Category: Fitness

Last August 31, I launched a contest here at HeaRty’s Haven.

HeaRty’s Haven is giving away 1 box of Slenda (1 month worth) & 1 DVD to 5 lucky readers.  I’m pleased to announce the winners of the contest.

Here are the winners:

1. MrsMartinez
2. Francesca Ivy
3. Rowena Lei
4. Jeff Yu
5. Suzy

Here are the point breakdown:

1. Anna Uy – 3 points
2. Jeff Yu – 4 points
3. Rowena Lei – 4 points
4. Ria – 4 points
5. MrsMartinez – 5 points
6. Suzy – 4 points
7. Sadjz Sumague – 3 points
8. Jane Robles – 3 points
9. Francisca Ivy – 5 points
10. czaroma – 4 points

As this is my 1st contest, I realized I should have done things better.  Here are my learnings:

• Make the contest simple – I’ve put a lot of steps and people tend to feel it’s too complicated to do.  I already thought of what I need to do next time 🙂
• Make it easier for the judge to pick winners – Since I’ve put complicated steps, I ended up spending lots of time just to determine if each of the person who joined did the steps written in the “how to join” section.
• Shorten the time of the Contest – I made this a month-long contest, I should have done this like a week-long contest only.  Coz people tend to forget this already.

Congratulations to all the winners!

I just had 1st shot of the vaccine last night.  There are a total of 3 shots that will need to be taken at a certain time interval.  2nd shot will need to be taken after 2 months while 3rd shot, 1 year after that.

Why did I decide to take the vaccine?

A month ago, our office clinical services organized a lunch & learn about cervical cancer & HPV.  Only ladies attended the training but it was such an enlightening event.  Most of us ended up ordering vaccines since they were on sale.  The original price per shot is Php5,000 but if we sign up that time, we’ll be able to get it at only Php3,000 per shot.

Here are my key takeaways from the training that made me decide to take it, there’s really nothing much to lose but a lot of things to gain from it:

• cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects the womb & the vagina
• it’s estimated that 8 out of 10 women will get HPV in their lifetime. (for most women HPV will clear on its own, but for some women who do not clear certain types, cervical cancer & other diseases can develop).
• there’s no way to know whether a female’s body will or won’t clear the virus.
• 3 out of 4 HPV infections occur in women ages 15 to 24.
• It’s estimated that many people get HPV within their first 2 to 3 years of becoming sexually active.
• while half of all women who develop cervical cancer are between 35 and 55 years old, many of these women were probably exposed to a cancer-causing HPV type in their teens or 20s.
• 600 women die each day from cervical cancer worldwide.

There are about 30-40 HPV genital types but there is a vaccine available to protect ourselves against the ff. cancers & diseases caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 & 18:

• cervical cancer
• vulvar cancer
• vaginal cancer
• genital warts

A vaccination is an essential part of protecting ourselves against diseases.  Though it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to get the disease, it’s still best for us to protect ourselves.

Here is me with nurse Lhany while she was preparing me for the shot (not painful, so don’t worry), talk to your doctor about helping to protect yourself against cervical cancer, you need it 🙂

More pictures here.

I got an email regarding food that we usually take & how much added sugar are in it.  Upon reading it, I felt that I needed to share it with you.  I just realized I’ve been taking too much calories in a day!  Here it goes..

Added sugars, which are sprinkled on and processed into packaged foods and beverages, have become all too common in the American diet, says the American Heart Association. The group argues that sugar bingeing is helping drive the uptick in metabolic changes in the American population, including the exploding obesity rate, and has now recommended an upper limit on daily consumption.

Women should consume no more than 100 calories per day of added sugars, and men should not top 150 calories per day. There goes the soda habit: One 12-ounce can contains about 8 teaspoons or about 33 grams of added sugar, which equals approximately 130 calories, notes the AHA.

One gram of sugar serves up 4 calories, according to the American Dietetic Association. (Too much sugar causes wrinkles.)

With math like that, it’s not surprising that the average American rings up an average of 22.2 teaspoons, or 355 calories per day, of added sugars, mostly from sugar-sweetened beverages.

But those who shun sweet-tasting drinks are not off the hook. Part of the challenge of avoiding added sugars, argues the AHA, is that they have become far more prevalent over time; the amount of added sugars in Americans’ food options increased 19 percent between 1970 and 2005.

Here are 11 sneaky dietary sources that are surprisingly high in added sugars based on serving sizes from non-brand name nutrition labels at www.nutritiondata.com. The per-serving figures allow you to calculate your own added sugar intake, both in grams and calories, if you use more or less.

1. Fortune cookies. Just one fortune cookie packs about 3.6 grams of added sugar.
2. Flavored booze. Exercise good judgment when you drink: One ounce of crème de menthe has 14 grams of added sugar; 53-proof coffee-flavored liqueur has 16 grams of added sugar per ounce.
3. Baked beans. A one-cup serving of canned baked beans with no salt added will cost you nearly 15 grams of added sugar.
4. Dried, sweetened cranberries. Without the sweetener, this fruit can be incredibly tart. But one serving-a third of a cup-of this treat will hit you with 25 grams of added sugar.
5. Ketchup. A favorite condiment, a single one-cup serving of regular-or low sodium-ketchup racks up nearly 40 grams of added sugar.
6. Cream substitutes. A one-cup serving of a liquid “light” cream substitute packs 22 grams of added sugar, while a one-cup serving of a powdered “light” cream substitute adds a whopping 69 grams.
7. BBQ sauce. A one-cup serving of this summertime favorite adds 9 grams of added sugar onto those ribs and chicken.
8. “Reduced” salad dressings. A one-cup serving of reduced-calorie French dressing heaps 58 grams of added sugar, and a one-cup serving of reduced-fat coleslaw dressing hits a home run with 103 grams of added sugar.
9. Lemonade. A cup of lemonade powder has a massive 200 grams of added sugar. A single serving of the drink has almost 17 grams of added sugar.
10. Flavored popcorn. Think the added sweetener can’t be that bad here? Fat-free-syrup caramel popcorn has 18 grams of added sugar per ounce serving.
11. Granola bars. Often deemed a healthful snack, some are tricky-a 1-ounce serving of a granola bar with oats, fruit, and nuts has 11 grams of added sugar.

I’m kinda guilty of the juices, fortune cookie & lemonade.  I’m not fond of water, I ended up buying powdered juices so I can enjoy my drink.  I guess I really just have to push myself in drinking water.  Hopefully, if I make it a habit I’ll be able to enjoy it soon.

Guess those are some things we have to let go just to be able to live healthier.  How about you?  What’s your plan? 🙂

I bet everyone notices the ad campaigns of Nestle focusing on wellness.

Nestle shared to us bloggers during the meet & greet yesterday why Nestle is into wellness.

1. Global Health Trends – Rising health problems as reported by the World Health Organization.  These problems are mostly lifestyle diseases that can be prevented.  Examples are heart disease, hypertension, cancer, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diabetes.
2. Nestle being the World’s Food Company – comes a responsibility of the company to its consumers for better health, nutrition & wellness.

Basic Principles of Wellness:

• Eat Right
• Exercise Regularly
• Find Balance in the physical, mental, emotional & spiritual aspects in life

The question Nestle Corporate Wellness Head Cora Sager asked us was “Are you an Apple or a Pear?“

When we say apple, the fats are saturated on the waist area (more prone to heart disease & hypertension).  If you’re a pear, then your fats are on your hips (more prone to varicose veins & orthopedic problems).  I definitely know that I’m a pear but whether we are a pear or an apple, there is a definite need to choose wellness.

To get started, we have to assess first.  Cora taught us how to get our own BMI, waist circumference and waist to hip ratio.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a quick indicator of health by measuring the appropriate weight for one’s height.  Here is how:

1. know your height & weight
2. convert your height to meters, weight to kilograms. 
3. bring out your BMI wheel to find out where you stand

If your BMI result is <18 then you’re underweight, 18-24.9 then you’re average (I’m here! yipee!), >/=25 then you’re overweight.

Next is to get your waist circumference, it is located between the lowest rib and tip of the hip bone.  An indicator of abdominal fat.

Ideal:  Male (<35 inches), Female (<31 inches)

Lastly, get your Waist to Hip Ratio.  Formula is Waist/Hip (Hip Circumference: Largest area of the buttocks).

Target: Male (<1), Female (<0.8)

Once we have finished the assess part, we’ll need to set our goals.  Find out what our ideal measurement are and set it as our ultimate goal.

Nestle gave us a kit of I Choose Wellness w/c we can use to achieve personal wellness.

The last step is to plan little steps and milestones monthly to achieve our wellness goal.

So just to summarize, the 3 steps to do get started on personal wellness:

1. Assess – BMI, Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio
2. Set a Goal – find ideal measurements
3. Plan Little Steps & Milstones Monthly

Nestle has the “I Choose Wellness” movement that you can join so they can help guide you to achieve personal wellness.

They provide free nutrition counseling, wellness seminars, fitness activities, brand sampling/games/activities.

You can go to the choosing wellness site here to join and get more information.

As promised (see related post), HeaRty’s Haven is giving away Slendance DVD and 1 box of Slenda to 5 lucky readers!!!

I’m going to start taking Slenda tomorrow.  In line with that, I’m launching the Slenda giveaway so we can all start living a healthier life!

Slenda is a supplement product that you can take 10 minutes before meals.  It promises to address overweight & obesity problems through the ingredients in the product (Resveratrol, EGCG, Banaba, Turmeric).

Ever wondered why French people stay healthy despite their high intake of fats?  It is because they drink red wine a lot.  Resveratrol (ingredient of Slenda) is a polyphenol derived from red wine believed to be mainly responsible for the health benefit it offers.

HeaRty’s Haven is giving away 1 box of Slenda (90 capsules) – Php 1,080.00 worth (Php 12 per capsule) to 5 lucky readers!  This is one-month worth of Slenda if taken 3 times a day before each meal.

Food supplement isn’t enough to achieve better health & body figure.  You have to do that with exercise.  That is why we’re also giving away Slendance DVD worth Php 250!!

Slendance is an easy to follow 30-minute work-out that combines aerobic exercise, coordination, endurance & mental workout.

Here’s how to join:

• Become a Fan of HeaRty’s Haven on Facebook.  Click here.  If you don’t have Facebook, subscribe to HeaRty’s Haven RSS Feed (see right pane of site)

• If you have a google/gmail account, follow HeaRty’s Haven. (see right pane of site)

• (optional) If you have a blog, multiply, facebook, post a short entry about this Slenda & this contest.  Put a link back to this post on your entry. – this is optional but increases your chances to win 🙂
• Make a status announcement in Facebook regarding this contest (or announcement that you have joined the contest)
• Lastly, post a comment here and mention why you want to try Slenda and win this contest.  How do you think it will benefit you? 🙂

Contest starts today and ends September 30, 2009.

* This contest is limited to readers who are based in Metro Manila, Philippines.
   Another important note: this contest is open for both Male & Female HeaRty’s Haven readers.  Slenda might only have female endorsers but the benefits of Slenda & Slendance is good for everyone.

——————–
readers who has the most points win! 🙂

breakdown of points:

• fan of facebook page – 1 point
  
• subscribe to RSS feed/via email – 1 point (please let me know if you have done this, honesty basis)
• google follow site – 1 point
• post an entry on your blog or facebook or multiply regarding the contest about Slenda & this contest – 2 points
• make a status announcement in Facebook regarding the contest – 1 point
• make a status announcement in Plurk or Twitter regarding the contest – 1 point
• comment here & mention why you want to try Slenda & win this contest – this is mandatory.  will be a basis just in case there is a tie.