I always try to find different places aside from the local grocery or weekend markets to source my…read moreingredients especially if they are organic or sustainable goods. On the quiet street of Perea where quaint shops, restaurants, residential, and office buildings line up, I chanced upon Fresh Choice. This quaint but well-designed fruit and vegetable grocery slash juice bar is a welcome addition to my neighborhood. I like the idea that I can go here after yoga or running around the city and grab a fresh juice and even a small bite to eat. They have displays of fresh fruits and vegetables that would tempt any discerning foodie. They also have a small vitrine where you can sample some salads and sandwiches if you're in the mood to relax a little and sit at their quaint outdoor seating area. The mushroom soup is also quite tasty. They have juice of the day and soup of the day---all made fresh daily. A cool place for a quick meet up with friends or family who appreciate fresh produce and a good fresh juice!

It was my first time at Legaspi Sunday Market (7am to 2pm) yesterday and I loved it! They had so…read moremany diversities in cuisine and products. AND they had a section of organic and/or vegan produce, products and food. My sister and I tried Cocogreen and Co. and we're glad we did. The owner is so nice and friendly and she told us a bit about their food and products. Everything is plant-based and healthy! She suggested we try the Taipei shirataki mushroom vegetable dumpling canton with sea weed kelp lettuce flakes and the quinoa king mushroom haianese so we got those for 250 pesos each. She also said the chickpea omelette is delicious so we're definitely trying that next time. Both were really good! Wasn't such a fan of the vegetable dumpling but the canton was super yummy! It reminds me of jap chae! The quinoa was so fresh. I adore mushrooms and the chili and oil dip/sauce goes perfectly with it. We also got to try their cheeses and OMG they taste great and they do taste like cheese! Other than meals, they also sell drinks, home and health products, native products and personal care products. They deliver as well and you can also find them at 2/F Picasso Hotel, Leviste St., Salcedo village, Makati City. Open from 11am - 6pm on weekdays. :)

I have a sweet tooth but I'm also trying to avoid bad carbs and bad sugar. I guess Coco Green had…read morethe same dilemma and wanted to do something about it. And thank God they did! Available online and at weekend markets such Salcedo and Legaspi, they have gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free sweets that definitely don't taste gluten-free, dairy-free or refined sugar-free. My favorite are their Lemon Snow cookies! Made with coco sugar and brown rice flour, I am sorry but I am definitely not sharing.

Leaf Kitchen Raw Food Grocer is one of the few food places at the Mara's Original Market section of…read morethe Legazpi market. If you are into raw vegan, gluten free, sugar free and organic food, this is the (only) place to be really haha Manila doesn't have a lot of options and the options they do have are not all that exciting. However the owner Asha Peri always does her best to keep things interesting and appealing. They have an awesome quinoa spagetti, burrito's, pizza's, quiches etc. The selection changes every week. Beautiful sweets and speciality snacks as well. They also have an online grocery on their facebook page, where they also sell tools & equipment such as juicers and spiralizer etc. You can arrange pick up of items in either Quezon City or Pasig.

I was just going around Salcedo Village to while away time (as I am usually prone to do after work)…read moreand noticed this little bright green store that I've always seen, but never really entered. Bolstered by my curiosity about their signage on "sustainable living", I went inside the ECHOstore. At first, I only thought it to be just a restaurant, because they have these hulking freezers right up front, and a menu of dishes (preservatives free!) scribbled across colorful chalkboards. I soon discovered that they were much more than that. Apart from selling a number of frozen meats (vegan or actual meat), ECHOstore also has fresh produce (200 grams of Kale, Spinach, Tarragon... only for 80 Pesos!) and snacks like oatmeal and granola bars. If you're into the healthy lifestyle, i'd strongly urge you to come by ECHOstore! It's really fantastic, they've got virgin coconut oil for cooking (among other uses), almond butter, spiced sea salt and loads of others! Personally, I brought some preservative-free instant noodles, made from Malunggay, Carrots and Soybean. (Super delicious!) They also have a lot of household items sourced from other companies like Messy Bessy-- toxic free, not tested on animals and environment friendly. As I was paying for my noodles and spinach, I was also glad to see that they used a recycled spread of a magazine as their paper bag! 10/10 would totally go back. Plus, the staff are really friendly as well.

This place in Salcedo Village is a mix of store and café focused on sustainable lifestyle. That…read moremeans health and social responsability are key words to understand the concept of ECHOstore. With other branches in Metro (BGC, Mandaluyong, Quezon City and Pasay), it's owned by three women who truly believe it's possible to make the world a better place. With this purpose, they chose to support community groups, local farmers and small producers. An interesting fact about Makati's branch is that it's located on Tordesillas Street, very close to the square where Salcedo Saturday Market takes place. So organic food lovers don't need to wait for saturday anymore in order to find fresh vegetables and greens. Whenever for any reason I can't go to the Salcedo Saturday Market, I run to Echo Store because I know there I'll find eco-friendly products. Every time I go there I like to have a sit and ask for the Mean Green juice - a fresh detox blend made of kamote, malungay, celery, cocumber, orange and pineapple. It's really a must-try! Drink it and you'll feel instantly healthy. Another gem is their malungay pesto. I just love it! t's a very healthy option to have at home. I suggest using it as a salad dressing, a pasta sauce or in sandwiches, waffles or pancakes. ECHOstore Salcedo Ground Floor, NDC Building 116 Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati City Tel: (+632) 869.1516

My sister and I wanted a refreshing drink to be paired with our fresh vegan breakfast and we found…read moreFresh Infusions near our table. What drew us to the stall were the interesting flavors of teas and "coolers". Everything they sell is herb infused, organic, locally made and certified by the BFAD. We tried their turmeric herb cooler and the moringa herb cooler in the biggest size (indeed it was a big drink!) for only 60 pesos EACH!!! MAJORRR plus points aside from having different health benefits per drink. The drinks were the perfect combination to our brunch. They had just the right amount of sweetness and not bombarded with ice that you feel cheated. They were refreshing and delicious! The turmeric cooler was surprisingly good! We didn't know how we'd feel about it, haha, but it tasted a bit like ginger tea actually. I'm a big fan of ginger so I loved it. I also heard a daily intake of turmeric is great for the skin so #YASSS. Enjoyed the moringa cooler! I thought it was going to taste bitter and well...like plants, but it was sweet and a bit flowery. It made me want to drink it whilst walking in a beautiful garden. They sell their unique teas and coolers in boxes as well if you want to try them at home. Definitely buying some...or a lot next time!

AMBIENCE After enjoying the view outside the mall, we…read moreentered this branch and "brought ourselves outside" again. Theme of the restaurant is really pretty and makes me want to go out-of-town like Tagaytay or Baguio. I wonder how they take care of the tree leaves on the ceiling. FOOD & BEVERAGES I'm actually satisfied with the price for the Local All Natural Steak. Serving size was okay and meat was cooked and sliced nice and neatly. When healthy options taste good, I feel a spark of hope for the future! This is why I had difficulty appreciating the Grilled Organic Bone Marrow, which looked very sinful. Both the Banana and Very Berry Smoothies were delicious! SERVICE Thank you for letting us stay a bit long because we enjoyed our conversations!

Take Root is most famous for their crispy kale chips. They come in 4 flavors: normal, margarita…read morepizza, chocolate and cream and chives. The last one is my favorite. Kale is a super food and barely any leafy green comes even close in comparison to the number of nutrients that kale provides. Apparently eating kale is beneficial for maintaining healthy skin, hair and strong bones, as well as helping with digestion and lowering the risk for heart disease. Take Root sources their kale locally and it is organically farmed. Also it is dehydrated and not prepared in the oven so the enzymes and all the other good stuff stays alive better. They also serve granola (which is not vegan because it has honey) and chocolate balls. They are available at places like echo market, salad stop, the blue kitchen, sprout and salcedo market.

I never used to be a fan of things that masqueraded as junk food under the guise of being healthy -…read moremostly because they weren't good at all. That is, until I tried Take Root's kale chips. HOLY SHIT, THEY ARE SO GOOD. So good, that I've eaten three packs in one sitting and (mostly) given up eating regular chips. The great thing about them is that they aren't so salty to the point of being overwhelming, but they're definitely not bland and boring. That's for sure. Unfortunately, they run on the expensive side (230 per pack, more if you buy them at a specialty store), and that prohibits me from eating them all the time. Next to sushi, Take Root's kale chips are things I refuse to share with anyone. Get your own pack. Seriously, Take Root, sponsor me! My top favorite among all the flavors I've tried so far is their Sour Kream and Chive variety. The Vegan Cheeze is okay, too. I still have yet to try their other variants and can't wait to! Their Margherita Pizza variant looks delish, too!

Healthy Options is a natural food store that sells everything organic and delectable at the same…read moretime. I rarely check in here except when I'm doing either one of two things: a) accompanying my mother when she's hankering for almonds and goji berries, or b) looking for my favorite all-natural chocolate peanut butter. Really, their chocolate peanut butter just blows my mind. It's the best peanut butter I've ever tasted in a store! The texture of the peanut butter is so creamy, the dark chocolate so rich, that I ended up switching to wheat bread just to taste more of it. Skippy and Jif who? Even though I'm no health buff, I have to give props to Healthy Options for debunking the misconception that anything naturally and organically made will be bland and lacking in flavor. As its name suggests, Healthy Options offers super food alternatives to potato chips, microwaved food, fast food, and the like. With far less fat and even fewer calories, everything here can pretty much be consumed guilt-free. Their shelves display a miscellany of products, most if not all of them in line with the clean-eating lifestyle: Greek yogurt, granola bars, pretzels, lactose-free milk, and etcetera. No worries for the rest of your days! It seems everything has been stamped with the approval of the letter 'o'--organic hummus, organic bisque, organic noodles, organic bananas, organic coconut chips, and organic roasted seaweed snacks with teriyaki flavor...you get the idea. So if you're thinking of holding on to that New Year's resolution, ahem ahem, it's never too late to check out Healthy Options.

Healthy Options is something I thought I would never visit in my life. I love healthy food, but I…read morewon't really go out of my way to visit a store that sells organic products. When one of my best friends requested a Cadia Organic White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn for his birthday, I didn't really have a choice but to go to Healthy Options to buy it. When I found out that Healthy Options was actually selling Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish, I almost died. I really try my best to take care of my skin because it is sensitive and it easily gets dry because of the really hot weather here in the Philippines. Andalou Chia + Omega Radiant Skin Polish is what I use for my skin when it is feeling dry and flaky. Just use this product once and you'll immediately notice your skin glow. Andalou is really hard to find in the Philippines so if you want a fair and glowing skin make sure you visit this place and try out their different cosmetic products. If you want to start living healthy, then head on to Healthy Options!

Being at the Sunday Market in Legazpi is always a joy. Where most places for food and shopping in…read moreManila is part of a larger chain, Legazpi is comprised of a few hundred individual entrepreneurs that take pride in their work and sell it at the market every Sunday. Some people come to the market for shopping, some for the food. Veggies & More is part of the Mara's Orginal Market section of the market and it is not a destination to go for itself. I don't think people say 'Oh you should really try this place!' and people go specifically to the market just for this stall. However, if you are there for shopping, this place provides you with a healthy alternative for your lunch. All the dishes are Filipino vegetables dishes and all items are organic. No MSG added and no extenders. My favorite is the Ampalaya, langka and laing A large container is 150. Added brown rice is 25 php. If you come at the end of the market it is half the price, but they mostly sell out before 12.30 pm.

Home of Beauty Exclusives, better known as "HBC" is (correct and inform me if I'm wrong) the only…read morebeauty supply store in the Philippines. Think the ever famous Sally Beauty Supply Stores in the States and the UK. My friends and I LOVE to color our hair in different or wild colors. I've done silver, different shades of red and blonde and my friends and I have often bought bleaching supplies in HBC. I also love how the sales ladies really know the products when you ask them for advice and all products are very affordable. My only trouble about this branch is that the store moved and now it's just a small stall left. I still go here because it's the only branch nearest to me and the rest are too far. The have a lot of "free" services (when you purchase a particular beauty supply) in their stores like a diamond peel, facial, footspa, makeover, skin analysis and hair color application. I really wanted to try the hair color application (when you purchase a hair coloring set) but by the time I was going to, they already moved. Do check the site for branches if you have one near you.

Like Sally's Beauty Supply stores in the US, HBC carries a wide range of beauty products like hair…read morecolor, hair treatment solutions and other salon supplies. Because their products are mostly generic, salon-grade products rather than commercial consumer brands, you can get everything at much cheaper prices. Those who don't mind DIY beauty rituals at home will certainly find themselves spoiled for choices here. One of their more popular products are their hair dyes. As far as I could tell, they have three in-house line: the permanent regular, the low-ammonia range, and the crystal permanent. Each line has so many different shades and variations, but I did notice a lack of crazy colors like those sold by Manic Panic. A purchase of at least P300 entitles you to free services at selected stores, specifically free application of the products that you have bought. Most customers take advantage of this offer for free hair coloring application, which is a steal because even inexpensive salons charge about a thousand pesos for a simple dye job.