Everyday Adventures: December 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the New Dolby Atmos Theater of Gateway Mall

By Mommy Donna and Kib - December 22, 2015

0 Comments

Disney on Ice: Magical Ice Festival this Holiday Season at Smart Araneta Coliseum

By Mommy Donna and Kib - December 21, 2015

When we were kids, my parents will always let me and my brothers experience Christmas by bringing us to Araneta Center to do Christmas shopping (no SM Megamall nor Robinson's Galleria yet), see the Christmas display at COD, and watch shows at Araneta Coliseum. Those Christmas memories were very special to me because modernization and globalization improved a lot of things around us so what happened in the past, stays in the past; it's already part of the history.

Since those memories were very meaningful to me, I also wanted to continue this Christmas tradition with my son.

Two years ago, me, my mom, and Kib watched Disney on Ice: Treasure Trove. He enjoyed watching it that until now, he has been wearing the Mickey Mouse crown we bought during the show whenever he feels like playing pretend play. Last year, we didn't watch Disney on Ice because the story revolved around Disney princesses. For sure my son won't enjoy it, haha.

This year, we will be watching Disney on Ice: Magical Ice Festival this coming Christmas break, wee!

Now on it's 33rd show worldwide, Disney on Ice presents Magical Ice Festival will once capture the hearts of the Filipino fans--both parents and their children--who will watch the show at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

This year's grand production will wow viewers as it features Disney's The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and --for the first time-- the Academy Award-winning and number one animated feature film of all time, Frozen!

Disney on Ice presents Magical Ice Festival showcases a medley of splendid set elements, impressive light display and costume pieces, along with show-stopping performances by a cast of world-class skaters!

Kib having his photo opportunity with one of the performers during the press conference of Disney on Ice featuring Magical Ice Festival

One of the highlights of the show will be when Ariel (The Little Mermaid) be slowly being pulled upwards and rapidly twirl above the ice. This is the first time that Ariel's transformation from mermaid to human be captured like this in a production. The scenes selected to be shown on ice were the ones never done before. This makes Magical Ice Festival special because the whole production also worked hard on the details to make all the scenes 'ice-perfect'.

One of the most-awaited part of the show is that people can see Anna and Elsa and the rest of the Frozen characters come alive on the ice! People have been wanting to see that Frozen will be an ice skating performance just like the rest of the Disney animated films.

It is my dream to have my picture taken with any of the Disney characters (I haven't been to any Disneyland). You can see how kilig I am during the photo opportunity.

Of course, Disney on Ice will not be complete without the appearance of the original Disney characters. We can still see Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Goofy perform on ice during the show.

Celebrate the Yuletide season with your loved ones by watching Disney on Ice presents Magical Ice Festival from December 25, 2015 until January 3, 2016. Tickets are available at TicketNet and you may also call 911-5555 for more inquiries.

0 Comments

balik-alindog

Want to Lose Weight? Here are Some Tips

By Mommy Donna and Kib - December 18, 2015

If you're my friend on Facebook or if you follow me on Instagram or if you read my blog (haha), then you will know that I'm into balik-alindog program. I am happy to say that I've lost 20 pounds since 2014. The progress may be slow--some will say--, but then I am not really after losing weight only; I really wanted to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A lot of people say that I look good these days and I feel proud of my achievements.

A lot of people have been asking me, "How did you do it?" Honestly, I don't know what to say because basically, I didn't do anything special. I just exercise and eat healthy food. Sometimes I still eat not-so healthy food but I eat them in moderation. I don't follow a special diet plan because I don't want to make an impression to my son that I'm not eating healthily. I prepare food that me and my son can both enjoy.

Weight loss can be a struggle for most people if they do it for the wrong reasons. Weight loss shouldn't have a deadline. Just make it a habit to have an active lifestyle and to eat healthy food and you may never realize that one day, all of your clothes have loosen up :)

Okay, okay, I'll give concrete tips. These tips are from Cohen Lifestyle Centre and I've followed the tips given below. Just a gentle reminder though, these tips won't work if you will not develop self-discipline.

According to the Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre, gaining or losing weight is affected by multiple factors, including nutrition, genetics, psychology, behavior, and environment. While food choices and physical activity significantly affect your weight gain, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is most likely successful by following a healthy lifestyle throughout your lifetime.

This was what housewife Edgina Ty discovered when she began gaining weight due to having polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis, and the side-effects of the medication for these illnesses.

Here are some lifestyle tips for weight-related problems, which Ms. Ty has followed:

Be a mindful eater. Manage your food appetite and cut down excessive food cravings. Eat at least three times a day at the same schedule to keep your metabolism balanced. Avoid skipping meals because you may end up starving and overeating later. Also, take into consideration the amount and the nutrient content of the foods that you are eating. A well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins can give you energy, keep your blood sugar stable and keep you feeling full longer. “Treat food as a medicine that will help your body heal, make the commitment to a better eating lifestyle,” says Ty.

Drink plenty of water. Always drink lots of water to rehydrate, regulate your body’s temperature and cleanse your body of toxic wastes. Water also keeps your metabolism burning and acts as an appetite suppressant, which can reduce your food intake. Drinking plenty of water also leads to frequent urination, which helps you lose extra pounds of water weight.

Get enough sleep. When you’re short on sleep, you may feel too tired to prepare healthy meals, exercise and perform other physical activities that can make you sweat and burn fats. Your body also makes less insulin, a hormone that converts sugar and other food into energy, and produces more grelin, a hormone which signals your brain to eat more food. The hormone cortisol also spikes up, causing you to feel more stressed and craving for comfort foods.

Get yourself moving. Regular exercise and active lifestyle are effective ways to keep your body fit and strong. Physical activity helps you feel energized throughout the day, prevents and reduces high blood pressure and improves your libido. It also helps lower your stress hormone level, which in turn relieves tension and reduces anxiety. However, do not break your body with intensive workouts, especially if your metabolism is not working well. Brisk walking done five times a week can be sufficient.

Consult with your doctor. Weight changes and obesity can sometimes be the result of an underlying sickness, which may range from hormonal imbalance to a possible malfunction in the digestive system. Hormone-caused obesity can be difficult to treat. Ty shares, “Keeping a healthy weight through diet and exercise was effective then. But when I started my medications for PCOS and endometriosis, I started gaining weight. I got depressed and turned to overeating for a year so I ballooned to 156lbs.”

Meanwhile, weight loss greatly improves obesity-related conditions like hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and infertility among others. It is best to assess your overall health and fitness by consulting a medical professional. Your doctor can treat illnesses that indirectly affect your weight and can also recommend healthy ways to manage your body weight and overall health.

Follow a safe and successful weight-loss program. If you need a professional intervention for your weight problems, go for a program that is medically proven to be safe and effective. One such intervention is the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program, a rapid weight loss and wellness program based on the international medical research by Dr. Rami Cohen. It is also the program that Ms. Ty follows.

The Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is a highly personalized program which recommends eating plans to clients based on the unique bio-chemical profile of their blood. The doctors will recommend food that will correct the imbalance of hormones that causes weight gain and kick-start the body’s natural ability to burn fat rapidly and safely.

The program has taught Ms. Ty discipline in eating, drinking, sleeping better and becoming more active. In her own words, “What I appreciate about Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is that it teaches you the simplicity of food preparation and the discipline of eating properly at the right time. And you see the results right away. It’s like seeing the evidence of the phrase, ‘You are what you eat.’ Working out is also more effective now because it balances my diet.”

After 5 months in the program, she is currently 122.9 pounds (55.9 kilos) down from her starting point of 155.5 pounds (70.7 kilos). With its principle of using food as medicine, she has also become less dependent on specialized medication for her condition, adding, “Some of my physical pains are gone. It has regulated, if not totally eradicated my PCOS.”

Ms. Edgina Ty then and now

To know more about Cohen’s Lifestyle Program, visit www.CohenLifestyle.com.ph, or visit http://www.facebook.com/CohenLifestylePhil on Facebook and http://instagram.com/cohenlifestyleph on Instagram.