A Natural Mama

Eating Pure and Natural Food

2012-02-13T18:06:00.000+08:00

Life, these days, has become complicated. A simple thing like eating has become complex. Long, long ago, the choices were few and simple. People just ate what was available in each season. But nowadays people have the choice of any kind of food at any time they want it. Technology has made it possible that sometimes you don't even have to leave the comfort of your home in order to buy your next meal or your groceries for the week. With today's fast-paced lifestyle, many people are also wanting everything in a jiffy, including their food - stuffing themselves with all sorts of "fast" or "instant" unhealthy foods, and with the powerful influence of media advertising, bombard their bodies with slimming pills or drinks and various "health" supplements to cut down on excess weight and to make up for the unhealthy choices that they make.

A lot of our foods these days have been so processed and deprived from life-giving vitamins, minerals, and digestive enzymes. Man stripped the life out of the wonderful natural foods God gave him by processing them so it will be "easily prepared and eaten", adding chemical preservatives to "last longer", artificial flavors and colors to look "more appealing", and synthetic vitamins to make them appear "healthy". We get sick and overweight because we eat more refined foods than we do natural pure foods.

But as I ponder upon God's Word, I realized that God's ways are orderly, simple, balanced and clear. God never intended our life to be confusing, complicated and unbalanced. He never wanted us to get sick and suffer. God's ways are also pure and natural. Everything else must have been processed by man. Since the beginning of time, God designed the best foods for man to sustain life. He gave us fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds that have the perfect balance of nutrients that our bodies need. "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.'" (Genesis 1:29 NIV) Later, after the great flood, God said to Noah, "Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything," (Genesis 9:3 NIV) which added meat to our diet.

Toxic wastes build up in the body when you eat too many processed, impure, unhealthy foods and don't give your body a chance to rest and get rid of them. The body will naturally try to purify and cleanse itself. If you help it by providing food the way God made it (or as close as possible to the way He made it), exercise, rest, fresh air and sunshine, plenty of water, regular fasting, and by living a peaceful and relatively stress-free life, you will have a clean bloodstream and a healthy body. Disease does not come overnight. It builds for a long time, which started even when we were still young. And I am no exception to having one. I am now reaping the fruits of my (and my forefathers') poor health choices in the past. But I put my hope in my Maker, whose ways are pure and natural, and I am determined to fix my life and my health, with His help and with the help of medical professionals.

The book "Greater Health God's Way" confirmed what I have been pondering upon as I meditate on God's Word, especially in relation to the area of health. In Stormie Omartian's seven steps to greater health, the first step is peaceful living, while the second step is eating pure, healthful food the way God made it. Natural foods, the way God made them or as close as possible to the way He made them, when eaten in moderation, promote health, strength, endurance, and life. Processed foods promote disease and death. And what are these familiar natural foods, you may ask? Here are most of them:

1. Vegetables and fruits - Fresh not canned, frozen nor processed, in any way. Eaten raw, steamed or lightly boiled, baked, or stewed. Preferably vegetables and/or fruits must make up 50% of every meal.

2. Whole grains - may comprise 25% of one meal or, at the most, 25% of two meals each day

3. Meat, poultry, and fish - Have the red meat no more than two times a week, poultry two or three times a week, and fish two times a week. Let meat, poultry, and fish be no more than 25% of the meal.

4. Seeds, nuts, and berries - These make wonderful, healthful snacks, desserts, or "munchies". Buy them unprocessed, unsalted, or eat plain raw when you can.

5. Milk, unprocessed cheese, yogurt, kefir, and butter - Only three or four times a week for adults, and low-fat as much as possible. Must be taken in moderation, and should be in the purest form available.

6. Eggs - Two or three times a week only, and as fresh as you can get them.

7. Honey - Honey is the most nutritious natural sweetener that you can get if you buy it "raw", "unprocessed" and "unfiltered".

Now, living in a country like the Philippines, it is a luxury to eat whole grains and whole grain foods. You have to go to a health store or a high-end grocery store or bakeshop to buy them. Processed foods, canned goods, and refined products are more mass-produced and are easily available in regular supermarkets and sari-sari stores (mini stores). And with the influx of the western culture, more Filipinos are now eating fast foods and instant foods. Gone are the days when we have lesser choices in food that people mostly eat what Westerners call the "Asian" diet, a healthful diet based on plant foods such as rice, vegetables and fresh fruits, and less of the meats. With this change in eating habits, no wonder more and more Asians are catching up with the Westerners in terms of mortality caused by diseases and other health-related problems. So, I think it is about time we go back to basics - to pure, natural and balanced food the way God made it. I know it is difficult especially when our taste buds have been so accustomed to eating all the refined, processed and devitalized foods. But remember that our taste buds do need to be humbled and re-educated as well to God's ways just as all the other areas of our life do. "Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." (2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV)

May you be concerned in rebuilding (or maintaining) good health, and everything else like weight loss and eating a regular balanced healthy meal will follow. If you eat the way God intended you to eat, excess weight will come off slowly and painlessly! Remember, let your main purpose for losing (or maintaining) weight be to have a long, healthy life of service to God. "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)

Trick and Treat at Seri Fantasy World and Manila Ocean Park

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000+08:00

No, this post isn't about Halloween. We've just entered a new year, and that occasion is too far to blog about! (LOL) This is about the places our family recently have been to, where we definitely have been "tricked" and treated for some fun family bonding and learning experience!

Late last year, I was able to purchase some discount vouchers for Seri Fantasy World from Ensogo. So when the holiday season was over this year and most people are back to work and school, we headed off to Manila Ocean Park, where Seri Fantasy World is located.

I think Seri Fantasy World is the country's first theme destination that offers unique and interesting attractions about the art and science of 3D technology. Brought to the Philippines by the same developer of Seri World in Jeju Island, South Korea, Seri Fantasy World provides fun learning experiences through its educational and entertaining attractions like the Trick Art Museum, Mirror Maze, 3D Cinema Plus and Kids' Paradise. I especially enjoyed our picture-taking in the Trick Art Museum, which is sort of an art gallery of 3-dimentional hand-painted art by famous artists from Korea. The 3D optical illusions are very interesting and fun to look at when you have your picture taken with the art pieces. Really nice art tricks they got there!

Gotcha!

Ahh, ouch!

E.T. phone home...

These are all just trick art!

I was also amazed at the optical effects that the multiple glass panes created inside the Mirror Maze, when we had our pictures taken there. Taking pictures at various angles of the mirror panes will reveal different effects. Make sure, though, that your camera's flash is working perfectly as it is dark inside the maze, and the only way to get a good optical effect in your pictures is to have a bright flash. It was also challenging and exciting for me and my companions finding our way out in the dark labyrinth of mirrors. We were extra cautious not to walk fast as we might bump into our own reflections! Exciting, isn't it?

While we did not switch places, photo effects change as our photographer & guide move from one angle to another.

More mirror effects

Great illusion! See, I'm flying!

While my little boy became too sleepy that time, his big sister also had a fun time playing in the Kids' Paradise.

Since its establishment in the Philippines in 2010, I think Seri Fantasy World has not been getting much patronage from the local crowd and attention from the local media, not until I saw it was recently featured in "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho". Tickets are sold separately for each attraction and are priced at P150 per person. Hopefully, Seri will offer more promos and good online deals in the future so more Filipinos can enjoy and learn to appreciate 3D art and 3D technology.

Of course, we couldn't pass on the chance to visit Manila Ocean Park since we were already there! Even though it's not as big as Sea World or Ocean Park in Hongkong, I think the Manila Ocean Park is comparable enough and good enough for the Filipinos to learn more about and appreciate the beauty and diversity of our country's marine life.

My little boy is such a fan of Mumble from the movie, "Happy Feet". Since then, he's been fascinated with penguins. So it was an exciting opportunity for him and us, too, to see real live penguins in the park's special holiday attraction called "Trails to Antarctica" and even get to feel how it is living in the -15^o Antarctica through the "Snow Village". Fortunately for us, we were able to catch the holiday live penguin attraction as I think it is now closed to the public. But you can still avail of Manila Ocean Park's "Summer's Coolest Promo" and the upcoming "Chinese New Year Special".

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A Birthday Food Trip at Soderno

2012-01-05T18:28:00.000+08:00

(OK, I admit I was pretty busy during the holiday season. But now I’m back updating my blog again and, hopefully, I get to catch up on all the stuff I want to write about, now that I have gotten over the holiday hullabaloo. So here goes…)

Last December, hubby and I had a late-night date at The Soderno @ Molito, the newest weekend lifestyle market to hit south of Metro Manila. It was actually my request from hubby to treat me to a date to celebrate my birthday since we rarely go out as a couple (minus the kids) these days. It wasn’t a romantic candle-light dinner that other girls may dream about, though. My adventurous spirit made me want to go on a food trip instead, since I’m such a ‘foodie’ and I like exploring new dishes in the kitchen. When it comes to food, I’m fearless in exploring different kinds of food, trying out different flavors and specialties from all over the world. And with the new trend of food bazaars and weekend lifestyle markets, I also want to discover the different “gimmicks” that other small-to-medium entrepreneurs are offering these days. I was curious with Ortigas’ Banchetto and BGC’s Mercato Centrale weekend market, but haven’t gotten the chance to visit them yet. So I got so excited when I learned last year that there’s one like Mercato that will be opening in Alabang, where I’m nearer.

Soderno @ Molito indeed showcase the best that southern people has to offer – from great-tasting gourmet and international dishes, refreshing drinks, delicacies, delicious pastries and desserts, to fashion finds, organic and natural products, and home decors and furniture. Although I think some of the vendors in Soderno are also present in Mercato, the variety of international cuisine at Soderno is quite vast – there’s Arabic, Greek, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai, Spanish, Italian, American, and of course, the all-time favorite Filipino cuisine and delicacies and even Pinoy street foods, not to mention the different calorie-loading cakes, pastries and desserts.

Most of the vendors provide food tasting, which I thought is great because I got to go around the market tasting all sorts of food without buying them all! But of course, hubby and I also bought, and the foods that we bought were those that are quite new to our sight and our taste buds, like the bite-size tacos of Taclings. These cute little tacos, with a choice of beef or tuna mushroom, are all lined in a clean egg tray and can be bought for P60 only for 6 pieces of tacos per tray or P100 for 12 pieces. This alone will already fill your stomach! They’re so cute to look at and I find the concept new and quite innovative. Taco is usually quite difficult to eat because of its size and shape, but these little tacos of Taclings have a pie shape and bite size only so they’re not messy to eat. However, I think the owner needs to improve the taste as hubby and I didn't see nor taste the beef and tuna in our tacos, instead, they're mostly filled with diced tomatoes and onions only.

Another concept that is new to me is the Mochiko Ice Cream Filled Mochi. Mochi is a Japanese confection made of glutinous rice flour, and is usually filled with a sweet center such as anko or red bean paste and eaten as a snack. The Tagaytay-based business, Mochiko, with shop located at The Cliffhouse, innovated this Japanese delicacy and turned it into a ball ice cream snack with various flavors such as azuki, green tea, cookie dough, mango, black sesame, caramel, strawberry, chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. For only P70 a piece, I got to try the green tea flavor, which was like hardened and cold green tea that is not, just as I expected, very sweet (which is fine with me).

The charcoal-grilled burgers at Big Bob’s were just so tempting; hubby and I couldn’t resist them! I got the Wine and Cheese Steak Sandwich, which is pure Angus beef marinated in red wine and topped with cream cheese, while hubby got Big Bob’s Super Special (best seller!), which is 1/3 pound pure beef patty topped with bacon and fresh vegetables and oozing with mozzarella and cheddar cheese. These are heavy on the belly, I know! My diet is all ruined at this time, but what the heck! I’ve been good to my body all this time, and indulging on a food trip like this is a rare one for me.

On the healthier side, I also tried Bawai’s Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with its special Vietnamese sweet patis-like sauce, which are light on calories and light in taste. No wonder, most Vietnamese women are slim because they mostly incorporate vegetables into their diet. If you are planning on a getaway trip to Tagaytay on a weekend and is looking for a new restaurant to try, you may want to make an advance booking at Bawai’s Vietnamese Kitchen in Silang, Cavite, which offers weekend dining of authentic and un-commercialized Vietnamese cuisine.

Thai food is one of my favorites. Whenever I eat at a Thai restaurant, I usually end up with a full stomach just with the main course meal and have no room left for dessert. So when I saw the desserts that Thai Patio offered, I grabbed two of them, both priced at P60 only. Thako is coconut-pandan-corn pudding much like our local maja blanca. I like it for its uniquely lightly sweetened taste (of the mung bean flour and sugar) at the bottom combined with a bit salty taste (of coconut milk and salt) on top of the soft white pudding wrapped in banana leaves. I wonder if they can substitute the staple wires in fastening the banana leaf molds with small wooden sticks or toothpicks instead! Another dessert that I tried from Thai Patio is the Red Ruby and Emerald with Coconut Cream. Much like our local halo-halo, this cold dessert is made up of water chestnut and turnip topped with crushed ice and poured with coconut cream all over. But as its name connotes, this dessert should have red and green colors of water chestnut, however, the one given to me had only pinkish red. But other than that, I like its crunchy bite and not-so-sweet taste.

The cakes and ice creams at Soderno all look so delectable, but my stomach got so full that night that I couldn’t even take a scoop of Mio Gelati's ice cream anymore. I guess 1 ice cream mochi was enough for me. So I just bought some of the mini cupcakes of “Baked by Anita” to try at home and give to my kids the next day. I got Red Velvet, Cinnamon, Peanut Butter Truffle and Choco Loco. Anita’s mini cupcakes are no ordinary cupcakes. She specializes in bite-size mini cupcakes, which are so cute to look at when they’re all lined in the display counter. Baked by Anita’s mini cupcakes are uniquely-flavored, bursting with flavors and generous in cutely-decorated toppings. The mini chocolate cupcake that I’ve tried even has a small whole chocolate inside near the bottom, and I thought that was a nice surprise! No wonder there were only a few cupcakes left that night because, I heard, they are always sold out. Got my kids those mini Angry Bird cake toppers, too. They’re so cute!

I want to go back to Soderno again one of these days, or hopefully get a chance to try Mercato, and indulge on other foods that I haven’t tried before. Incidentally, both weekend markets are still closed for a holiday break and will re-open starting on January 13-15, 2012.

DIY #1: Homemade Edible No-Cook Play dough

2011-12-02T09:00:00.001+08:00

My little kids have always been fond of playing with clay. And I find it a good exercise to develop their fine motor skills. My artsy girl is especially interested in creating simple clay art pieces. However, after several uses of their play dough, they usually harden when left exposed in the air for a prolonged time, which make them not moldable anymore. And it just frustrates me when especially the expensive imported ones were not kept inside their containers and left exposed to harden. I thought it’s a waste of money to keep on buying the expensive play dough when I discovered that you can in fact make one right in your own home using simple ingredients that are usually already available in your own kitchen. Since then, I just make play dough at home, and I found it more fun making it with the kids! What’s good about it, too, is that this play dough recipe is edible, no need to cook, and doesn’t easily harden.

The recipe for this simple homemade no-cook play dough calls for:

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water
1 tbsp oil (any kind of edible oil is fine)

Food coloring

Drop all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except for the food coloring. Mix them all together. Divide the mixture into the number of play dough colors that you want to make. Put drop(s) of the food coloring on each set. Let your kids knead the dough until it’s all evenly colored. Then use your homemade play dough for some modeling fun! Enjoy!

Tips to Peaceful Living

2011-11-23T01:20:00.001+08:00

Are you stressed? Are you like the man in the photo who, when under stress, tends to overeat to the point of gluttony? Or are you like the woman in the photo who looks old for her age because of stress at work? In our fast-paced, highly-competitive and modern world, I think no one is exempted from experiencing stress. Even a baby inside a mother’s womb experiences stress on certain occasions! Indeed, everyone will experience stress, whether major or minor, whether positive or negative. Certainly, stress has become part of every human being’s life that cannot be completely avoided. Given its inevitable nature, the question now is – how well do you handle stress in your life?

Some people handle negative stress well, and it has little effect on their emotional or physical health. Others, who are very negatively influenced by it, become the victims of fatigue, chronic headaches, irritability, change in appetite, withdrawal, high blood pressure, insomnia and gastrointestinal disorders. Negative stress creates a tremendous breeding ground for illness. Researchers estimate that stress contributes to over 80% of all major illnesses, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine and metabolic disease, skin disorders, and infectious diseases of different kinds. And even if the illness is not caused by stress, it most certainly is made worse by it.

After reading the book “Greater Health God’s Way” by Stormie Omartian, I was reminded that, even though we can’t control all stress, we can control how we react to it. People who cope well with day-to-day negative stress have some kind of outlet or source of inner strength. They take charge of daily decisions about what they will allow into their lives and what they will not. On the other hand, people who succumb to negative stress are the ones who get victimized by various illnesses like high blood pressure and ulcer. In Stormie’s seven steps to greater health, the foremost step is securing a consistent peaceful and relatively stress-free life. One cannot be successful in achieving good health by only doing exercise and diet without a certain level of peace in his/her life.

Here are some tips (or friendly reminders) that you can ponder on to help you take control of the situations that you face everyday and achieve real peace in life:

First and foremost, having a right relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, and being filled with His Holy Spirit, is the only true peace you will ever have. Peace, health, and beauty all begin here. Have a deep, committed, loving walk with God in order to have good health in every area of your life.

“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart.” – Job 22:21-22

Have a personal daily time alone with God. The more time you spend with God alone in quiet solitude, the better you will hear His voice guiding you and directing you to His will and purposes for your life. Prayer gives us a supernatural storage of strength and peace that we can draw on everyday no matter how toxic our schedule may be or how chaotic our situation may be in now. Pray also for your loved ones and the people you deal with everyday. Your peace depends on God working in their lives, too.

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” – Psalm 5:3

Begin your day with an attitude of praise and worship for a loving Father. Even if you feel your life is getting out of control, begin to praise God. Focusing everything outward to God is a wonderful, positive way to bring about mental health. It is one of the most health-building things you can do for every area of your life.

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

Feed on the Word of God daily as one of the keys to emotional, physical, and spiritual health.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” – Isaiah 40:8

To deal with stress, either you do something to change the situation or learn to “be content whatever the circumstances” and fortify yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually to survive it.

“For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13

A life with an abundance of laughter and joy promotes good health, so take time to laugh or find humor in a situation. On the other hand, crying is also good for you sometimes. A free flow of tears appears to be a healthy, natural release from stress. Crying can be a positive, healthy reaction that we should allow ourselves to do.

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” – Proverbs 17:22

To live truly in peace, you must watch what comes out of your mouth. When you are angry, deal with it immediately. Don’t shorten your life, or impair the quality of your life, by giving in to unforgiveness. It’s a slow and painful killer; it grows like a cancer. On the other hand, when you do something wrong, confess it to God. No matter how small the wrongdoing, do not carry around a burden of guilt about it. It’s not good for your health.

“In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” – Ephesians 4:26-27

The best work you’ll ever do in your life is the work you most enjoy. Be who God created you to be and you’ll find out what you were created to do.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:2

Simplify! Don’t allow your life to get too complicated. Calmness and strength are lost in too much busyness and rush. As much as possible, get rid of things you can live without so you can better care for everyone that you love. Simplicity brings peace.

“In quietness and trust is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15

Nobody can avoid stress altogether but you can do many things to minimize it. Stress is relieved by a right relationship with God, the true source of all peace, among others. Be filled with Him.

Weekend Lifestyle and Organic Market Soon to Hit South Metro!

2011-11-02T18:22:00.000+08:00

I noticed more and more weekend markets are emerging in the metro these days. I remember the very first weekend market I’ve been to, and it wasn’t actually here in the Philippines, but in Bangkok, Thailand, and it’s famously called Chatuchak. Oh, don’t I just love and miss Chatuchak! Chatuchak is a 35-acre market area that is home to more than 8,000 market stalls, and is actually one of the largest weekend markets in the world. Similar to our local Divisoria, it’s where you can discover great finds and a wide variety of goods - from food and beverage, clothing and accessories, handicrafts and ceramics, furniture and home decors, down to antique and collectibles, pets, plants and almost everything under the sun, at prices cheaper than in most commercial establishments in Bangkok.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Here in the Philippines, however, the very first weekend market I encountered is the one at The Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City. Opens on Sundays at The Lung Center hospital grounds, Mom used to come here for some fresh organic veggies and some local delicacies. The other weekend markets I know are the Salcedo Saturday Market in Velasquez Park, Salcedo Village, and the Legaspi Sunday Market along Herrera and Rada corner Legaspi Streets, Legaspi Village, both located in the sprawling Makati City residential-commercial neighborhood. Then there’s Mercato Centrale, situated at the corner of 34^th Street and 8^th Avenue (across MC Home Depot) in the new cosmopolitan business hub, Bonifacio Global City, in Taguig.

Photos courtesy of Mercato Centrale

The concept of Mercato Centrale @ BGC is inspired by the outdoor markets of Mercato Centrale in Florence, Italy and the Boroughs Market in London, England. Located in a more comfortable, well-ventilated and organized setting, I think Mercato Centrale @ BGC is the pioneer in combining the weekend lifestyle and organic market experience with great tasting food-tripping experience and fun-filled activities like cooking demonstrations and live entertainment for the whole family to enjoy over the weekend.

With Mercato Centrale @ BGC’s big success in innovating the weekend lifestyle and organic market, the Mercato Centrale organizers are bringing the same weekend market experience to the south metro! Opening its doors this coming November 18 (Friday), The Soderno @ Molito promises to showcase the best that south has to offer – from great-tasting gourmet dishes, delicacies and pastries, to fashion finds, organic and natural produce, to unique arts and crafts materials. Soderno Night Market will be open on Fridays and Saturdays 6PM to 3AM starting on November 18, while Soderno Lifestyle Market will be open on Saturdays 7AM to 4PM bringing together the best of food, fashion, arts and crafts in one well-ventilated, Wi-Fi free, family-friendly environment. For health-conscious and natural and organic product lovers like me, the Soderno Organic Market will be open on Sundays 7AM to 4PM to sell freshly-harvested organic fruits and vegetables, a selection of free-range meats, seafood and dairy products, as well as natural and eco-friendly products. The Soderno @ Molito Lifestyle Center is located at the former Big Bang sa Alabang, right along the corners of Alabang-Zapote Road, Madrigal Avenue and Commerce Avenue, in front of Alabang Town Center and Ayala Alabang Village.

Further down south is another weekend lifestyle and organic market with an international community fair concept called Agora Weekend Organic Market and Lifestyle Bazaar located in the posh Brentville International Community Village in Binan, Laguna. Launched just last October 28 to 30, this weekend market offers a blend of international and regional showcase of food and delicacies, farm-fresh produce and organic products, baked goodies and tasty treats, fashion finds, bags and accessories, toys, arts and crafts, local furniture, home decors and furnishings, and much more. Agora Weekend Market re-opens this coming November 18 to 20 (Friday to Sunday 7AM to 7PM) and every Friday to Sunday of the whole month of December starting December 2 to 4.

Since these weekend markets will be opening in the south, where I reside (thank God!), I want to definitely check them out soon for my favorite farm-fresh and organic produce and natural products and perhaps for simply finding a new place to hang out with my family and friends with healthy foods and great finds for Christmas. If you live in the south or happen to stop by, why don't you check out these latest addition to the weekend market bandwagon soon!

Check them out!

Mercato Centrale @ Bonifacio Global City

34th Street and 8th Avenue (across MC Home Depot), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Opens Fridays to Saturdays 10PM to 3AM, Saturdays and Sundays 7AM to 2PM

The Soderno @ Molito

Molito Lifestyle Center, Madrigal Avenue corner Commerce Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Opening on November 18, 2011

Soderno Night Market – Fridays to Saturdays 6PM to 3AM

Soderno Lifestyle Market – Saturdays 7AM to 4PM

Soderno Organic Market – Sundays 7AM to 4PM

Agora Weekend Organic Market & Lifestyle Bazaar

Brentville International Community Village, Binan, Laguna (take Mamplasan Exit)

Re-opens on November 18-20, December 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 22-24, 28-30, 2011 7AM to 7PM

Parenting Tips: How to Positively Influence Your Child

2011-09-30T12:57:00.000+08:00

Inspired by our recent trip to a pottery farm, I remember a beautiful poem I first encountered in a parenting seminar. Likened to a potter, parents have the influence to mold a young child’s innocent and yielding heart like a piece of living clay. And the poem goes…

A Parent’s Influence

I took a piece of plastic clay

And idly fashioned it one day;

And as my fingers pressed it still,

It moved and yielded at my will.

I came again when days were past,
The form I gave it still it bore,
And as my fingers pressed it still,

I could change that form no more.

I took a piece of living clay,
And gently formed it day by day,
And molded with my power and art,
A young child's soft and yielding heart.
I came again when days were gone;
It was a man I looked upon,
He still that early impress bore,
And I could change it never more.

- Author Unknown

As I reflect on this poem, it reminded me that indeed all parents have the power to influence their young children. But the question is – are we influencing our children positively or negatively? In addition, parents have the greatest opportunity to mold their children’s life while they are still young. But once they are all grown up, like clay or white cement that dries up and eventually becomes hard, we can no longer change them; more so, help mold them into the kind of persons we want them to become.

So while they are still young and yielding, like in the poem, let us strive to help mold our children’s hearts with our power and art. And as I learned in a parenting seminar I attended a few years ago, here are some ways we can draw close to our children in order to positively influence them.

1. Good Modeling – Modeling is the most powerful way of teaching; yet it is also the most challenging because, like I said earlier, children can copy their parents either positively or negatively. Modeling is “lifestyle teaching”. As parents, we must “walk our talk”. And the best way to model to our child is to follow the biblical role of husband and wife (Ephesians 5:22-33), and not how society plays it nowadays.

2. Good Relationship – The closer the relationship, the greater the influence. The closer children are to their parents, the less they are influenced by their peers and vice-versa. Children will imbibe our values if they like us and respect us.

3. Time – The more time you spend with your child, the greater is your influence on him or her. As parents, we must view time as an investment. It is not just spending “quality” time with our child, but “quantity” also makes a lot of difference. Remember, to a child, LOVE is spelled “T-I-M-E”!

4. Listening – The more you listen to your child, the more you understand him or her; and the more you understand him or her, the more you can influence him or her. Listening opens up the door of open communication.

5. Positive Words – Remember, words impact lives. Affirm your child with positive words. Speak words that build up and not tear down. Correct positively by encouraging the child towards positive change and not to punish. Compliment good character by developing a detective’s eye for good behavior in your child.

6. Unconditional Love – Unconditional love encourages positive change. It is a commitment to an imperfect person for his highest good which often requires sacrifice. We must accept our child as he or she is and appreciate his or her uniqueness. Unconditional love is showing acceptance through verbal affirmation. Do not compare your child with others; do not label him or her negatively; instead, generously compliment his or her good traits. Lastly, show unconditional love through physical affection or touch. Touch makes our child feel our love. It gives our child a sense of security and closeness.

7. Expect the Best – Children live up to our expectation. Do not just see a child as he or she is today, but see him or her as what he or she can become in Christ. It is best to communicate positive expectation with your child.

As parents, I believe it is not by our own power and strength to mold our children. We must allow our Own Potter to be in control of our lives and of our children. As good stewards, we must yield to Our Potter’s Hand by allowing Him to freely mold and shape us and be His vital instrument in molding and shaping His children according to His will.

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Greater Health...God's Way!

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000+08:00

Are you the type of person who always seems to do as you please with regard to your health to the point of abusing or neglecting it? Consuming all the junk foods, fatty foods, coffee, soda, alcohol and cigarettes you want, or not getting enough rest and exercise? Or are you the type of person who knows the right way to stay healthy, but choose to ignore and not to follow? Or are you like me who have the determination to live healthy but did not exactly know how and where to begin?

It was only after I became a stay-at-home, hands-on mom to my two little “angels” that I decided to pursue a healthy lifestyle. I realized there are now lives that are dependent on me, and it would not be fair to them to not take care of myself as I take care of them. And as I seek to know God more intimately, all the more that I am determined to honor Him in my life by loving, respecting and taking care of the body God gave me, which is the temple of His Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). To be honest, however, my current health condition is still far from my ideal. I am still a “work-in-progress” - learning what my options are, and working myself towards pursuing a healthy lifestyle with discipline and determination…and lots of prayer!

I have been reading health books and subscribing to health articles over the internet to get information and practical approach to achieve optimum health the natural way. Most of the books and articles I have read, however, deal mostly with the physical and mental aspects of health. Seldom do I find a good reading material that discusses the spiritual side, which I believe has the greatest impact on how we live and view life.

Bestselling author of “The Power of a Praying” books and other inspirational books, and fitness expert, and I must add, one of my favorite book authors, Stormie Omartian, provides a creative and practical approach to developing not just the person’s mind and body, but also the spirit as she draws on her own experiences and shares her seven steps to inner and outer beauty through her book, “Greater Health God’s Way”. Her seven steps must work together in proper balance to bring about and preserve good health and well-being, and these are:

- peaceful living

- pure food

- proper exercise

- plenty of water

- prayer and fasting

- periods of fresh air and sunlight

- perfect rest

The steps sound plain and simple, don’t you think? As the author admits it, they are indeed simple. God’s ways are always beautifully simple…and I must add, perfect. It is we who make everything complicated. As the author puts it,

“We live so very far from the way God intended us to live. That’s why there is so much pain and sickness, so many headaches, heart attacks, bad tempers, mental illness, and just plain lack of joy. We suffer a great deal just because of our own ignorance about God’s ways.”

Most of the time, we want to gratify our flesh more than we want to serve our God. Our spiritual lives influence our physical condition far more than we often realize. As the author mentioned in her book,

“If we are disciplined in the care of our physical bodies, we are far more likely to be disciplined in our spiritual lives, too.”

And I think if we are not disciplined in our spiritual lives, most likely we are far less disciplined in the care of our physical bodies, too.

God designed the body to be self-repairing and self-healing if we treat it properly. The author’s most important goal in writing this book is to convince her readers that God’s ways are more than good. They are perfect. We experience unnecessary pain and misery only because we do not follow God’s ways. And for those of you, like me, who were not healthy to begin with and did not have the advantage of good nutrition and knowledge of God’s ways towards health, there is hope. The Seven Steps to Greater Health are a guide to show us how to do it.

I highly recommend this book. Some of her minor points may not be in agreement with what other health resources say. But here is where you can find help in starting to develop the structure you need to become healthy physically, mentally and spiritually, as well as find encouragement that there is a God who loves us perfectly and unconditionally and wants us to live our life closer to the way He intends us to live it.

More about the seven steps in my succeeding blog post…For now, you may want to commit yourself to working your way towards living a healthy and God-glorifying life because, after all, this is what He desires us to do. God bless you!

Dr. Seuss - The Book Benefits and the Musical

2011-09-15T01:13:00.000+08:00

Courtesy of Repertory Philippines

Don’t you just love the classic Dr. Seuss books? My children and I do. We have a collection of these all-time children’s favorite classic books by Mr. Theodore Seuss Geisel, better known as the beloved Dr. Seuss. The nonsense rhymes and repetitive words combine sentences that just make the tongue roll off, not to mention the use of some weird-looking characters and weird-sounding names, are the unique mark of Dr. Seuss that both adults and children alike love. But do you know that reading Dr. Seuss books also provide some substantial benefits in developing your child’s language skills?

Not only the Dr. Seuss books continue to delight young children with its colorful pictures and rhymes, but these books are great to share to young children as well who are learning how to read. I personally enjoy reading aloud to my little children these books while pointing my index finger to each and every word in the story as I read it to them. I believe this will help prepare the way for them to learn how to read easily and naturally.

I believe the rhymes and repetitive words in most Dr. Seuss beginner books also help not only in developing the young child’s reading skill but also his or her speech ability when he or she learns how to read. Dr. Seuss books also use a variety of words that help the young child widen his or her vocabulary.

By frequently reading aloud to your young children books like Dr. Seuss, you are helping to develop their phonological awareness. Phonological awareness develops naturally if you read to your child often starting from an early age. If those reading experiences have been fun and exciting for your child, he or she will learn to read naturally and easily without much effort in formal teaching. This might be hard to believe but its true! I’ve seen it happen with my own children. I was just amazed!

I guess it’s the magic of frequently reading aloud and the Dr. Seuss books play an important role in it.

Our Dr. Seuss book collection

And speaking about Dr. Seuss, Repertory Philippines, the Philippines’ premier Theater Company, is staging one of the most performed musical shows in America, “Seussical”, in its home stage in OnStage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City, from August to December of this year. “Seussical” is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza that brings to life the characters from the popular Dr. Seuss books, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and Jojo, the little boy with a big imagination. You may check out Repertory Philippines’ website for more details regarding “Seussical”.

I hope my family and I can watch this exciting musical. We still have ‘til December to catch this show. ;-)

T.E.A.C.H. Green: My Earth-Friendly Tips

2011-09-11T00:50:00.001+08:00

As a supporter of “green living”, I mentioned in my previous post some “acts of green” that we do at home. And everyday I get a daily dose of green living tips from one of my sidebar widgets, which I find really helpful as a friendly reminder and as a good information dissemination tool. Conservation, recycling and re-planting are just some of the common earth-friendly tips that we hear or read about. But to put together all that I want to share to you today, there are 5 major earth-friendly tips that my mind can think of right now as I write this blog post, and I found an acronym to best describe them, that is T.E.A.C.H. Green! Here goes:

1. Teach – As parents, I believe it is our social responsibility to help our children understand about the one world they live in, and teach them how to be more environmentally aware and socially responsible for their actions towards their environment. As a homeschooling mom to my 2 preschoolers, I try to incorporate this in our homeschool subjects, like in Science, Arts and in our simple Social Study lessons. We also try to do some simple environment-friendly projects like planting a tree and growing a plant and recycling old materials and transforming them into works of art. We also get a lot of interesting facts about our world and how to take care of it by reading the National Geographic Kids Almanac book and other related materials.

There are also some fun and interesting websites you can check out to help you teach about our planet and the environment to your little children, such as:

- Habitat Heroes and

- PlanetPals

Homeschooling or not, no matter what age your children may be in now, I think we can do our share of teaching our children how to be socially responsible and environmentally aware by educating them with books, hands-on projects, websites, and other reference materials, and by exposing them, which leads to my second tip…

2. Expose – What could be a better way for the children to understand what we want to teach them about taking care of Mother Earth but to expose them to the real world itself. Intentional or unintentional trips to see nature’s beauty and wonders as well as man’s carelessness and blunders would be an eye-opener to them. Even exposure trips to some discovery center or parks and wildlife or even in places like Payatas and Pasig River will help them see and understand better the cause and effect of man’s action towards nature – that if only we take good care of Mother Nature, these children of ours and our children’s children will continue to see the beauty that God has created, but if people continue to become irresponsible and careless, this beauty is bound for destruction.

3. Apply – What are all tips for if we are not going to apply them in our life, right? And as parents, this means modeling it to our children, and applying it in our own personal life and at home. This includes what we eat, what we take into our body, what we use, and what we do that all have impact in the one world that we live in. I guess this is a challenging one.

4. Change – If application is challenging enough, I guess this is even more challenging – to change our “earth-unfriendly” habits. But with conscious effort and with Our Maker’s help, I think nothing is impossible. Just as an old TV commercial says, “Great things start from small beginnings.” It’s worth giving it a try – for the benefit of the future generations.

5. Help – Help the campaign by advocating clean and green living. If a “greening” activity or campaign comes your way, take part. Involve the whole family, if possible. Spread the love for Mother Earth.

Do you recall what the second law of thermodynamics in science is? It’s for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It simply means whatever you do to others will later return to you, either at present or in the future. Whatever goes around comes around. It’s just like the principle of sowing and reaping. Therefore, whatever we do now to our environment will have an impact in our present and future generation. We are all accountable for everything we do not only to Mother Nature, but to the One who created it. Let’s do our share of “T.E.A.C.H.ing Green”.

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A Trip to Cornerstone Pottery Farm

2011-09-09T17:19:00.000+08:00

Last week, our homeschool group visited a pottery farm called Cornerstone Pottery Farm owned by husband and wife, EJ and Eva Espiritu, who happen to be homeschooling parents as well. Their farm is situated in the cool highlands of Silang, Cavite, and is just about 500 meters away from another favorite farm of mine, Ilog Maria. The ambiance is very peaceful and relaxing as the farm is situated in seclusion amidst the countless narra trees and coconut trees and bamboo shoots, and can be reached through a dirt road branching out from the main Aguinaldo Highway. The cool, fresh breeze and the rural experience in Silang is where the Espiritus dwell and thrive in building their world-class products.

It was a different kind of experience for our group, especially for the children, because not only did we get to tour around the farm’s factory and learned a lot about the art of pottery-making...

...but the children also had a hands-on workshop from the owner himself, who is a certified Ceramic Engineer.

With a kilo of clay each, the children were able to apply the different techniques of pottery-making that they learned through the hands-on workshop, and had fun kneading and molding their clay to create their art pieces.

I think it was a good opportunity for the children to extract their creative juices and exhibit their artistry through the pottery pieces that they made, no matter how weird or simple or intricate they may be. And I think the moms and dads, too, had fun helping and were equally excited to come up with their children’s masterpieces.

It was a feast in the eye to see how a formless piece of clay is transformed into a beautiful work of art using the kick-wheel.

After the demonstration on how to do pottery using the kick-wheel, some of the bigger children got to personally experience making their own pottery pieces using the kick-wheel. Totally cool!

Cornerstone Pottery Farm produces stoneware products for cafes and restaurants in the country. They also create customized tabletops, corporate giveaways, spa amenities, and wedding souvenirs. Their potteries are food-safe, lead-free and are produced in an ecologically safe manner. They accept arranged field trips and pottery workshops for families or groups who may be interested to learn pottery or to simply find a bonding and relaxing moment with friends or loved ones. You may visit Cornerstone Pottery’s website for more info.

I can’t wait to see our children’s finished potteries after they have been fired in the farm’s huge kiln.

Likewise, I think the children’s “masterpieces” are a wonderful reminder of how our Own Maker and Potter molds us in His hands and transforms us into the kind of “masterpiece” He desires us to be.

“Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” – Isaiah 64:8

Weekend Blog Follower Caravan #21

2011-09-04T00:08:00.000+08:00

I’m joining the Weekend Blog Follower Caravan again this week! It’s been months now since I last joined this very helpful weekend meme hosted by OnlineBiz and Resources. And since my blog is less than a year old, I think I still need all the help and support I can get from kind fellow bloggers out there. And lately, what makes it more exciting to join this weekly meme is the $5 added bonus to be raffled off every week among all who participated! Thanks to Coffee on the Side and Walking News Paper for being this week’s sponsors.

Looking forward to blog-hopping this weekend and connecting with more blogger friends in blogosphere…Have a great WBFC weekend! Thanks for stopping by. ;-)

32nd Manila International Book Fair Coming Up in September

2011-08-28T22:03:00.000+08:00

Time really flies so fast! We’re already on the last week of August. A few days from now will be the start of the “ber” months, and that means it’s also the start of the Christmas countdown. Not only is September the beginning of the Christmas countdown, but to many book lovers in the country, it’s also the much-awaited month for the annual Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). Now on its 32^nd year, the MIBF is scheduled to happen on September 14-18, 2011 still at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

I went there last year and bought different kinds of books and educational toys/manipulative that we can use mostly for our homeschooling. I also bought some books that I can give as Christmas presents, and was fortunate to get an autograph on the storybooks I bought from one of my favorite Filipino children’s book authors, Grace Dacanay-Chong. Last year’s book fair was also a memorable experience for me as I was candidly interviewed for the TV show “The 700 Club Asia” regarding the benefits of reading books by parents to young children. In our case, I have been exposing our children to reading books ever since they were babies. It has become a habit for us to always read a book (be it the Bible or a children’s devotional or storybook with character-building lessons), usually at the start of our daily homeschooling and at bedtime, or even anytime we like. Not only has reading become a great bonding moment for us, but as a parent, I would also like to develop in my children the love for reading books. And since they were exposed to reading books at a very young age, I noticed that they also learned how to read early. I can go on and on, but the bottom line is that the benefits of reading books to children are truly immense and invaluable.

Here’s looking forward to going to the Manila International Book Fair again this year…

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. – By Charles W. Eliot

Natural Ways to Avoid Mosquito Bites

2011-08-23T20:13:00.000+08:00

The news about the rising number of dengue cases in the country is definitely alarming. Personally, I am extra cautious in going outdoors and, sad to say, even preventing my children from staying outside the house, too, nowadays that the dengue outbreak is in its height. Unfortunately, medications to neither specifically treat a dengue infection is yet to be discovered nor a vaccine available to prevent a person from being infected. Thus, the only way to avoid mosquito bites is prevention.

The Department of Health promotes its awareness campaign and urges the public to remember its 4S strategy to counter dengue, and these are:

1. Search and Destroy

2. Seek early consultation

3. Self-protective measures

4. Say “no” to indiscriminate fogging

I will not delve now on all these 4S’s as I think the Department of Health, together with media partners, is already doing a great job in making the public aware of these strategies. There are also a number of resources in the internet to help us know more about the dengue disease and how to “search and destroy” or prevent mosquitoes from lurking in our households. There are some very interesting “self-protective measures” (one of the 4S), on the other hand, that I discovered which I would like to share to you.

Taken from one of my favorite natural health books, “Prescription for Nutritional Healing”, here are some natural ways to protect ourselves from being bitten by mosquitoes, in general (not specific to dengue):

Avoid all refined sugar, which causes the skin to give off a sweet smell that attracts mosquitoes.
Avoid alcoholic drinks. Alcohol causes the skin to flush and the blood vessels to dilate, which attracts mosquitoes and flies.
Avoid using perfume, scented lotion, hair spray, and other cosmetics. These attract insects.
Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B₁ (thiamine) like fish, brown rice, brewer’s yeast, blackstrap molasses, and wheat germ, before spending time outside. Carbon dioxide, estrogens, moisture, sweat, and warmth attract mosquitoes. However, they appear to be repelled by the B vitamins, which are excreted through the skin, and especially by thiamine.
To avoid many insect bites, try taking a chlorine bleach bath before going out. Add 1 cup of bleach per tub of water. Insects dislike the smell. Swimming in a pool treated with chlorine also works.
Avoid wearing black or dark-hued clothing. Wear light colored clothing like white, yellow and green. Also, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs (although mosquitoes can still bite through cotton clothing).
Apply citrus juice to exposed areas to repel mosquitoes.

Excellent natural mosquito repellants I know are citronella, calendula, and lemongrass. I personally have a handy bottle of Ilog Maria Citronella Oil which I apply on my and my children’s arms and legs when we’re not wearing jeans, especially when we need to go outdoors or travel to Metro Manila. I have yet to try other natural mosquito repellants from other suppliers, but the one I got is all natural citronella oil with propolis. It’s potent, with antifungal and antibacterial action (because of the propolis), and stays on the skin for long hours (unless you wash it off, of course). For insect bites and skin itchiness or irritation, however, I also have the Ilog Maria Propolis ointment, which I find very effective. These products are not mass produced or commercially available, however, and can only be bought in their honey bee farm in Silang, Cavite or through their website, so most of the ingredients to their products come straight and fresh from their farm, thus, mostly retaining the ingredients’ potency.

As the famous saying goes “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. Let us all take part in preventing these mosquitoes from spreading around and victimizing people. Really, maintaining a clean and pollution-free environment is the way to do it, which boils down to people’s discipline and conscious effort in taking care of Mother Earth.

Our Recent "Homeschool" Family Field Trips

2011-07-29T18:49:00.001+08:00

Our children are young, and they still have a lot of places and opportunities to explore. Most of the time, my husband and I bring them to places that they have not visited yet. And as a homeschooling family, we occasionally do our own family “field trips”. My husband and I intentionally bring our children to places where they could find opportunities to learn and explore, at the same time, enjoy and have fun.

Here are some snapshots of recent field trips that we had as a family:

First, the Science Discovery Center in SM Mall of Asia to expose the kids to the different wonders of science...

After watching a short film inside the Planetarium, we somehow felt how it was being in outer space. Cool!

The kids enjoyed watching this robot play the electric keyboard.

In another occasion, we brought them to a local zoo called Avilon Zoo in Montalban, Rizal.

Picture, picture, of course!

With Trixie, the cute and friendly orangutan...

Unfortunately, we're not that brave to feed the big cats!

So these are what we fed, instead - guinea pigs! (LOL)

Another field trip that we had this year was last summer - in Subic!

Kids' first time in Ocean Adventure

Enjoyed looking at all the beautiful creatures of the sea...

"Olongapo Jones" - one of the many live shows that we watched over at Ocean Adventure. Kids had a blast!

Just as one homeschool advocacy says “the world is your child's classroom”. And how I wish we could really make the world our big classroom! We are praying for God’s provision that we will be able to travel abroad as a family in the near future. In the mean time, we have more to explore here in our own beautiful country.

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Healthy Cooking Tips (Part 2)

2011-07-28T18:56:00.001+08:00

Bake, Boil, Broil or Roast – This I learned from my Cardiologist that the healthy ways to cook lean meat, fish or poultry are baked, boiled (or steamed for fish), broiled or grilled or roasted. If frying cannot be completely avoided, stir-frying is the better option than deep frying. And use the right kind of oil.

Use cooking oil with high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats – Firstly, let us distinguish the “bad fats” from the “good fats” and let us define what monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are. Monounsaturated fats lower total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol) and increase HDL cholesterol (the so-called good cholesterol). Polyunsaturated fats, where Omega-3 fatty acids belong, also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the “good fats”. On the other hand, saturated fats increase total blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol) while trans fat increases LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol (the so-called good cholesterol). Both saturated fats and trans fat are classified as the “bad fats”.

Based on the above classification, the best cooking oil to use should contain high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and with low or no saturated fats and trans fat. Good cooking oils of this type are canola oil, olive oil, almond oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soya oil, and peanut oil. Bad cooking oils with high percentage of saturated or trans fat that are to be avoided are coconut oil, palm oil, butter, hard margarine and vegetable shortening. For frying foods, choose canola oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil or soya oil as these oils have higher smoke point while olive oil has a lower smoke point.

Limit your use of salt – I read that we only need less than 500 milligrams of sodium a day to stay healthy. Excessive sodium intake can cause fluid to be retained in the tissues, which can lead to hypertension (or high blood pressure) and can aggravate many medical disorders, including congestive heart failure, certain forms of kidney disease, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). And the best way to limit sodium in your diet is to limit your use of salt when cooking and dining. Likewise, avoid eating processed foods and using seasoning mixes when cooking, which often contain excessive amounts of sodium.

And in choosing between sea salt and the common table salt, sea salt is a more natural and healthy alternative because table salt is more heavily processed and contains additives to prevent clumping.

Happy healthy cooking!

Healthy Cooking Tips (Part 1)

2011-07-28T00:04:00.000+08:00

This day and age, when fast food chains and instant foods are widespread, it is not enough that we eat a balanced meal in order to achieve a healthy diet and a healthier you. Though food selection is important, it is not enough that we simply purchase foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, complex proteins, fiber and low in saturated fats. Food preparation is equally imperative. Food must be free from harmful additives, and it must be prepared in a way that it preserves its nutrients and avoids the occurrence of harmful substances.

Here are some basic guidelines that I would like to share to you for preparing and cooking foods the healthy way:

Avoid foods that contain additives and artificial ingredients – Additives are placed in foods for several reasons: to lengthen shelf life; to make a food more appealing by enhancing color, texture, or taste, and even make the product more marketable. Anyone whose diet is high in processed food products clearly consumes a high amount of additives and artificial ingredients. Additives and artificial ingredients simply add little or no nutritional value to a food product. Some additives could even pose a threat to our health.

Increase your consumption of raw produce or steam or lightly cooked vegetables – The most healthful fruits and vegetables are those that have been grown organically, which means they are free from insecticides, herbicides, artificial fertilizers, or growth-stimulating chemicals. When choosing your produce, I learned to look for fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of ripeness. These contain more vitamins and enzymes than those that are under ripe or overripe, or those kept in storage for a long period of time. Although most people usually cook their vegetables before eating, both fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw, if possible. But since organic fruits and vegetables are not widely sold in markets and grocery stores in the country, most people buy the commercially-available fruits and vegetables. If that is the case, clean and wash well the raw produce, and steam your vegetables lightly in a steamer or cooking pan or wok, or cook it until slightly tender.

Avoid overcooking your food – Overcooking destroys many valuable nutrients. Worse, when foods are cooked to the point of browning or charring, the organic compounds they contain undergo changes in structure, producing carcinogens. Barbecued meats seem to pose the worst health threat in this regard. Even browned or burned bread crusts contain a variety of carcinogenic substances. Clearly, by eating produce raw or lightly cooked, and limiting consumption of meat, you will be doing much to decrease your risk of cancer and, possibly, other disorders.

Use the proper cooking utensils – One of the ways to ensure wholesome cooked food is the careful selection of cookware. When cooking foods, use only glass, stainless steel, or iron pots and pans. Do not use aluminum cookware or utensils. Foods cooked or stored in aluminum produce a substance that neutralizes the digestive juices, leading to acidosis and ulcers. Worse, the aluminum in the cookware can leach from the pot into the food. When the food is consumed, the aluminum is absorbed by the body, where it accumulates in the brain and nervous system tissues. Excessive amounts of these aluminum deposits have been linked to be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Another cookware type to be avoided is the one with non-stick coating. Too often, the metals and other substances in the pot’s or pan’s finish leaches into the food, which ultimately ends up in your body.

Watch out for more healthy cooking tips!

Resource:
Phyllis A. Balch, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Avery Publishing, 2006.

My Top 5 Favorite Stores

2011-07-22T18:40:00.001+08:00

I’m not really a “shopaholic” person. As much as possible, I try to buy only what I or my family need, and I mean this of course falls within the categories of food, shelter and clothing, and to add one more, education. Gone were the days that I splurge on shopping for myself ever since we had children. I guess I’m the kind of person who would prefer to be lazing in the beach or savoring the quietness of nature than being in the crowded malls. The grocery store is, of course, the only store we commonly go to for obvious reasons. But there are simply some specialty stores that I really love going to for great finds, quality service, and for personal/family health care. And let me just share them to you today – my top 5 favorite stores! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photo of me and my family in any of these stores, but I can share to you the links to their website, in case you get interested, too.

In random order, my top 5 favorite stores are:

1. Healthy Options – A one-stop-shop for most of my and my family’s health care needs and some natural & organic grocery items that I can’t find anywhere else. Healthy Options carries a wide variety of brands and products, from personal care, natural health and medicines, and grocery items that are all-natural, organic and additives-free. As a Healthy Options member, you do not only get points every time you shop but you also get to enjoy an instant rebate of P50.00 for every single receipt purchase of worth P1,000.00, which you can right away use on your next transaction.

2. Ilog Maria – Ilog Maria is actually a honey bee farm located in the highlands of Silang, Cavite. All their honey bee products are sold in a store located only in their farm. And here is where I buy my supply of raw honey, of course, and bee propolis products and other honey bee products.

3. Organikka – From the name itself, you would get an idea that it’s something ‘organic’. Yup, it’s an organic store where I get my supply of organic eggs, organic chicken, and organic green tea. Here is also where I can buy raw honey, whenever I don’t get the chance to drive all the way to Silang, Cavite. While Healthy Options mostly carries imported products and do not sell fresh meats and grains, the Organikka store sells frozen fresh organic chicken, organic pork and beef, organic eggs as well as organic brown rice and red rice. It also carries locally-manufactured organic drinks, organic teas and raw honey. The store is also expanding its product line which now includes locally-made natural & organic personal care products like soaps and shampoos. So far, Organikka has 2 branches – 1 in Sta.Rosa, Laguna and 1 in South Supermarket Alabang, if I’m not mistaken.

4. Booksale – This is one bookstore where I and my family find really great books at a bargain price. Here is where I get our collection of Dr. Seuss books, Magic School Bus books, and The Berenstein Bears books, among others, that I read to my children. Books sold here, though, are mostly second-hand books that’s why they are cheap. But that’s ok with us for as long as the book is readable, which most of the store’s books are. There’s another bookstore like Booksale that also sells cheap first-hand and second-hand books that I also like, and that is Chapters & Pages.

5. Rustan’s – Alright now, I did say earlier I’m not a ‘shopaholic’, but why is Rustan’s one of my favorites? The name Rustan’s is known for luxury retail shopping. It is Philippines’ home to the world’s most premier and sought after brands that are of high quality. Compared to other department stores, I like the store’s relaxing ambiance and clean facilities and professional, friendly customer service. One can relax and grab a bite in the store’s lounge/café area while waiting for something or someone or simply killing time. The store also has a Concierge (like in a hotel!) always ready to assist customers with their shopping and transportation needs. This is one great store where you can really splurge, if you have the money, of course!

There are other stores that I also like, and I hope to blog about them, too, one of these days. And in case I might stumble upon more stores that would also interest me in the near future, I will let you know about it, too. But for now, these are my top 5.

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Gluten-free, Vegetarian and Hypoallergenic Children’s Multi-vitamins

2011-07-20T20:09:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine recently asked me what vitamins I give to my children because she noticed that my daughter is looking “healthier” these days. My little girl has indeed gained more weight (and height, too) and that’s primarily because both of my children have not been getting sick for a long time already. In fact, their last visit to their Pediatrician prior to their recent annual well child check-up before school started was almost a year ago. And in their well child check-up, I was glad that the results for both children were good - that their weight is within average (not over or under weight) and their height is in the upper percentile. My daughter is quite a picky eater; therefore, she needs nutritional support for health and overall well-being. My children are no longer taking any synthetic vitamins and supplements but instead I give them multi-vitamins and mineral supplement from whole food concentrates.

Nature’s Plus Source of Life Animal Parade is an award-winning children’s supplement from whole food concentrates that is gluten-free, vegetarian and hypo-allergenic. Although Animal Parade also comes in chewable tablet form, my daughter likes the luscious Tropical Berry flavor of the Animal Parade Liquid. Animal Parade Liquid provides a complete spectrum of essential vitamins, including 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for most vitamins, including Vitamins C and B. It also provides a broad range of healthful essential minerals, including calcium, zinc, iodine, copper and manganese. And what I like most about it is that it comes from whole food concentrates, which include pineapple, apple, lemon bioflavonoids, rose hips, mango fruit, West Indian cherry, papaya fruit, whole brown rice, broccoli, carrot, and spinach. So at least I know my child is getting a comprehensive nutritional support that I am looking for that is natural and free from artificial coloring and sweeteners. And since Animal Parade is hypoallergenic, it is also free from common allergens like yeast, wheat, corn, soy and milk.

And you might ask where I get my supply of this imported multi-vitamin and mineral supplement? No less from my favorite health store, Healthy Options, which not only carries many natural-sourced vitamin and mineral supplement brands for children and adults but also carries a variety of health products from personal care, health supplements, natural medicines, healthy foods and drinks, and health-related books/reference materials. You might want to drop by in any of their branches near you and see for yourself a wide variety of choices for your health and well-being that are natural, organic and additives-free.

Pigeon Feeding at The Venice Piazza

2011-06-27T18:25:00.000+08:00

I just usually see in the movies those flocks of pigeons roaming and flying around Piazza San Marco (or St. Mark’s Square), amidst the baroque and age-old structures and buildings in Venice, Italy. I didn’t know that there is already a place in Taguig City, Manila that imitates such a Venetian ambiance and experience, not until my children and I fetched hubby from work weeks ago and got the chance to go to The Venice Piazza (that’s the name of the place!)…Hubby’s office happens to be located across The Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill in the heart of the new cosmopolitan business hub, Bonifacio Global City. I thought it was a cozy place with lots of posh restaurants surrounding the open piazza. A nice covered play area is likewise accessible to children, and my children enjoy playing there every time they get to fetch their Papa after work.

At the Children's Play Area

Playing "House"

And the most exciting of our experiences there at The Venice Piazza is the pigeon feeding. Although I think the pigeons are just resting (and maybe waiting for feeding time) on the roofs of the piazza, pigeon feeding happens only around 4:00PM-5:00PM everyday in the open piazza. Bird feeds can be bought for P20.00/pack. Although I thought the pigeons were not as many as in Piazza San Marco, my little daughter and I had a blast feeding the pigeons for the first time because they all flock around us when we throw feeds all over the place and even when we just offer the feeds on our palms. My little boy, on the other hand, was too scared of being flocked by the pigeons so he just sat on the bench contently watching his big sister and I happily feed the pigeons.

Feeding the pigeons

If you happen to go to Bonifacio Global City, the Venice Piazza is one place you may want to stop by for some nice Italian ambiance and fine dining, and be sure to schedule it in the afternoon so you get to experience pigeon feeding as well, especially when you have kids with you.

Another fun family (and mommy & me) time shared with:

Daddy Moment Special Edition - Our Father's Day Celebration

2011-06-26T22:03:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, the whole “Baranggay” (that's how we call our big family) is at our parents’ house again to celebrate another special occasion - Father’s Day. I gave my dad a card with a personal note in it, and my kids made a card, too, for their Papa. As usual, the food was a feast!

My little boy was camera-shy that time...

It was also my hubby’s birthday that day, so it was an extra special day (a double celebration!) for my own little family. I bought a giant greeting card for hubby and, with the help of my artsy daughter, we decorated it with some stickers, photos and personally-handwritten Father’s Day messages. This served as our simple and somewhat personalized birthday gift and Father’s Day gift in one for hubby. Actually, I knew what he’s been wanting to have, but I don’t know what exactly to buy and where to get the best bargain, so I just gave him my consent instead and told him to just buy one himself :-)


Our Father's Day (and Birthday) Giant Card

From the Kids

Some of the June celebrants in the family

June is the month with the most number of birthday celebrants in our “Baranggay”. So aside from my hubby, we also celebrated the birthday of other members in the family. I bought an Oreo ice cream birthday cake for hubby for a change; had the traditional blowing of candles with the other June celebrants in the family, and then everybody feasted on the chocolate cake and ice cream cake for an afternoon snack. OH, THE CALORIES!!! (LOL) If Mom gave away nice bags to all the moms in the family last Mother’s Day, she also gave a Father’s Day gift to all the dads in the family last Sunday. What gift? Secret! (LOL) But I’m definitely glad (and thankful) she gave that instead :-)

What a blessing to be able to spend a special Father's day with loved ones! And thankful to God, too, for adding another year to the life of people close to my heart.

This is my special edition "Daddy Moment" link-up post for:

God’s Best Dad for Our Children

2011-06-21T18:09:00.002+08:00

What a great way to pay tribute to my one and only partner in life, the father of my two little angels, as well as to all the fathers out there, but to remember the wonderful promises and reminders coming from our Most Awesome, Loving and Almighty Father Himself.

I have been experimenting on some photo effects lately, and here are what I have come up with. I call them art expression and labor of love :-) I hope you’ll enjoy looking at the photos of my children with their dad and be inspired with the verses, too.

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4

“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” – Proverbs 23:22

“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…” – Malachi 4:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6

To Noah, my husband, my lover, my friend, and forever my partner, thank you for being a wonderful and loving dad to our children. Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. One of the greatest gifts I have ever had came from God, and I call him YOU. And for that, I always praise and thank God for giving YOU to me and to our children. You may not be the best dad in the world, but I know you are the best dad God chose for our children. I love you and Happy Father's Day...everyday!

Beginning of Another Homeschool Year

2011-06-11T19:16:00.001+08:00

Some of our homeschool materials

This week has been a very hectic week for me as my children and I have officially started our 3^rd year of homeschooling. Just like any other moms out there with school-aged children, I, too, kept myself busy with the nitty-gritty of preparing for the coming school year which, of course, includes the initial requirement of enrolling the children with a local homeschool provider located in Metro Manila, and as their “Teacher Mama”, choosing all the curricula that we can use this year, organizing our daily homeschool schedule, and planning for the activities that we can start with this week.

Playing and learning at the same time!

Since I now have 2 preschool children to teach, we kicked off our first two days of homeschool doing a review of some basic skills that my children learned last homeschool year. Part of the review that we did was done through a game. And since my little boy is now in Kinder, I am now trying to put more structure in our activities (without putting any pressure on him, I hope) and introducing a good curriculum which I hoped he will like. And so far he’s enjoying it. Thank God!

But beyond the academic preparations that I need to make, I think it is more important to prepare myself mentally, emotionally, physically, and most especially, spiritually for the call to homeschool. As their teacher, I am not only responsible for teaching academic subjects to my children but, more importantly, imparting to them a lifestyle of a love for learning, love and respect for God, family and others as well as modeling Godly characters and responsible parenting to my children. I know it’s a very tough job with a big responsibility laid on my shoulders. It really takes a lot of commitment, love and sacrifice to do it. And I know, too, that I cannot do it alone and rely on my own efforts and strength but to rely on friends and family for support and understanding (rather than opposition and discouragement) and to God, who called us in this ministry, for His grace, wisdom, strength, provision and everything else. May God lead us in this journey…

Incidentally, I am joining the Weekend Blog Follower Caravan this week sponsored by Online Biz and Resources. So if you want to know more about me and my life’s passion and pursuits (which include homeschooling), kindly click that cute little Google Friend Connect (or NetworkedBlogs) “Follow” button in my sidebar, and follow me on Twitter too (I’m kind of lonely out there, you know), and I will surely be following you back. I would love to hear from you! God bless!

Healthy Recipe #3 - Tuna Carbonara

2011-06-10T00:18:00.000+08:00

I love pasta food! I consider a pasta dish as my ‘comfort food’. And here’s another healthy pasta recipe that is very easy to make. My kids are sometimes choosy when it comes to food especially seafood, but this is one simple recipe that I can cook in a jiffy that they really like. Main ingredient for this carbonara recipe is tuna.

Just to briefly give you some of the health benefits of tuna, tuna is an excellent source of high quality protein, and is rich in a variety of important nutrients including minerals like magnesium, selenium, and potassium; the B vitamins niacin, B1 and B6, and the most important and beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 is named essential fatty acids because these are indeed essential for our health but cannot be made by our body, thus must be obtained from foods like cold-water salmon or tuna fish. Omega-3 helps prevent blood clots, heart attack and stroke, improves blood flow, helps reduce inflammation of the skin and reduce the risk of skin cancer, and is essential for liver health which helps to promote the detoxification of the body.

My Tuna Carbonara

For this simple tuna recipe, I use the following ingredients:

0% Trans Fat 50% Reduced Cholesterol

1 small can (184g) tuna chunks in water, drained

1 pack 250mL all-purpose cream, preferably 0% Trans Fat

Olive oil

Garlic, finely chopped

Button mushrooms, chopped (optional)

Grated cheese or parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Spaghetti or linguini noodles

Method:

1. Cook pasta noodles according to package instruction. Drain pasta noodles and set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a casserole over low heat. Saute chopped garlic, followed by mushrooms (optional) then the drained tuna chunks. Increase to medium heat until the tuna chunks get cooked.

3. Add the all-purpose cream and a little bit of purified/distilled water depending on your desired creaminess. You may add grated cheese or parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to low while constantly stirring the sauce to prevent from forming lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. After cooking, depending on what you desire, pour some sauce over a serving of the cooked pasta in a plate, or combine the whole sauce with the pasta before serving.

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A Blogger Award for Me?

2011-06-05T01:42:00.000+08:00

When I received a comment in one of my posts here in my blog that I was given a blogger award, I immediately got excited to discover what it was. Yes, I was given “The Versatile Blogger” Award, my very first blog award! Thank you to Mommy Chris of The Mommy Journey for thinking of me and appreciating my new blog.

And as part of the tradition of having received this award, I now need to list 7 things about me and pass this award to 15 other bloggers. So here goes my list…

Some people mistake me as Chinese or Korean, but I am 100% Pinay (a Filipina).
I love to travel and discover different places and culture. If given the chance, I would love to go to the African Safari, New Zealand, and the Holy Land.
I love dancing as much as I love singing. I guess it runs in the family! (LOL)
The very first award (as in a trophy) that I received was in a gymnastics competition when I was a high school freshman, beating other participants from all high school levels.
I am a “water” person. I love hitting the beach or the swimming pool, and the shower, too! I also prefer drinking water than soda. I don’t want to go out without any packed water bottle in our bag.
My favorite sport is swimming, of course! Next is bowling.
My very first ministry in church was being a Sunday School Teacher. It seems that the Lord has prepared me for the task He had for me, which is now being a homeschool teacher to my children.

Hhmmm…Since I’m only new in the realm of blogging, I have not met many bloggers yet. So I will be bequeathing this award sometime later to my top 15 bloggers who I think will be deserving of such honor to be called “a versatile blogger”.

Giving back the honor to God! Have a great weekend!