Back to Basics in My Fifties

Exercising for good health

I started this blog when I was in my mid thirty's and struggling with hypertension.  If you would rummage through my posts, you'd see that a lot of it are about my running escapades and then dabbling a bit on swimming.  Of course, what's a health blog without touching on nutrition and fitness in general?  I remember those DIY exercises that I actually do in the office when I had time to spare or when I was simply bored and want some physical activities.  I was so active back then.  I had goals to achieve.

{After a Long Absence}: Hello There!

I can't believe it's been seven long years since I wrote on this site.  I could almost picture myself walking into a very dusty room with thick cobwebs every where, some parts of the wall coming off and with every step I hear the floor boards creaking.  Wow!  Just wow!

Well, here I am, trying to get my bearings.  Would you believe it took about twenty minutes or so to log in?  For a while there, I thought I lost access to this blog.  I was wracking my brains trying to remember my log in details.  But here I am, so my attempts were successful haha!

I'm still re-familiarizing myself with how things work.  I see that it's still the friendly platform that I remember.  I'll be hopefully rolling things out eventually and not disappear again for a long time.  So much to catch up on and like an old house, I'll probably get to renovating things eventually.  

So, I'm just glad to be back, warming up a bit first.  Can't believe how much I miss writing.  

Let's get things going then.... 

See you around!

PROJECT WOMAN: CRAVE Healthy

Unilab just keeps coming up with great products.  

Here's another amazing find specifically for pregnant women.  We all know that pregnant women need to be even more particular with their food intake, no matter how intense the craving they may have.  

I think this is a very thoughtful product in the sense that it understands how a woman craves during pregnancy.  

Crave Healthy is the first snack product in the Philippines that is specifically designed for the pregnant woman by doctors and nutritionists. 

                                      

It’s NUTRITIOUS because it contains essential nutrients – Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium that are critical for both the mom and her growing baby. It also has reduced salt and just the right amount of calories that give the pregnant woman that extra energy she needs daily. 

It’s DELICIOUS because it tastes just like her regular snack. Crave Healthy is currently available in Sweet Corn flavor and does not have any aftertaste of nutrient fortifications. It helps support the nutritional needs of pregnant women and their developing fetus. 

A healthy way to satisfy hunger and food cravings of pregnant women!

... and curious gals like me.

A pack of Crave is worth Php 25.00 at 30 grams each. 

It’s available online at www.cravehealthysnacks.com, select Med Express branches, and select Robinsons Supermarket outlets.

Oh I can't wait to try this out. I know, I know, it's actually for moms-to-be but hey, I suppose no one's going to stop me from sampling this anyway.  If it's safe for pregnant women, it most definitely is safe for me to at least try, right?

So, come on!

PROJECT WOMAN: Athena for the Active Woman

First post of the year, so first of all, a happy new year to everyone!  

Right, resolutions....  And what better way to start the year than to set health goals!  I've been out from blogging for quite sometime and during that span of time, my body has gone through a lot of changes.  At some point, I was super active with work that it was hardly an effort to stay slim.  I ate a lot, mind you and yet I was down to my lowest BMI ever and if I had exerted more effort into exercising, I'd probably see well defined abs.  

Well, fast forward to a couple of months ago, and here I am covered in flabs once again.  So much for the abs hahaha!  Time to do some reality check.  Lately, I've been on desk job and so I was sitting around most days.  The inevitable happened of course.  And so as my clothes were observably a bit more snug fitting, it is time to take some action.  

For starters, I've been doing longer walks lately, something I did't do for quite some time.  And in the coming weeks, I'll be back in line duty which involves more walking.  So, I am expecting more mobility these days, which is good!

Fitness and good health as we all know, is a combination of proper exercise and nutrition.  So as I am starting to move around more again, I also need to supplement my body with the proper nutrition.  

I'm basically a coffee fiend, so milk is not in my beverage list.  But at my age, I know I need the nutritional values found in milk, particularly for the bones.  I'm happy Unilab has the right milk that I could start with, without worrying about getting even plumper than I already am.

Introducing Athena, the milk especially formulated to meet a woman's special nutritional needs.

                    

             

   

No other milk understands us better. Women like us, who are always on the go, seek to strike a balance between work and personal time to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. That is why we need to stay fit and attractive, to look good and feel good whenever we can. We have unique needs that only women like us truly understand.

Here are some of the great nutritional benefits of Athena:

• High Calcium essential for optimum bone health. It is also a source of Vitamins D and K, Magnesium and Phosphorus – nutrients to help maintain strong bones 
• Low in Fat so you can enjoy this beverage without the risk of high caloric intake 
• Source of Anti-oxidants such as Vitamins A & E and Zinc to help maintain healthy skin and promote optimum immune function. 

Athena comes in two flavors – Milk (180 grams – Php 130.00; 400 grams – Php 273.00) and Choco (180 grams – Php 130.00). It’s available online at www.athena.com.ph and in-store at Mercury Drugstore, Watsons, and Southstar.

Athena, a delicious beverage made just for us women! I would definitely buy this one on my next trip to the grocery or those drug stores and I'm loving that they have chocolate flavor!

The Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC): A World-Class Philippine Dental Center

Tooth extraction, tooth fillings, root canal... these are some of the worst nightmares of most people.  Some people would even endure the pain rather than go through these procedures.  The mere mention of going to the dentist is already a cringe-factor to some people.  Thankfully, I have only personally experienced the first two procedures and I live in an age when anesthesia was already discovered long ago.  I guess, having my mom accompany me to the dentist when I was a kid also helped.  Still, I get that unsettling, nervous feeling sometimes when anything has to involve using needles and something used to pull teeth, which I think is a normal reaction.

{Back to Basics}: Jump Start the Journey to Good Health

Hey there health buffs, couch potatoes and the in-betweeners!

The first month of this year, 2016 is almost through!  I'm sure that most of us have already gotten over the long holidays (or getting there, somehow) and have now acclimated to the normal life routines.  Like most people, you may have already written down those resolutions, intent and committed to achieving those. I just hope you haven't thrown out your list of goals this early.  If you don't have goals, now is the best time to think about it.  I myself have set some goals for this year, and it will not be complete without the health goals. 

Here's the thing.  Last year, I have joined only one organized fun run and I don't do my regular weekly runs after that.  I regressed, so to speak.  I don't know.  Maybe I got tired of running around lol! Naturally, I gained weight...and bulges uggghhh!  But you know, having started this health blog some years ago, I wasn't really so much into the body image thing.  I was mostly concerned about my overall health. Being slimmer is just a desirable by-product of a healthier lifestyle.  

{Infographic}: How to Treat Heart Disease Better

The holidays are just around the corner. You know what this season brings. Food... lots of food!  And since most of us are on vacation mode, we tend to overindulge and exercise less.  After all, this is the much deserved break from the daily grind of work and stuff we do routinely.  It's the time to just chill out and relax as they say.  In other words, it's the perfect excuse to revert to couch potato mode.

It's no wonder that one of the top resolutions come January is about losing the weight gained during the break and a clamoring to melt those bulges and bring down the cholesterol levels to normal. It's a vicious cycle if you ask me.  

For someone who is already at risk, having a family history of heart disease from both parents, this infographic is a good reminder for me and for you as well. That's why I thought of sharing it with you before you go full gear for the upcoming break. It somehow sets things in perspective each time we drool over those cholesterol-laden food and each time we're tempted to postpone exercise for the next day...and the next day...and so on.

Well, it all still boils down to eating healthy food and having regular exercise. 

How to Treat Heart Disease Better than Ever Before