Nuvali - A Healthy Way to Live

I cannot overemphasize that there are many factors leading a healthy life.  Food, of course is one consideration.  But so is the place of residence.

Living in the province is ideal where there is fresh air, fresh food, and the surrounding is green.  But most of us need to work and earn a living.  It may difficult to be commuting (and consequently become unhealthy) living in the province.  Well, that is not so if we live in Nuvali.

Nuvali is currently Ayala's biggest development in Southern Luzon. Found in the province of Laguna, it is quite accessible to go to Metromanila as it only takes about 20 minutes to travel from Pasay to this regional growth center of the south.  It is close to vital centers such as schools (Miriam College and Xavier School are both found in Nuvali while Don Bosco, La Salle and St. Scholastica are just about 5 km away), malls (the Solenad malls are in Nuvali, while the Paseo de Sta. Rosa is a stone's throw away), Churches (St. Benedict, Don Bosco and now even Xavier School has a chapel).  Businesses and offices are sprouting here and there.  Currently, IBM and Convergys can already be found in Nuvali, KGB is found just about 200 meters away.   The presence of Seda Hotel in the area serves the guests who are here for both pleasure and business.

Nuvali is a mixed use development.  This means residential areas are built to coexist with commercial areas.  House and Lots in villages such as HillCrest Estates, Avida Southfield Settings, Lumira are currently up for sale.  Condo units are still up for grabs (but are quickly running out) at the Amaia Scapes.  As for leisure, Nuvali offers activities such as it's now popular wakeboarding at the Wake Park located on a hill.  Camp N, the bird sanctuary and the greens and patches are also maintained for the less adventurous crowd.   There are factory outlets found in Solenad where shopgoers can search for signature brands at a lesser cost.  There will be other commercial areas that will be built as the some 2,200 hectares of land is being developed.  Nuvali in itself is

Yet, despite all those, Nuvali is our own sanctuary.  Here, I have time and again found birds, bees and butterflies in my garden.  Children are still able to play without unnecessary danger exposure.  The guards at our village are all over and their presence is felt by everyone.  The air is clean because there are many trees and the park is relaxingly green.  It is a place of solitude who like the peace and quiet yet vibrant when you go to the commercial centers.

Yes, it contributes to maintaining health and wellness because it has everything you need and more.

If this has sparked your interest and would like to invest, ask me about properties in Nuvali.  Anyone can invest in the growth and development of Nuvali.  This is the perfect time to do so.

*For inquiries, call or text me at +63 999 6126686 or email me at yoggiestation@gmail.com.

Everything On It - A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness

Don't you ever wonder why, despite their effort to eat right,  some  people still get sick?
Here's the thing about staying healthy - everything contributes to it.  You know, not just your food.  It's your lifestyle - your food, your job, your residence, your activities, your relationships, your soap,  your makeup, etc. etc. etc.

Yup.  You heard it right.  Why do I say this?  Because it is the truth.  The decisions you make determine your health.  Thus to me, health is a matter of choice.  Decisions are done every single minute of your life.  When you eat, you decide what to eat, what time to eat, where to eat, who to eat with, to clean the dishes right after or not.  When you walk, you decide to go left or right, go up the stairs or ride the elevator, go to the park or to the mall.  When you work, you decide whether to call someone first or write an memo, to type for the boss or remind him of his next appointment;, for artists,  to draw a dribble line or dribble; for nurses, to give this guy his meds or to check on the vital signs of another.  When you go home, will you ride the bus or a taxi? Will you go straight home and buy Junior's school supplies at a nearby store, or buy them before you go home?   Those are but a few choices we make each day.

For a healthy lifestyle, I constantly remind myself (and bug my family with it) everytime:

1.  Diet - low fat (except for kefir and yogurt), low salt, moderate sugar, high fiber, all natural.  But, I take soda once a month and indulge in some dessert that I love every 2 weeks.  Otherwise, a bite or two of anything sweet will be enough for me in a day. I take a dose each of garlic, papaya and herbalberry capsules every single day 15 minutes before breakfast.  Of course, I take my milk kefir.  2 cups at least a day.  when I don't feel well, I take an additional 2 cups.

2.  Exercise - a few minutes of dancing to my favorite music specially the ones that my zumba instructor plays, house chores, walking the dog,

3.  Work and relations - I choose to make and deliver yogurt and kefir where I get to meet other people.  I feel good when I am able to help others.  When I want to cry, I do.  Crying releases the endorphins which ultimately lessens stress.  The trick is to choose to do what you enjoy doing.

4.  Hygiene  and beauty regimen- the daily bath, kefir on face and body, use of all natural soap, shampoo, feminine wash, body scrub and honeymilk lotion are part of what I do. I use my daughter's lip gloss.  She makes them with vit. E, beeswax, virgin coconut oil and non-toxic crayons.  The chemicals you get yourself in contact with will definitely end up in some part of your body which will most likely give you a not so pleasant reaction.

5.  Home - we recently transferred to a place that has lots of trees, minimal air and nose pollution, with a friendly neighborhood.  How does this affect health?  Well, it's stress free living in a clean environment.

6.  Leisure - watch a movie or go to the beach or just a nice walk uphill with family is what I love doing.  It's is fun and not stressful.  When some people cause me stress, I shut them out for a while and deal with them at a later time when they are calm.  This way, it is less stressful to both of us.

7.  Rest and relaxation - note to self: you need a lot of rest.  You see I am the energetic type of person.  My day starts early and ends late.  Lately though I feel tired and sluggish.  I realized it is because I don't sleep enough.  sleep allows the cells to repair, rebuild and regenerate.  I write my blogs when I have the urge to.  These make me think but they don't stress me out.

8.  Music - I love to hear jazz, mellow, classical, broadway and nature sounds. Those relax me.  When I want to dance though I love the upbeat ones.  But then I revert back to the ones that keep me calm.

9.  Aromatherapy - the scent that we use at home are eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint and green tea or tea tree.  Those according to some have calming effects.

  Even the switch I made with my wifi connection is part of it.  Lesser stress means lesser chance of getting ill.

Now you know my secret.  Mind you I haven't gotten ill for the longest time.  Just a few hours of cold or cough.  But that's about it.  And I'm fifty. Lol.    How about you?

Your Health In Your Hands

That's my impression of Kaiser Permanente health plans. Ever heard of them? I did when I was in the US. My mom and brother have a health coverage. Well, I thought, they're just one of the HMO's available. Perhaps like mine. But no, it isn't. It's more than just an HMO. It offers you more alternatives in taking control of your own health.
california kaiser health plans

Just how professional are they? Unlike other HMO's, Kaiser health plans manages your health record for you. They have their own medical team that takes care of their clients. Plus the features of california kaiser health plans allows you to choose what coverage you need - individual, family, corporate. Another one that I like is that feature which allows you to save for your health protection - the health savings account. It lets you decide on what to spend your money. It doesn't have a fixed amount because it is a savings account. Thus if you have more money, you can save more. But if you don't, then you just stash away whatever is affordable to you at the moment. Great huh?

I've personally witnessed how the system works because my brother was hospitalized while I was in California. And I can tell you how good they a job they have done. But what are my words compared to what someone has experienced first hand? My brother has beyond just kind words for them. Sadly though, they're just in California. Can't these guys come over to the Philippines too? The Philippines could use a professional service company such as theirs.

Swimming as a Sport and AnAll-purpose Activity

Swimming is really a great sport. Do you know that it is a recommended sport for almost everyone specially for those with health problems? For the asthmatic and those with respiratory problems, it is a great exercise for the lungs since it encourages deep breathing pretty much like playing the flute or even singing does. For the people with heart conditions, it is a great cardiac exercise. For the menopausal women, and those at risk for osteoporosis, it provides the necessary demand required by the body to keep its calcium levels in the bones. For the pregnant woman, for the children, for the adults and the seniors. For kids, it is a total workout needed to make the brain function well resulting to an attentive mind in class. For the scoliotic, it provides the necessary exercise to strenghten the back muscles. For the ladies with irregular periods, a regular swim will regulate it. For the weightwatchers, swimming is one of the most effective workout.

At the moment I can only think of 4 conditions that will not recommend swimming: 1. for those with Congestive heart failure since any activity for that matter will cause the heart to work fast; 2. for those who are prone to skin cancer but this can be prevented by regular application of sunblock; 3. during a or just after a hypertensive attack because it will raise the blood pressure all the more;4. for those who have epilepsy or are taking drugs that cause drowsiness. In these conditions, swimming will not be beneficial and might even be fatal. But all as with all other conditions, swimming outweighs the disadvantanges.

It is a great activity to do with the whole family. In my husband's family, there has never been a summer that did not involve going for a swim whether it be at a nearby pool or a beach outing somewhere. You don't have to be a really good swimmer but you do have to know how to swim and not just to float. So while in Manila, why not attend a swimming lesson with Coach Efren Jocson of the Pasig Flying Dolphins Swimming Team? They meet every weekend at the Philippine Sports Commission's ULTRA Swimming pool. This is located in Pasig.

Don't get me wrong. This is not a paid blog. I'm promoting the team because I believe that the coach is doing a good work with the training he is providing the children. And, he doesn't charge so much. Actually, I don't think he earns a living out of the fees he collects from us. You can hardly even call it a fee. I'm not authorized to say how much but I assure you it is really, really low. So, let me urge you to get in touch with him. It's a good way to train your kids. Who knows they might end up as a varsity player and get a scholarship in the process? That's not a far-fetched idea as a few of those under Coach Efren's tutelage are already scholars. Ask Tito Guch or Manay Jane who are parents of two students and they'll swear that they will not have anyone else handle their children's swimming lessons. Way to go Coach!

When going for a swim though, you have to bring the right stuff. But that's my next blog. watch out for it.

Diet But Don't Die Yet! - making diet easier

I've always had this weight problem. I'm 130 lbs now but I used to weigh heavier. Thanks to two wonderful diet plans, I get to stay in this weight. Not that I like how heavy I am. I would like to get at least 10 more pounds off. But, as a nurse, I know that I can do it very gradually.

Ok, so the two diet programs I use are the after 6 diet and the sugar-free diet. The most effective for me is the after 6 diet. This is done by taking in food between 6 am and 6 pm and not ingesting anything after that till the next morning which is of course at 6 am. However, I have moodified this to make it work for me. Instead of 6 to 6, I modified it to 8 to 8 which is still 12 hours. I sleep 4 hours after my last meal which is at 12 MN and my next meal is at 8 am. This really makes me lose weight. But it is not applicable during the christmas seas and during parties.

The other diet program I do is the sugar free diet. It simply means taking off all the sugar in any form from the diet. No carbs, no cola, no fat, no chocolates, no fruits, etc. It's rather hard for me being a Filipino whose staple food is rice and really, I don't like it. But I only do this during the christmas season and during parties when I cannot say no to the host lest I offend him and get thrown out of the gathering. I can't imagine myself wearing my favorite black dress in my heels and black stockings being asked to leave the house. No sir, not in my wildest dreams. I don't really lose that much with this diet but I don't get heavier either.

Keeping my self at an ideal weight will help me keep healthy. To see to it that I stick to my weight, I have a weighing scale and a tape measure which I use everyday. Oh, and I cannot overemphasize that drinking plenny a watah (plenty of water) helps keep those pounds off too. so does exercise but you know that, don't you?