1016 RESIDENCES - Ayala Business Park, Cebu City

1016 RESIDENCES - Ayala Business Park, Cebu City

Changing lifestyles

By ROWENA BAUTISTA-ALCARAZ

Sheila Valderrama-Martinez (Photo by NOEL PABALATE)

MANILA, Philippines -- When you’re an 11-year-old and you’re told by your parents not to eat meat after your grandfather died of a heart attack at a young age, it’s understandable.  Being the responsible parents that they are, they’re just looking out for you and your health.  It’s a good start as well; a habit you’ll carry for the rest of your life.  Now, imagine what would happen if all of a sudden you attempt to “stray away” from it and start eating that  which is “forbidden”.

“I got really dizzy after tasting my  first steak,” recalls theater actress Sheila Valderrama-Martinez who is currently playing the role of Nickie in the ongoing musicale “Sweet Charity”.  She was already in college when it happened.

“For nine years I was used to eating only fish and vegetables.  Of course, in high school I would eat at home so it’s controlled.  But when I went to college syempre they can’t control na what we’re eating.  And when I started eating steak, I got dizzy right away kasi nga my body wasn’t used to it.”

Sheila immediately learned her lesson after that incident and now looks for other options, preferably fish, when going to a steak house.  She can eat meat; in fact, she reveals that she loves sinigang and would cook it herself from time to time but she uses the rib part and not the fatty one.

Even when Sheila started working abroad, she would look for healthier alternatives.  Only this time was different because she was surrounded by colleagues who are also into the same thing she is - organic food, that is.

Healthy change

“Everyone in our circle is a major health buff, even my husband was into it.  It became more of like a change of lifestyle,” says Sheila who lived in Hong Kong for over three years while working in Disney.  On her fourth year, she was on tour for “Cinderella” which starred none other than Lea Salonga.  She is married to Lorenz Martinez who is also the assistant director of her current show.  They have a one-year-old daughter named Simone.

“While in Hong Kong I was surrounded by a lot of performers who were health conscious and health buffs. We have so many Tarzans with six packs and everything.  Talagang that’s what they do, they work out.  And everyone else is eating healthily.  Ako naman, I got used to eating cereals, whole wheat; it became a habit.”

However, when her family decided to move back to the Philippines, the lifestyle became a bit difficult to maintain.  “When we shifted to organic stuff, and low fat, and non-fructose, it was a lot easier when we lived in Hong Kong.  It’s readily available and it tasted good. But here, it’s actually hard; everything is expensive and the selections aren’t that much,” she tells.

Despite the difficulty, Sheila, along with her husband who is the “official cook” of the family, continued with the lifestyle by scouting places for healthier finds.  “I started eating brown rice when were in Hong Kong and then when we went to the States we discovered Quinoa.  It’s a rice substitute.  It’s also a grain but it’s more of protein than carb.  We have it here.  It’s more expensive but that’s our rice.  We don’t eat anything white.  Everything brown.  We also shifted from dairy to fresh milk then to low fat then to soy milk,” she relates.

It helped that Sheila didn’t go strictly organic.  “But if we can find items that are organic we’ll get it.  Like sa mga supermarkets, they have organic ketchup.  I also found organic chocolates here.  This one is not organic but in the market, there are eggs that are selenium-enhanced or omega 3-enhanced.  May mga substitutes din like turkey bacon instead of the real bacon fat.  I’m glad that we can find that here.”

As a mother, Sheila is also slowly introducing to her daughter their healthy choice lifestyle.  “But we don’t want to introduce her to eating meat until she’s about three.  Not red meat, chicken pwede.”

Staying fit

Complementing Sheila’s healthy stance at life, she goes to the gym regularly, a habit she picked up while she was out of the country initially to while her time away.  “Kasi nga there was nothing else to do in between shows.  But it was only really after I gave birth that I was more into it.  I got really regular and everything because I need it.”

Back in high school, Sheila was never into sports.  She was a cheerleader though, since fifth grade all the way to college.  “I was active that way.  Which actually now I think  they consider that as a sport.  But back then it wasn’t really a sport, it was a dance.  My only sport then was target shooting which I did for nine years.”

Sheila’s father used to be a manufacturer of air guns, apart from owning a bread business that carries the “Marby” brand.  “I remember nakapatong pa yung rifle sa lamesa kasi mabigat di pa namin kaya buhatin.  We had a target range in our house and it became a mandatory thing as in every after school we would have an hour of target shooting class all for self defense daw.”

Sticking with what she loves

These days, Sheila’s life, apart from staying healthy and fit, is all about theater and singing.  She is soon to launch her first mainstream album with details yet to be revealed.  “I’ve always loved to sing.  It’s what I’ve always dreamed of.  It’s very fulfilling for me.  I guess if you’re passionate about something and you get to do it, it’s very very fulfilling.  I just love it so much.  It’s my life, the air I breathe.  I’m just lucky that I get to do what I love to do and make it my work.” she ends

10 ways to pursue happiness

By: Cathy Babao-Guballa

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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What do you need to do to find happiness?

The Action for Happiness website (www.actionforhappiness.org) says you need to live the Great Dream on a day-to-day basis. Great Dream is the acronym for the 10 internal and external keys people need to take to bring more happiness into their lives.

The first five—“Great”—relates to the ways we interact with the outside world through the activities we pursue on a day to day basis.

G is for giving or doing things for others and it’s not always about money because time, ideas and energy is just as important.

“Helping other people is not only good for them and a great thing to do, it also makes us happier and healthier too. Giving creates stronger connections between people and helps to build a happier society for everyone.”

R stands for relating or connecting with people. Today I came across an interesting quote—“Respect people who find time for you in their busy schedule. But love those who never look at their schedule when you need them.” In a crisis, knowing who to call and knowing that the people who matter to you can depend on you is very important.

“Taking action to strengthen our relationships and create new connections is essential for happiness.”

Make that call, and send that e-mail to show you care. Don’t put things off before they are too late.

E is for exercise which is very basic but essential in the pursuit of happiness. Because the body and mind are so connected, being active releases happy hormones and keeps us fit. Getting adequate sleep everyday is also a must. Not everyone can run a marathon but it’s the little steps you take in everyday that can guarantee a regular release of those happy hormones to help keep you fit and sane. Unplug from technology and carve out at the very least, half an hour a day to walk, run, do yoga, swim, hike or bike—whatever floats your boat will keep you on that road to happy.

A stands for appreciation, taking time out to notice the world around you. Practicing mindfulness does wonders for our well-being in all areas of life.

“It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future—so we get more out of the day-to-day.”

I cannot count the number of times I have stopped in the middle of what I’m doing to take in a glorious sunset, bask under the glow of a full moon, listen to the water gurgle in a brook, or watch my children sleep and listen to them breathe—magical moments that cost nothing but in their simplicity reward us with great joy.

T is for trying out and learning new things.

“Learning affects our well-being in lots of positive ways. It exposes us to new ideas and helps us stay curious and engaged, gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps boost our self-confidence and resilience.”

I remember how at age 40, I conquered my fear of heights by going wall-climbing for the first-time, and at age 45 ran my first ever 5K. There are no limits to what you can do, and age is simply a number if your heart is willing to take the risk.

Let happiness in

The last five keys to happiness—“Dream”—come more from inside us and depend on our attitude to life. This is the harder part, one that sometimes entails a paradigm shift and a lot of self-reflection.

D means direction, or having goals to pursue. Every day you need to have something to look forward to. We need goals to motivate us, challenging enough to excite us, but they need to be achievable, too, otherwise, you’ll just be setting yourself up for undue stress.

“Choosing ambitious but realistic goals gives our lives direction and brings a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when we achieve them.”

R is for resiliency, my all-time favorite word. Finding ways to bounce back from loss, failure or trauma is essential to happiness.

“We cannot change the cards we are given, only the way we deal with them,” inspiring author Randy Pausch once said. Though some people are more resilient, like many other life skills, it can always be learned. Resiliency is like a muscle, that becomes stronger every time we bounce back from a tough period in our lives.

E stands for emotions, specifically positive emotions.

“Recent research shows that regularly experiencing them creates an ’upward spiral’, helping to build our resources.” It’s important to be realistic but it never hurts to always focus on the good aspects of any situation. Re-frame the situation and try look for the good.

A is for acceptance and being comfortable in your own skin, flaws and all. The gift of being able to laugh at oneself is a precious. Learning to be kind to ourselves and others when things go wrong teaches kindness and increases our resilience and well-being. When we become more tolerant of ourselves, we learn to extend that tolerance to others.

M is for meaning and being a part of something bigger.

“People who have meaning and purpose in their lives are happier, feel more in control and get more out of what they do. They also experience less stress, anxiety and depression.”

Often your purpose lies in your soft spot or in a painful experience that changed you. Find that soft spot and embrace it, channel the painful experience into something positive by advocating for it. Doing so will bring more happiness not only into your own life but into the lives of everyone you care for as well.

E-mail the author at cathybabao@gmail.com. Twitter @cathybabao

How to grow younger through the years

By: Cory Quirino
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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It is beautiful that the soul is indestructible and immortal. Perhaps it is the presence of this living spirit in us that drives us to keep our bodies just as imperishable. Thus, the pursuit of the fountain of youth.

The proliferation of beauty and wellness centers, anti-aging clinics and spas is positive proof that there is a demand to be filled. And this demand is more a need to extend life and to preserve youthfulness.

Sharing a few helpful tips will certainly offer you various approaches to keeping healthy, fit and attractive.

Balancing your fat

Going on a zero-fat diet has its downside. Not all fats are bad. There are good fats one needs in order to insulate the body, improve digestion, regulate vitamin and mineral absorption, satisfy the taste buds, protect vital organs and body parts, and more importantly, assist in the production of appropriate hormones.

Example: The adrenal glands, thymus, kidneys, and other glands use fats to help make hormones. The adrenals specifically require a specific fat, cholesterol, to produce hormones such as progesterone and cortisone.

Can you imagine what would happen if, say, your thymus is sluggish? This crucial gland regulates immunity and the body’s entire defense systems. Take a closer look at the other glands:

Thyroid—regulates body temperature, weight, and several metabolic functions

Kidneys—regulate blood pressure, circulation and filtration of the blood

Action plan:

See a specialist.

Check your blood today. Ask for a hormone profile.

Start taking in good fats.

It is during the peri-menopausal and menopausal stages when hormonal imbalances will be experienced. Many will attribute their balding head, hair loss, irritability, declining libido, dry skin, weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol to aging. But what is aging if not the drying up of the fountain’s youthful waters? The key is your hormones.

Linda Reyes, 49, a successful banker, complained about the all-too-familiar symptoms of aging. Unable to get out of bed due to exhaustion despite a good eight hours of sleep, she sought the help of a new and popular wellness clinic set up by Florida-based cardiologist Dr. Cris Enriquez, who also specializes in complementary medicine.

After a simple blood test, Linda was determined to be already menopausing, and had a hypothyroid condition. Her treatment included bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. It differs from the conventional hormone replacement therapy (HRT) program, which is produced from the urine of horses.

BHRT, on the other hand, utilizes hormones from plants and has no side effects. Their molecular makeup is similar to those produced in the human body. Thus, it’s called bio-identical BHRT. However, it’s not available over the counter from a regular pharmacy. The clinic’s supply is sourced from the US.

In Linda’s case, she was treated with estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. Today, she is back to her usual energetic self, and her libido is comparable to a woman in her 30s.

But it isn’t only women who will need BHRT. There is also a specific program for men who suffer erectile dysfunction and chronic fatigue. Check out www.raphahealth.com.

The good oil

There is a simple regimen you can do to address dry skin.

Drink 10-15 glasses of water daily. After taking one glass of water, wait 45 minutes. Then, 30 minutes before bedtime, drink 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. This is designed to increase the good fat in your body. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, just like avocados and almonds. This fat raises good cholesterol (HDL) and lowers bad cholesterol.

If you have a few days’ drops of oil left, dab a drop or two around the eye area. But if you feel like it, rub gently all over your face. And the next morning, just like magic, your skin will be more supple and moist.

While a little cheese can be good for you, remember that its saturated fat is 66.8 percent. Depending on the amount of cheese you eat, it may be safer to eat a lean steak, whose saturated fat content is only 46.5 percent—shocking, but true. And don’t worry about peanuts: 50.6-percent monosaturated fat and 17.7-percent saturated. It’s a safe snack which can stimulate your brain function as well.

Cory’s Low-Fat Diet Dressing

1 c extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp raw wild honey

2 cloves garlic

¼ c apple cider vinegar

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp mustard

Optional: 1 tbsp yogurt or fresh kefir

Shake well in a tightly covered bottle. Refrigerate. Shake well before serving.

Affirm today: “I am a blessing to others!”

Love and Light!