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!

A big store with a lot of merchandise. This is where I get…read moremy Oat Milk and Almond Milk from. A recent discovery is their ready to drink Kombucha.

I used to avoid Healthy Options stores because I've always had the impression that everything here…read moreis pricey (and even personally called it "Wealthy Options"--I am very lower middle class, if you should know). Generally speaking, this place can seriously break your bank. But to my surprise, *some* products here aren't really that expensive, and reasonably priced, considering the good quality of their products and how ridiculously hard it is to find some of them elsewhere. For health nuts, vegans/vegetarians/people on plant-based diets, clean eaters, and virtually anyone who would like to switch to a more natural lifestyle while minimising the amount of chemicals in their food, personal products and so on, this place is very, very helpful in making that way of living possible and very convenient. There are a couple of products I head here for, such as: - Daiya cheese (non-dairy, vegan brand of cheese. EXCELLENT on pizza!) - Bob's Red Mill products (mostly raw ingredients like flours, grains, oats, etc.) - Nutritional Yeast (Red Star or Bragg - So far this is the only place I know where these are available) - Almond milk, rice milk - Apple Cider Vinegar - Witch Hazel facial toner - Jason Vitamin E Oil (so fragrant, and does wonders on the skin!) - Aztec Indian Healing Clay (super cleans all the clogged gunk on your face!) - Alba Organics tinted lip gloss/balm (great colours!) And this particular branch is the biggest one I've been to so far. It's spacious, well-lit, and they even have shopping carts here! Healthy Options also has an organic farm (no surprise there!), and fresh produce are available here. I am amazed at the quality of their oyster mushrooms. They're SO beautiful, plump, and fresh! So yes. Healthy Options: Good for you. Bad for your wallet.

There's no mistaking that the products sold at G-Stuff, a small kiosk located beside the chapel at…read morethe third level of Power Plant Mall, are environment-friendly. The green and white logo with a heart and a leaf floating from a human hand can only evoke that sense of love for Mother Nature. Last Christmas, I headed toward the stall to find a gift for my boss who's diabetic and into organic products. I asked the staff about the products that they sell and they told me that all the items in the shop are guaranteed to be environment-friendly and made from natural materials. I was also delighted to know that they support sustainability in local communities by sourcing many of their products from faraway provinces. G-Stuff sells products that promote beauty, health, and wellness. I bought an Ylang-ylang essential oil and a number of food products for my boss and his wife. I was surprised that the products they sell were very affordable even if they came in very attractive and high-quality packaging.

With all the commercialized and unhealthy products out there, its always a treasure to find concept…read morestores, no matter how big or small, that sell nothing but well-produced, sustainable, and excellent products. I admire the business model founder, Gina Lopez. Aside from being able to provide its customers with nothing but awesome products, their profits go to communities around the country. The Philippines have a lot of natural resources and people who have access to it. Unfortunately, a lot of these people live in poverty and don't have the financial means and advanced knowledge to help them produce and sell competitively throughout the country. So when a well-to-do entrepreneur comes and helps put forward the products of the small communities that do the best they can, I'm all for it. I'm a big fan of all of their health products such as the Herbal Rub, Oral Salts, Pulling Oils, as well as their food products. Prices can be a bit expensive but if you really think about the quality of the product and the fact that you are supporting a sustainable business community, its most definitely worth it!

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!

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.

I've heard a lot about this place, but it always puzzled me on the map where it was…read more Finally I was able to visit. It surprised me that a healing centre was so closely located next to the american cemetery, but I wasn't really bother by it. I was bothered by the fact that it is located on random floor in an office building, made me feel like I was at work. The toilets are not airconditioned so if you have to make a number two you'll have to sweat it out. You might also need to sweat it out, because toilet paper is not always available here. The staff is very friendly and attentive. You feel like they really listen to your needs and do their best to quickly fulfill your demands, be it getting extra toilet paper.

I've found The Third Eye Wellness center when I was looking for a doula here in Manila. Mr. Google…read moretold me there would be a seminar entitled "Sacred Pregnancy and Concious Birth" set in this place and I had never heard about it before. I confess it was a little bit hard to find the venue at the first time. The taxi driver actually got lost. But all the stress was worth it, because the place is just amazing. It's a mix of a café, a spa and a center for courses and consultations. A quick view and we can conclude their have a holistic approach to health and wellness activities.The ambience is very relaxing and the courses they offer are really interesting and rare to find. By the way, the seminar facilitated by the doula Irina Otmakhova was fantastic. During the break I explored the lovely Chakra Café. They serve soups, pasta, salads and wraps - everything is prepared with organic fresh ingredients. Try the Vanilla Chai Latte, which is very flavorful. While I was taking the seminar with hubby, my mother pampered herself at the "Transcend Spa & Nails". She had one of their signature massages - a mix of swedish and shiatsu - and she loved it! I really intend to come back there in order to try the detox lymphatic drainage and the Ayurvedic massage. I highly recommend The Third Eye Wellness. Take a look at their course schedule so you can get the most of it.

During our most recent visit to Manila, we have dined at three different locations (actually if we…read morecount another one last year, it will be four for me). Every single location delivered the same top-notch service and excellent food. It seemed that there was always a waiting list. But what they did that was so smart was give us the menu and and an order form and that gave us the time to peruse the menu, decide what we want and place our orders. By the time we sat down, it didn't take long before our orders were delivered. The first time we dined, there were only two of us, so we ordere the small plates. Another smart idea to have the choice of small, medium and large orders depending on the number of people. We've always dined family style so we were able to taste different foods. We've ordered the essential Filipino foods i.e., different kinds of sisig, salpicao, sinigang, adobo, pancit palabok, buko pie, puto bumbong, halo halo. And every single dish was phenomenally tasty, especially for us who are all residing in the US. Manam will always be our first choice whenever we are in Manila.

Easy eats vibes with the choice of smaller portions if you aren't too hungry…read more Went for a casual lunch. Despite there being tables available, we had to wait about 15 minutes to sit. Ordered their garlicky chicken and pork adobo, sisig, garlic rice, and turon. The adobo was fine, I think it would have been better just with the pork vs with chicken. Sisig was on point. The garlic rice was fine as well. The turon didn't have bananas in it but mangoes instead. I had thought it would have had both mangoes and bananas, but was mistaken. Overall, a decent place for casual sit-down vibes.