Stop Your World From Spinning!

So I had Vertigo a few years ago. When they say that Vertigo makes you feel like the room is spinning, I never thought they meant it as quite so literal. When I had my first Vertigo attack, it was the strangest thing.  The room was really spinning!  I did not know how to make it stop and felt even worse when I closed my eyes. It was like I was in a ride that never ends.

I went to see the doctor and learned that Vertigo is often caused by an inner ear problem.  I have always had congested nose which often translates to congested ears. The feeling is akin to getting your ears closed when an airplane is landing.

 

Vertigo is often triggered by a change in the position of your head. This explains why I can no longer tumble like I used to without getting dizzy (why I still try to tumble at this age will remain a phenomenon).  Furthermore, this means that I will  have to carefully select the rides that I take at theme parks to avoid spoiling my day. Now this becomes an issue for me because I love enjoying roller coasters and amusement rides with my children.

 

I did some research and here is a list of foods and beverages that we need to avoid to help ease our Vertigo symptoms:

• Foods and beverages that are high in salt or sugar.
• Caffeine. This includes coffee, caffeinated tea, and chocolates.
• Alcohol
• Aged cheese and meats such as salami, pepperoni, liverwurst, Swiss cheese, brie, cheddar and ricotta cheese
• Bananas
• Nuts and seeds

It's not easy. I still drink tea, eat bananas, nuts and cheese almost every day.  But I will consciously try to avoid them when we're about to visit theme parks with the kids. I think that's more manageable for now.

You may learn more about Vergito here.

 

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The Honest Crop

I wish I can stop my kids from eating chips. I really do.  But since I love eating chips myself, I have no right to deprive my children of the same. With that in mind, the next best thing is to look for healthier alternatives that will taste just as good. I have ordered from several companies that produce healthier snack alternatives but none of them appeal to my kids (or even me!).  Well, to be honest I did find a few good ones but they were way too expensive to sustain in our weekly grocery shopping list. So I had to keep on looking.

 

Last week I have finally found the perfect combination of healthy + reasonably priced chips through The Honest Crop.  They are a local company that sells 100% Real Vegetable Crisps baked in Coconut Oil.  And I have to tell you, they taste sooo good! My close friends and sisters would always tease me that when I recommend any snack to them and say 'It's healthy!', you can almost always be sure it tastes like cardboard. I promise you, these do not taste anything like 'healthy'!

 

 

photo source

 

I tried the sea salt, BBQ, Cheese, and Sour Cream flavors and cannot choose a favorite. They are all very very good. Most of the chips come in two bag sizes ranging from P45 to P160.

If you would like to try them, you may follow their order instructions here or reach out to them directly at the contact details listed below.

Email: HealthySnacksPh@gmail.com

Viber/Mobile: +63947 899 8904

Try it and let me know what you think!

 

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Potential Cause of Your Hair Fall

Last week I had a little scare. While I was taking a shower on Monday evening, chunks of my hair started to fall. The same thing happened on Tuesday while I was removing my hair tie. During those days, I was starting to feel very weak which I initially thought was just muscle pain from my Monday workout. But by Wednesday, I did not have any appetite anymore and only craved for cold food such as pineapple and iced candies.

 

I started to do a little research on what may possibly cause this sudden and severe hair fall and weakness in my body. My research lead me to one very simple but accurate answer.

Dehydration. 

I realized that the symptoms started after my 30-minute run last Monday. I remember forgetting to bring my water bottle and only drank tea when I reached the office. I got busy at work and totally forgot to hydrate the whole day. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I was drinking tea all day which was practically a diuretic. 

 

As soon as I learned about the effects of dehydration on my hair, I started to intentionally drink liters and liters of water.  I noticed the weakness in my body slowly going away. By Friday, my hair fall was back to the normal number. No more chunks of falling hair.

 

We are often encouraged to drink water to flush out toxins from our bodies or to achieve supple and beautiful skin. But we often overlook the fact that each hair shaft is made up of 1/4 water.  This means that when we become dehydrated, our hair functions 1/4 less effective and becomes weak. Thus, causing hair to fall. Imagine how simple that was! 

 

If you are experiencing severe hair fall, try drinking more water. You may just be a drop away from saving your tresses.

 

 

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What's On That Doorknob?

Are you a germaphobic? I have friends who are super wary of germs. They are probably the biggest contributors to the tissue and alcohol industries.  My husband may not agree but I do not think I fall into this category.  I mean, sure I can be OA to a certain degree and advocate hand washing all the time. But when my daughter's last cookie falls on dry floor, I would most likely be okay to let her continue eating it.

Last Monday, my husband and I had dinner with some friends who were telling us about the benefits of ultraviolet light (Yep, just an ordinary group of friends talking about the beauty of Science over dinner). They were telling us about a new product that kills viruses, bacteria, microorganisms, pathogens, and airborne allergens. I may be okay with a little dirt here and there but they had me at 'viruses'.  You know how these days you hear of people getting sick and doctors cannot figure out what's causing the illness? The diagnosis would almost always be 'It's viral'.  That made me think of how fast these viruses mutate into new microorganisms that medicine, in some ways, could not catch up anymore.  That thought can make easily make this non-germaphobic mom want to put my kids in a bubble.

They always say prevention is better than cure. Don't wait until a new virus mutates before you come up with a medical treatment. I say we nip the problem in the bud and kill those nasty viruses before they invade our homes! Enter UV Care.

 

UV Care specializes in harnessing the benefits of Ultraviolet (UV-C) to help protect people from harmful microbes found in our environment.

All products are guaranteed to use germicidal UV-C light without harmful ozone (O3) gas. UV-C is one of only few technologies that can kill 99.9% of invisible bacteria and viruses (including H1N1, E. Coli, MRSA) as well as mold, dust mites, fleas, bed bugs and their eggs.

UV Care products are 100% chemical-free, quick and easy to use on all hard surfaces, soft furnishings and bedding as well as difficult to clean items such as keyboards, telephones, crevices and other unreached areas. They won’t damage delicate fabrics but will eliminate odors, kill germs and leaves no harmful residue.

So they showed us how it works and did a swab test in our bedroom before the treatment. The results showed 2540 level of microorganisms. After we set up a Room Steriliser and left it for 30 minutes, the swab test went down to only 396.  It will continue to work even after the disinfecting process as the microorganisms continue to die. Should we test it again after 24 hours, the level would have gone down by 99.9%. 

 

It was very easy to operate and perfect for disinfecting large areas without a lot of manual work. I think it's ideal for homes, schools, hospitals and even movie theatres. My friend said that one theatre in Makati already got from them. Knowing this makes me want to watch movies from that theatre more often. 

My husband with owner and friend, Jun, ready to test the Room Sterilizer

Before and after swab test results

We set the Room Sterilizer for 30 minutes and left the room

 The Room Sterilizer in action 

 

 

While you cannot enter the room during the disinfecting process, the UV is very safe and does not emit harmful radiations. They are essentially the same UV that we get from the sun. They only encourage people not to enter the room while the UV light is on to avoid hurting our eyes. You know how staring at the sun for long periods of time will hurt your eyes? Same with the UV products. 

 

My friend told me about how she got really sick with cough and colds after her daughter was born. To avoid contaminating her baby and the whole family, they used the Room Sterilizer to disinfect their bedroom. And with that alone, no one from their family got infected.  Despite the close contact with her baby during breastfeeding, the virus was never passed on.

If you are not ready to invest in the Room Sterilizer, there are other options for you. They have three sizes of hand-held steriliser. These are also perfect to bring to vacations when staying in hotels. You may use it to clean hotel beds, bathrooms, and even coffee mugs. 

 

Ultra Germ Terminator

Deluxe Germ Terminator

Pocket Sterilizer

They also have other products such as the Toothbrush Sterilisers that disinfects your toothbrushes so you are assured of clean brushes before putting them in your mouths.

 

Finally, there is the Multi-purpose Sterlizers which is essentially a box that can be used to sterilize baby bottles, children's toys, kitchen utensils and basically anything you like. 

If you are interested to see a demo and learn more about the benefits of UV Care, you may reach out to them directly to schedule an appointment using the contact details i have listed below. 

See what the new says about UV Care here and be equipped with knowledge. Let's fight these viruses together and protect the future of our children. 

UV Care 

http://www.uvcare.net 

+63 977 822-8556
+(632) 904-0366

sales@uvcare.net 

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Contest: Win Your Own Belo Baby Products!

I have recently been reading a book on the best ingredients for our skin's health. With this new knowledge, I have been reviewing the list of ingredients of all the products that my family have been using, including Belo Baby. I am happy to confirm that Belo Baby is indeed 100% natural, safe, and gentle for our baby's skin. When we attended the launch, Cristalle Belo Henares even offered to show us the actual certificates of each and every ingredient that was used on their products. This is to certify that each ingredient is proven to be all natural and safe for the whole family.

 

I have to say that their products are not only all natural but also very affordable. It's sometimes hard to love a product when the price points do not make it sustainable for us to use long-term. You may purchase Belo Baby from any of your favorite supermarkets, groceries and department stores. They are also available online through Lazada, Cudsly, and Zalora.

Today I have some really exciting news for you. Belo Baby has decided to share this wonderful bathing experience with three families!

 

You may join the contest in 4 easy steps:

 

1. Share the Journey with Belo Baby video on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/belobabylove/?fref=ts)  
2.  Like Belo Baby on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/belobabylove/)
3.  Like Breakfast With Tiffany on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/densandfan/)
4.  Follow @densfan on Instagram

You may join through the Rafflecopter link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Learn more about the new Belo Baby Line through their website www.belobaby.ph and Facebook page . Follow them on Twitter and Instagram with handle @belobabylove.
 

"Crafted with care for the most delicate skin, for the most meticulous moms"

 

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Paleo vs. Gluten-free Diets

Following my post on my 5-day Paleo meal plan last April 22 and my review of Gluten last May 3, I did a bit more research on what makes a Paleo diet Paleo and how does this differ from a Gluten-free diet.

 

So essentially, all Paleo diets are gluten-free but not all gluten-free diets are Paleo. Paleo Grubs says that doing the Paleo diet is like going gluten-free and taking it a step higher by staying away from highly processed foods at the same time. Other food items to avoid in the Paleo diet are most sugar (from what I know, only coconut sugar is allowed) and dairy other than butter.

 

Incorporating the Paleo diet claims to result in the following health benefits:

• Lower rates of diabetes
• Balanced blood sugar levels
• Reduced risk of heart disease
• Lower cancer rates
• Clear skin
• Higher energy levels
• Improved digestion
• Healthy hair
• Reduced chronic inflammation

 

The benefits are all wonderful and does sound too good to be true.  But if you think about it, it does make sense. Cutting down on processed foods that are packed with preservatives has indeed been proven to reduce the risk of heart diseases and lower cancer rates while reducing gluten may improved digestion and reduce chronic inflammation.  Sugar lower diabetes rates and our overall good health will result to clear skin and healthy hair.   

The Paleo diet has also been called a 'Cavenman's Diet' because it only allows for food that were available during the time of the cavemen. If a caveman could not eat it, neither can you. You can learn more about the Paleo diet here.

 

With this knowledge, you can decide for yourself what works best for your health. In my case, I am concerned about the lack of calcium from the absence of dairy so I am doing a modified Paleo diet. I intend to go gluten-free to the best of my ability (and willpower!), lower consumption of processed foods, reduce my intake of sweets and replace our brown sugar with coconut sugar at home. I'll give it a few months and re-evaluate if changes need to be made.

 

What about you? What is your game plan towards great health? Share your thoughts with me on twitter @densfan or instagram @densfan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Going Gluten-Free

I recently talked about going on a 5-day Paleo diet which I found quite beneficial. I have been wondering whether doing Paleo is synonymous to going gluten-free and I'm going to learn more about it and share my findings with you in a separate post. For today, let's understand what it means to go gluten-free.

 

First, let us define what Gluten is. Here is what Wikipedia has to say.

Gluten (from Latin gluten, "glue") is a mixture of proteins found in wheat and related grains, including barley, rye, oat, and all their species and hybrids (such as spelt, kamut, and triticale). Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and often gives the final product a chewy texture.

 

In my mind, I imagine gluten to be a natural 'glue' or adhesive. I imagine that when it gets to our digestive track, it will be naturally harder for our stomach to digest it. For some though, like me, who are gluten-intolerant, digestion becomes a bigger issue and may need to be avoided all together.

 

Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist and health crusader who wrote about doing a grain detox, says that the wheat we eat today is not the same wheat that was eaten during Bible times. "It’s the product of 40 years of genetics research aimed at increasing yield-per-acre. The result is a genetically unique plant that stands 18-24 inches tall, not the 4 1/2-foot tall “amber waves of grain” we all remember."

 

Contrary to Dr. Davis' recommendation to avoid gluten all together, some studies say you should only go gluten-free if you have Celiac Disease or Gluten sensitivity/intolerance.

Personally, I would agree with the video.  The gluten-free diet is not necessarily for all.  I might change my mind as I pursue more readings but that's my take on this for now.   If you have been experiencing constant migraine, bloatedness or skin problems, then you may want to have yourself tested for gluten sensitivity.  You may also do a self-test like what I did with the Paleo meal plan. Go gluten-free for a week or more and see if your symptoms go away.  

 

You can get tested for food intolerance at Accuserv by calling 726 3219 or 7241615.

 

 

 

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Fitbit Your Way to Good Health

Last year was pretty successful for me health-wise. I ran regularly (finally hitting 10k!)and started sleeping a lot earlier than my usual 12am.  One of the best tools that helped me achieve my goal was my Fitbit Flex.

 

Fitbit has a number of activity-monitoring devices that can fit your individual needs.

I decided to get the Fitbit Flex since it has interchangeable straps so it's a lot more versatile fashion-wise.

They even have Tory Burch designs with gold hardware that has been on my wish list ever since I saw them last December.

There is an application that you may download to your smart phones in order to track your progress. The bracelet also has light indicators that will let you know how much you've progressed towards your daily goal.

The Fitbit Flex tracks your steps for the day. I have set my goal to the standard 10,000 steps since studies have shown that walking at least 10,000 steps daily will allow you to reap tons of health benefits. An article in LiveScience says "One study found that women who increased their step count to nearly 10,000 steps a day reduced their blood pressure after 24 weeks. Another study of overweight women found that walking 10,000 steps a day improved their glucose levels." 

 

On top of monitoring your activity, the Fitbit Flex also monitors your sleep and tells you how many hours of deep sleep you've had for the night.  This motivated me to sleep earlier to achieve more 8 hours of deep sleep.

Here are some snapshots of my Fitbit tracker on my smart phone. You can see how many steps you've taken and which days you achieved your goal. The sleep tracker is also an awesome way to see what your average bedtime is and how you can do better.

To make fitness fun, you may also sync with friends and compete against each other on a daily or weekly race. You would even be able to monitor how much steps your friends have been taking on a 7-day summary.

I got my Fitbit Flex from Singapore since it was not readily available in Manila last year. The good news is that Fitbit is now available in any Digital Walker store in the Philippines. Do check it out! 

Choose the Fitbit that fits your lifestyle and aim for a healthier you this 2016!


 

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Zenutrients: Gugo Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner

I have always been on the quest for hair products that address my two hair problems: Perennial hair loss and dry hair. I have often found good products that promises one or the other but never both.  Now here's where it gets a little bit more challenging.  On top of these two requirements, I also need the product to only contain organic ingredients. 

 

I think the search is finally over. I'd like to introduce you to my current hair addiction - Zenutrients' Gugo Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner. I have used it for six months already and I am officially a fan.

 

I recently finished my 250ml bottle and just bought a 1000ml bottle to refill. Getting the larger bottle is a lot more economical but I might also get a 500ml soon as that comes with a handy pump.

The shampoo is quite watery but it lathers pretty well. Don't skip the conditioner because that's the secret to softer hair.

Zenutrients has recently sent me the Gugo Strengthening Hair Serum.  This is the latest addition to their growing Gugo line. This is a more potent serum that can be left on the hair overnight so it works while you sleep. The instructions say that you may also use it as a leave-on but I've yet to see how that works on my hair.

 

The serum contains Gugo extract, Jeju Aloe Vera, Green Tea extract, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus essential oils. I particularly enjoy massaging the serum on my scalp before going to bed as the Tea Treet and Eucalyptus oils make my head feels cool and minty.  Very refreshing after a long and busy day.

 

I've only started using it for a few days so I've yet to see the effects of the serum. But if it's anything like the shampoo and conditioner, then I've high hopes that it will do its magic on my hair.

 

ZENUTRIENTS

57 East Capitol Drive, Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Mobile number: 0932-8064417, 0925-8800687 and 0917-3252636

 

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Drink to Good Health Like the French

Have you heard of the French Paradox?

The French paradox is the observation of low coronary heart disease (CHD)

death rates despite high intake of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat.
 

Now the study behind why the French has a relatively low incidence rate of heart disease despite their food intake is because they often drink red wine with their meals. The secret ingredient, doctors and researches found, is resveratrol. Drinking a glass of red wine contains only about 2mg of resveratrol which may not be enough for our daily needs. Drinking too much wine to compensate for that, however, is detrimental to our liver. So how do we achieve this balance of having a healthy heart while protecting our liver?
 

My cousin introduced me to this juice called Reserve that contains 75mg of Resveratrol per serving last December.  Here are the four powerhouse ingredients of the said juice.

On top of the above four main ingredients, the juice also contains a host of other natural ingredients that bring more benefits to our health.

While I cannot really tell whether the resveratrol has been benefiting my heart, there is definitely an improvement wtih my digestion which translates to less bloating and a relatively flatter stomach.  I also recently noticed less hairfall and better skin. I'm not sure if this was the cause but i am sure it's contributory.

This is another step towards my goal this year to be a healthier parent for my children.  C'mon and drink with me to good health. Cheers!     

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My Journey to 10k

DC Comics Run 2015

One of my fitness goals this year is to run a 10k. While I cannot claim to be a marathoner or a professional runner, it will be a fitness achievement for me. Baby steps, if you will. Who knows, maybe next year's goal will be half a marathon.

I have been physically active for as long as i can remember. In college, when funds were tighter, going up and down 10 floors in my cousin's condominium building was my workout. During summer vacations, my cousin and i would sometimes swim in Manila Hotel, where my uncle was a member, and hit the gym for a good 5 minutes before breaking a sweat in the Sauna which we felt was the actual work out after all.

As soon as I got a job, I saved up to buy a lifetime membership in the most popular gym at that time (yep, to all of you lifetime members, you know what am talking about).  I tried to maximize my membership by working out twice a day. Am not kidding. I would go to the gym at 6 in the morning and workout for an hour. Go home, take a shower, and report for work. During lunch breaks, I would go to the same gym franchise near our office and workout for another hour.

The year I got married, I started boxing. I worked out every morning before going to work and did not miss a day from Monday to Friday. The heavy workout plus the stress of planning for the wedding resulted in a 94 lbs me (I'm 5'2" so that's generally okay). 
 

A year later I got pregnant and stopped working out all together. Three babies and five years later, I was starting to feel unfit and generally sluggish. I decided to start slowly and did Pilates almost every day during my lunch breaks. I did it regularly for a while until a Yoga studio opened near our office.  Curiousity got the better of me and so I tried it and have been practicing Yoga for more than 3 years now. 


3k DC Comics Run

Last December I felt that while Yoga was helping me gain strenth and flexibility, I missed the intensity of cardiovascular workouts. So i decided to enroll in a gym and ran the treadmill about 3 times a week. Now here's one thing that is important for you to know about me. While i have been working out regularly, i am not good at running.  Back in college I practically begged our PE teacher to make me the scorer in our Softball class because i couldn't run from one base to the next.  I felt awkward when i run and never had the stamina for it.  So when I started running the treadmill I could not even continously run for 5 minutes. I'd get so tired immediately after. I decided to start with a mix of walk and run intervals for 2km every workout and slowly built it up. I was already running 3km comfortably when my friends invited me to join them in the Nike 10k run. I was starting to love the idea of running and signed up without much thought. Once we've officially joined the race, I started wondering if i can indeed finish a 10km within a reasonable amount of time. "Reasonable" meaning that the organizer is not yet packing up by the time I arrive at the Finish line. :P

5k Color Manila Run

I had a little over a month to up my game from 3km to 10km. The first time i tried to run a 5km in the gym, I almost fainted. Seriously. It was probably the heat and I was severly dehydrated. After that I learned to hydrate prior to my workout and avoid black tea and coffee as well.

I am now actively running 5km to 7km three times a week (or more) and have already joined my first 3k and 5k run last weekend. I will end this post with some pictures from my past two fun runs. I will update you again once I achieve my 10k goal five days. Let's do this!

Color Manila Run 2015

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