Say it with me: I Ate To Educate!

Eating out is one of the few luxuries my college friends Che, Monsi, Angie, Cathy and I love to indulge in. Whether it is in a fast food chain or a nice new restaurant, splurging for good food and enjoying each others company is definitely something we still value. I think we value it even more now, especially since we barely get a chance to see each other as often as we'd like.

Over the years, we've developed some sort of a criteria for choosing restaurants we go to. For example, for a brief period of time, we boycotted Jollibee because of environmentally un-friendly practices they were reportedly doing. Up to now, we avoid using plastic straws whenever we order drinks because of the same reason. Other things we consider would be food quality (of course), serving size, service and quality for money.

From October 26 to December 31, 2009, 8 great restaurants and food places in Serendra and Bonifacio High Street are on my list to watch out for, mainly because of one good reason: by simply ordering a specially marked dish from their menu, you get to say "I Ate To Educate!".

The 8 to Educate project aims to raise support for the Virlanie Foundation, a private, non-sectarian instutution that cares for street and abused children. They do not just offer a roof over the heads of these children, but they aim to empower them by educating them to work for a better future.

You can also support the 8-to-Educate project by pledging an amount or sponsoring a child for Php 800.00 a month for one year. Donation envelopes are available when you dine in the partner restaurants. In the next two weeks, I will review each of the partner spots with with a blog post dedicated solely to them. I hope you look out for them!

Remember: check out the specially marked dishes in ArAma, CAV, Chelsea, Cupcakes by Sonja, Fu, The Healthy Kitchen, Sentro 1771, and Xocolat and say you ate to educate!

A Refreshing Way To Burn!

When the ad campaigns of Del Monte's Fit 'n Right first came out, I quickly dismissed it as yet another marketing ploy to get you to buy something you don't really need to begin with. I thought, how can a juice drink (especially since I had previously been told juice drinks are sugar loaded and unhealthy) can actually help you lose weight.

However, after being invited to the Fit 'n Right Bloggers Launch last week, I changed my mind. Fit 'n Right's unique blend of L-Carnitine and B Vitamins 1, 6, 12 are scientifically proven to aid in weight loss. This was proven by a study conducted by the University of the Philippines headed by Dr. Leonora Panlasigui. Results of their study showed that when combining diet, exercise and recommended servings of Fit n' Right, participants lost of as much as 16.7% body fat in a six-week period.

The secret behind this breakthrough drink lies in the L-Carnitine which helps turn fatty acids into energy by transporting these acids to the body's mitochondria, which is known as our cell's powerhouse. As such, fat is burned more quickly. The Vitamins in Fit 'n Right also help speed up one's metabolism. If taken 2 hours before a workout, you maximize fat burning potential thus aiding in weight loss.

Fit 'n Right is available at most leading supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide. Flavors include Blueberry and Grape, Apple, Pineapple, Pine-Orange, Grapefruit and Four Seasons. Fit 'n Right is available in either 300 mL or 1 L bottles.

Yummy Baby Cakes Date Walnut Bars

Hand's down the best Date Walnut Bar(also known as Food For the Gods) recipe I've tried! Rich, buttery and chewy, these scent of these bars baking mark only one thing for me: the Christmas season. You see, every Christmas my cousin and I roll out our cutting mats and baking pans to get ready for our 3 week baking marathon. Among our favorite and best-selling recipes is this handed-down top secret recipe. It's so secret that we only have pre-packed mixtures of the ingredients for us to work with!!! Nonetheless seeing the packs of walnuts, dates and the stacks of butter all lined up always elicit almost instant salivation. I personally like my FFG kinda overdone because it makes it more chewy (or makunat to be exact).

Okay, you might say I'm a little bit biased with my statement that this is the best FFG. Then again, many of our loyal customers can attest to our claim on this delectable treat! For inquiries about Baby Cakes Date Walnut Bars (Food For the Gods) and other products, please call or text 09087568789 or email yapatoots@gmail.com.

More Yummy Yogurt Madness.

I've written several entries about frozen yogurt before but I think I found the best one yet...Red Mango. A lot of my blogger friends have been raving about it but because it used to be only available in Eastwood (which is SO far from me) I've been putting off trying it. Finally, a branch opened up in Greenbelt 3 so last week, while waiting for the special screening of the Informant, I decided to give it a try. It was well worth the wait!

I ordered a large frozen yogurt with mangoes, bananas and crushed graham. I loved the yogurt a lot. It was very creamy and had a good tart flavor to it. The crushed grahams weren't too fresh for my taste, though. It wasn't old what-not, but it just had an aired out quality to it. I personally would have preferred to if it was not crushed so much that it was kinda powdery. Nonetheless, the deliciousness of the yogurt well compensated for that.

I love how yogurt, whether the frozen type or those sold in the market, is slowly becoming a popular fare for the Filipino taste buds.

A Lethal Fruity Mix.

Losing weight is really such a struggle. Sometimes I wish there was an easy answer to my weight woes. In fact, I have been tempted MANY times to try one of those supposedly "tried-and-tested" diet fads such as the oatmeal and hard-boiled egg diet, the 3-day diet, South Beach diet, Cabbage Soup diet, and even the Grapefruit Diet. These are just a few of the many lose weight quickly plans that have been popularized.

However, because I am taking medication for a health condition, I have to think twice about trying one of these fads. Apparently, some of the food items we take can counteract with medications we are taking. I had no idea, however, that grapefruits would be one of them. Because it is a fruit, I assumed it would be healthy and safe to take no matter what. After all, it comes from nature, right? Who would think that fruits when consumed in tandem with prescription medications can be a lethal mix?

According to CBS news something in the grapefruit juice causes a negative interaction with some drugs which can result in dangerous side-effects. AOL Health also explains that something in the juice which still is a mystery to scientists latches onto an enzyme in the intestine which breaks down the drug thus more of it is absorbed into the bloodstream. This is harmful when you are taking statins or cholesterol lowering agents because it can cause abnormal high blood levels which can cause liver damage. Other medications that can have a negative interaction with grapefruit juice are certain antibiotics, cancer medications, allergy and cough medicines, and even drugs like Zoloft and Cialis. No wonder in an episode of Grey's Anatomy, a patient made a comment about delaying taking her contraceptive pill for about half an hour because she had just consumed a glass of grapefruit juice! I just dismissed this as a quirk of the patient but now I know there is so much more to it after all. As always, before trying out any diet and going on new medications, consult your physician about what you can or cannot take together.

photo from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/20/health/webmd/main668105.shtml

No Diet Tomorrow!

I am not a big fan of Krispy Kreme.

Yeah right!

Seriously, one of my biggest Waterloo's in my diet is walking past a KK store and not wanting to stop in and grab a doughnut. The problem is, I often end up with more than just one!

However, tomorrow, October 11, 2009, I have the perfect excuse for breaking my diet: it's for a good cause. Yup, it's for a good cause indeed!

By indulging in one of the sweet delectable Original Glazed Doughnuts, I get to help victims of Typhoon Ondoy as Krispy Kreme Philippines pledges all proceeds to Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter and the ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya foundation.

Come join me and get one tomorrow. Diet starts again day after that!!!