get 1 Papaya Sliced, half a cup Woolworths Peaches in Juice, half a cup Woolworths Unsweetened Almond Milk, one and a half cup crushed ice, a teaspoon chia seeds. Blend all ingredients together and just sprinkle the chia seeds on top. This can get you protein, fiber, antioxidants you need throughout the day.

There's a lot of ingredients over a Woolworths you can get at Shopwise, Marketplace by Rustans, Robinsons Superstores or shop online via the Go Robinsons app or their website. I personally consume the couscous and several Filipino products they also offer in the Woolworths section in these stores, there's a lot more where these healthy products came from!

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.

Kenny Rogers Roasters Launch Delivery Site

People, I know you're still stuck at home and can't go out because of the pandemic. Now don't fret because we can still have the treats we love when we used to have on regular days because I've got news for you. Our friends from Kenny Rogers Roasters know you love their fluffy corny muffins, butter filled corn and carrots, and those lovely roasted chicken they're known for. So in this time and age that you can't go out and order on their restaurants, they've been working hard to make it easier for you to order food from the lovely restaurant.

They just launched KennyRogersDelivery.com.ph, their official website created so that you won't have to go anywhere just to have good food. They recently had a very successful run of their BUY 1 TAKE 1 HALF DOZEN PROMO for orders made on May 17-23, but don't fret because they'll have more of these promotions soon so make sure to also official Facebook page and Instagram account because they do announce it there.

The website is also responsive so if you are visiting it with any other device like phones and tablets, you can navigate it easy and for gawd's sake, go get your favorites because it's easier now! Don't take my word for it, try it.

Loved the Vitasoy Plus Milky

I've been addicted to Soy Milk which I often get from stores or the regular Taho man who frequent my neighborhood as he carries around several bottles together with the soy curds. Vita Soy has been very familiar to me especially the bottled ones which are available in supermarkets, those fridges just look so nice with them so I had to make sure I take them home for snacks and stuff. I don't usually think about the health benefits, but apparently there is. It's a good source of potassium and several vitamins and minerals. It's also as nutritious as cow's milk but it has lesser calories, so it's somehow a more nutritious version of it.

I tried the Vitasoy Plus Milky which is a new a product of Vitasoy-Universal Robina Corporation (VURC). It has a much cleaner, creamier consistency and flavor which I liken to milk as it is more neutral. I mixed it up with coffee and it didn't affect the flavor, in a sense, it actually enhanced it as it made it appear with some nutty notes, a thing I actually like to happen.

 

This actually is good for me since I don't have to add sugar, it has 2.4% per service so it's enough as it is for a drink. I even drink it up as is with ice and blitzed veggies so I have my daily allowance of vitamins and minerals, which you can do also for kids. It also contains very little saturated fat but more calcium, and overall, a pretty good alternative to usual cow's milk. It's pretty good for vegans and I've seen my friends enjoy this while watching movies rather than soda.

It's also best for anyone who's lactose intolerant, as it has none of that whatsoever. It's why I actually loved it, and along with that, a really nice alternative to overly sweet stuff I usually have during small snacks. Best of all, it's quite cheap at Php 85 which you can buy in leading groceries, Shopee and Lazada. If you want to know more about it, see http://www.vitasoy.com/ or VitasoyPH on FB today!

Don’t Go Hungry! Grab-A-Fitbar!

I know it’s going to be hell once again as work and school opens this week. Pretty sure you’ll be caught in EDSA drowning in reasons why you shouldn’t have gone out because TRAFFIC happens. Then you go absolutely hungry right in the middle of the road, but you still choose to drive home because you think THAT can wait. Well I’ve got GOOD news for all those who choose to ride TNVS provider Grab Philippines because they just partnered with Fitbar Philippines so you can snack away this 2018!

Selected specially marked GRAB A FITBAR vehicles will be roaming around Metro Manila and selected major Philippine cities so you can enjoy Crispy Rice Bars mixed with fiber rich stuff like fruits so you won’t be hungry while you go about your daily commute. Now you don’t have to be so worried when you get stuck in traffic because they’ll be taking care of you just in case you get caught in one. Make sure you also share your Fitbars with the friendly and corteous Grab Drivers so you both get to your destinations, safe, fast, efficient, and NOT HUNGRY!

They will be giving away 100,000 passengers these lovely Fitbar pieces so if you would love them even more, go check out their page at www.Facebook.com/FitbarPH and follow their twitter account at www.twitter.com/fitbar_ph so you could choose and take them anywhere, any day you’re hungry!

P.S. I love the one with raisins, it smells and tastes like dried grapes just off the vine!

KUMAGCOW

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Llaollao Yogurt Shop Opens at Trinoma

I've seen one of their branches at the back of Glorietta just before you go outside Landmark in Makati City. I was pretty much intrigued about what they were selling because most of the time they were covered in people, just like this one today. Apparently they've expanded and set up shop at Trinoma. This was a blogger friend's favorite and I didn't know why he kept on going to this Llaollao shop (pronounced Yao Yao) in Makati even if he was from the south because he says he really likes it. I bought one just for kicks and chose three different toppings. This is a Yogurt shop, but a bit different from the ones I tasted. This one was more tangy, one that would make you grimace a little, like a kick if this was chili. I guess that's why they've been very popular among Filipinos. I like it too.

Now since they've opened this branch in Trinoma, they also held a REALLY GOOD promo. They announced FREE SLUSHIE for every purchase of Php150 on any of their products. People started lining up as early as 5AM this morning, no joke. I wasn't really surprised though, they were so excited to get their hands on yogurt this good.

So I picked up a cup too. I was a little too shy because it was my first time doing this. Swirled my cup slowly, but the guy beside me (who was from Llaollao) was already panicking haha. I forgot to put more space on the sides for the toppings LOL. So I basically have a cup overflowing with Yogurt, and by my standards it wasn't that bad ah! Again, I loved how tangy their yogurt is and that evidently tasted like it.

Then I prepared space for the toppings, by pushing the frozen yogurt on the side to the center. I guess I have about a few centimeters more. So I got real fruits in the mix. I took grapes, mangoes, kiwis and 4 small chocolate coated peanuts (I think) and crushed grahams... which was so good. Ugh I wanted another cup, but had to cut down on sugar these days. If I didn't think about my diet I would have had 5 haha.

Tada! This is my very own cup!

I got my perfect cup made, I liked it a LOT. Now, it's time for you to experience it too. Go head on to Trinoma's second floor and look for the kiosk right after the escalator and you'll find them there. Fill up a cup with yogurt, get the toppings and experience it yourselves. See why people have been raving about this cup of good yogurt for years now. This ain't just a brand from Spain, it's something that Filipinos love now. I absolutely did.

KUMAGCOW
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MFT's SALADSTOP! Ventures Into Spanish Market

Have you ever wondered why there are thousands upon thousands of brands around the world that are here in the Philippines but not quite a lot of our own venturing into other countries? That's depressing to know huh? Have you guys seen Saladstop!? I've had the privilege of seeing and experiencing it over at San Juan but they're pretty much everywhere as they have outlets in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. The brand originated in Singapore and is now present in other countries too like Japan and Indonesia.  

Albeit not being that into salad, I tried out several of their best sellers. The Vegetarian Bowl I had is called IRON WO MAN and is comprised of fresh Spinach, salty and creamy feta cheese, roasted pumpkin, sweet and tangy raisins, nutty toasted almonds, in a tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette.

This one is one of their signature wraps. It's got romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, creamy avocado, green apple, celery, grapes in a Ranch dressing. Pretty good and very filling.

This is Fried Kale, it's very nutty and fresh.

The MFT group Joan of Regional Marketing Head says "We were established in 2009 and is one of the world's leading nutrition brand. It is the first time that we are taking this out of the country, to Spain in particularly. Our brand puts holistic customer experience to the forefront because we want this to be an experience for them. The founders are vegetarian and we are sharing the values for the brand. 12 Signature wraps, 4 tortilla wraps, our dressings are home made and fresh made everyday. We source our food locally so for the Spanish branches we maintain a good relationship with the farmers and suppliers. We want people to eat wide awake, in September we are putting this movement in Spain and we are so happy about that."

Paul Paraeda who's handling their operations in Spain and Portugal says "We are moving to these countries in a few months and why not. It's a good place to start for a Philippine business to venture out into the EU. We will have more as soon."

MFT Group CEO Maria Francesca “Mica” Tan adds "MFT is a diversified holding company. We are not limited in regions, involved in 22 subsidiaries under our wing including medical equipment, petroleum, and now SaladStop! in Spain. Barcelona has 5 million people and is an emerging area. There is a very diversified economical structure home to 90% of investments in Spain. Hopefully we would be doing it in the whole of Europe later on. We are not just tied with food, they are also looking for something healthy and this is evident in food clusters in Spain. MFT group is confident about this franchise in Europe and we are present in 6 countries, we love emerging markets. We want SALADSTOP! to be our flagship food product. In SaladStop Spain we have our own suppliers and farmers so it will be a level up as Spain and there is a big demand for what we are offering. The carrier of the food is the sauces, the freshness is still with the farmers that we have locally and you'll only get the best produce."

This is very promising and I can't wait to see how they (being a Filipino owned company) would grow BIG in the European region.

KUMAGCOW
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I'm Having A "Nice Day Coffee"!

Imagine waking up to something new... something more than your ordinary coffee for breakfast. This is a Nice Day and we're keeping it that way by having Nice Day Coffee. These are options you would really love because unlike your ordinary ones, Nice Day Coffee has a ton of things added to your coffee, plus... it doesn't even sacrifice flavor. They won't put 100% Premium Quality Coffee on the front anyway if that ain't true! I went ahead and tasted each one to find out how special this is. I'm telling you, this has got to be the best part of it! Ha!

One of the nicest things I've ever gotten in shops in Malaysia and Singapore was White Coffee. Nice Day Coffee amped up this one by putting in Glutathione, Collagen and Sucralose. Now how can you even have coffee that would be able to whiten and make your skin glow in one putting.That's just amazing!

Nice Day Coffee Slim on the other hand has CLA Fat Burners, L-Carnitine, Fiber and Sucralose that promotes normal digestion, cleans that out and gets you to even lose weight. It's low calorie too so you don't have the guilt of having coffee and all that not so good things that come with it.

Nice Day Coffee Cleanse has Ganoderma, Grape Seed, Cranberry, Sylimarin, Spirulina, Goki Berry and Coco Sugar. If that mouthful ingredients used in most Eastern medicine don't convince you that this is one great concoction, I don't know what will. All the good things for skin, for digestion, for what some say keeps cancer at bay... it just makes you feel good and be good all throughout the day!

Just ask Ellen Adarna!

Now if you've got this for breakfast, how can you not say it's a Nice Day?! Go to your favorite groceries and shops and take a load of Nice Day Coffee variants that would fit your lifestyle. I know I'm buying more of the Slim 6in1 Coffee mix! What's yours?! :) What's your idea of a nice day?

For more information about their products:

Nice Day Coffee

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.nicedaycoffee.com

Hydrate Naturally: Vita Coco Now in the Philippines

 By the powers of Rihanna and her gorgeous body, the US' favorite drink is finally here in the Philippines. This is Vita Coco. You must have seen this new fresh and natural drink with Madonna, Jessica Alba, Stacy Keibler, Ed Westwick, Chris Pine, Robert Pattinson and a lot of other Hollywood celebrities. It's the best selling coconut water brand in the US and now it's landed in our shores through the white sandy beach of Boracay a few days ago.

 

 Vita Coco started in the US when friends Michael Kirban and Ira Liran founded it in New York. It marked the first ever brand to offer it in Tetra Pak containers from fruit to packaging in seconds. They have the technology to keep the juice fresh as the day it was picked by vacuum procedures making it safe and healthy even if you store it in the fridge for a few days. Though really, when you open one of these -  who would even stop drinking it? I got a taste of it already and this one is pretty good in my standards. Best of all, we are hydrating naturally. Isn't that great?!

Vita Coco is now available at your leading convenience stores in the country. Try to get it at 7-11, Rustan’s Groceries and Shopwise. The current suggested retail price for a handy 330ml pack is only Php 35. This electrolyte rich fresh drink is the choice of celebrities, athletes and ordinary people. Now how can you say no when you'll see it on shelves on the stores I mentioned above. Be as fresh and hydrated as the thing you drink. Grab one of these Vita Coco drinks and you'll also get to help Filipino coconut farmers which they also source this from. Gulp!

For more information about their products:

Vita Coco

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://VitaCoco.com

Century Tuna Superbods VIP Preview

Had the chance to visit Boracay again this weekend and it was nice. We went there for Century Tuna Superbods 2014. I am not joining as a contestant though and that part was sad LOL. The sun was shining and the crowd that evening was getting a little thick. Aside from the search, we were also there to see John Lloyd Cruz's transformation. Hosting that part too was Anne Curtis so you really get to see the best of both worlds.

Boracay was nice except for the usual "Algae" you see and smell every now and then. The sunsets were picturesque though, it was like real live paintings and worthy to be photographed by me. Then that evening, we were treated to the Century Tuna Superbods VIP Preview, one day ahead of the actual finals.

Then the ladies came out. Judging from the last time that I saw these ladies, they have actually changed a lot. It's like they have toned a bit. That's remarkable!

They had well defined abs, sometimes I just want to envy them but I told my self I can do this. Anyway, they did rub it off by sending the men over. Oh don't get me started.

I guess this is because they also have undergone the Century Tuna diet and workout that is posted on Century Tuna's website. Now, everyone can achieve that healthy well defined body and lose weight quite fast. Remember, it's only been 42 days but look at how much they have improved over these past few weeks.

 I can't wait to see what will happen in the finals. I already have my favorites and I think they know who they are. Thanks to Century Tuna for taking us all the way to Boracay to cover this awesome search! Can't wait to announce the winners a little later on this day. Congratulations! :)

  

For more information about their product:

Century Tuna Superbods

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.centurytuna.ph