Who says being, eating and staying healthy means bland, stale and boring food? Not Healthy Options,…read morethat's for sure! Healthy Options offers organic food and drinks, which branch out to many food supplements and vitamins that will definitely cleanse out your system. Most of the items they sell are imported from other countries, which include breakfast to dinner food. They also offer organic medicines, milk (from lactose to full cream), sugar-free snacks, even skin and hair products from Mother Nature's care! The staff is also very helpful: as a regular customer, I had always been accommodated by them especially when the products I wish to buy are currently out of stock. They text me if they're already available so I wouldn't have to come back from time to time, and reserve these products when they're already on-hand.

I have to admit, the reason I come here is not healthy at all. I come here for the soda. You see…read morethat fridge near the entrance of the store? That's what I go to Healthy Options for. Okay, okay, 80-95% of the time, it's for the soda. The other 5% is for the almond milk. But you have to hand it to Healthy Options. They're aptly named. Options is barely scratching the surface. There's so much stuff in here. From multivitamins to cereal to healthy candy (what an oxymoron) to tea... they have everything you could ever want if you're trying out the organic-healthy eating lifestyle. Everything's so bleeding expensive though but well, when you're eating organic... Hang on, let's go back to the tea for a sec. What I love about their tea is that they have tea for everything: indigestion, insomnia, relaxation, stress... for whatever reason you may need tea or any ailment or state of mind you might have, there's a tea for that. And that's what makes Healthy Options good. Options. Also why I go for their soda. Healthy Options has the largest selection of Hansen's and BlueSky soda I have ever seen. Sure, it's soda but it's cane sugar soda which is apparently better for you because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. IDK man, as far as I'm concerned, as long as they have cherry soda... I'm good.

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!

Along one of the main roads leading to Tagaytay is this charming green patch of land decorated with…read moresmall flower-shaped windmills and twirling, handcrafted wood hangings that would stop any plant/veggie/plant-loving hippie in his/her tracks. Country Market offers all sorts of plants, vegetable seedlings and herbs that you can replant on your own gardens back in the city (and hopefully not end up murdering). I stopped by here to purchase a gotu kola plant, as well as an arugula seedlings when I was still delusional enough to think that I have a green thumb. (FYI Both are already dead, but it's not you, plants. It's ME!) They also sell some local preserved organic food, freshly harvested green leafy veggies (when available), and decorative trinkets for your home. Manila sorely needs more places such as these that allow farmers to directly sell their goods and produce to their customers in a more regular, permanent basis, don't you think?

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.

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

Green Halo is a small, unassuming eatery you would hardly notice in Cubao X among all the other…read moreestablishments there fighting for your attention. I myself didn't think much of them before, but if you take them as they are--a simple, quiet place serving a-okay comfort food, then there is something good to be had here. They serve a variety of pasta, sandwiches, and similar cafe fare, all in a "green" and healthy theme. I wouldn't know exactly as to the "organic-ness" of their offerings, but they are all pretty decent and affordable, though a bit homogenous. The chicken cream pesto pasta, along with its derivations, is always a good choice, as is the tarragon tea shake, one of their more out-there options. A recent visit shows me that they've upped the quirky and cute ante of their decor, plus they serve beer now! Cheers to good choices, Halo!

Ah.. Green Halo. This place brings back so much happy memories…read more Okay, no time for sentimental nonsense. This place is probably one of the few reasons I should still come back to visit Cubao X. For vegetarians and vegans, this place is very veg-friendly. Lots of pasta options, tofu and veg dishes. My personal favorite though would have to be their vegetarian burger steak. It's the first time I've had burgers that are made of.... drumroll please.... banana hearts! I would have never guessed that the very humble and obscure puso ng saging can be transformed into a tasty burger patty! It's a heavy dish too and comes with rice, so it's great as pre-gig food. The place is really quaint and charming, decorated with kitschy paintings and knicknacks, and with just a few chairs so it can get packed during peak hours. Great place to catch up with friends or for a date. I highly recommend sharing a pot of fresh tarragon tea to relax.

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!

This was the part of Tiendesitas that I was most excited about. Sadly, it didn't live up to my…read moreexpectations. It's just that my idea of a food village was a thriving market place with stalls overflowing with native delicacies. The place was not busy when we got there. Some crews were setting up for a concert. But even with that kind of free event, the place just wasn't buzzing, and that was a Friday. Maybe it has something to do with the time we went there (pre-dinner) and that some of the stalls were closed. The stalls that were open were pretty impressive. Most of them sold locally grown products and native delicacies that you wouldn't see in supermarkets. I liked the store that sold durian ice cream and organic fruit juices. I wanted to try the restaurants there, but we just ate before going to Tiendesitas, so we bought some Pinoy snacks instead (cornick, banana chips, chicharon, etc.). I wasn't really satisfied with my trip here. But that only means one thing: I should go back and stay longer next time. I hope there will be more stores and people then.

I've only recently been to Tiendesitas and it's just because we picked up my brother from NAIA late…read moreat night. We were looking for a place to grab dinner and he was seriously craving Filipino food after a month in Singapore eating chicken rice. PROS: We find the interiors really cute with all those colorful paper lanterns and vintas on the ceiling; The place is a wide open space with a lot of seats and industrial fans and mist machines. So it's not much of a big deal that there's no air conditioning. Or maybe it's because we went there during night time and it's less hot; The food establishments are a monolith of Pinoy food and grilled choices to accompany your beer; There was a band playing that night, and they would let the audiences volunteer if they want to perform. CONS: I know it's the Pinoy trademark that we offer good customer service, but don't you just hate it when vendors and staff get all over your face to hawk and peddle their restaurant to you? It just makes it all the more confusing and irritating for us to choose a place to eat. Like, excuse me, stop pressing your menu on my face. TL;DR: Tiendesitas Food Village is an over-all fun place with so many choices for food and drinks, plus live entertainment.

I remember I was looking for a birthday gift for Pau's mom on our first year when I found out about…read moreVom Fass. Shangri-La's East Wing was very new back then and it was my best friend who told me to check if there was anything I could buy Tita Ethel there. With Pau's intel (Tita was into cooking and trying out new dishes once in a while) and my best friend's prodding, I decided to buy her a special, customized gift from Vom Fass. I was lucky one of the owners of Vom Fass was there, and he accommodated and answered all my questions. You see, Vom Fass is a specialty store that sells different types of oils, wines and spirits. While you have the option of buying any of their pre-packed bottles, you also have the option of buying any of their products in different amounts. I opted for the latter option for Tita Ethel's gift. I got her three small bottles of different oils. The friendly owner advised I get her their Balsamic Vinegar, White Truffle Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They placed it in a fancy wooden box, tied a ribbon with a card on it and voila, my gift is done! I really enjoyed my experience in Vom Fass and I can't wait to purchase my next gift here. I'll probably go for the wine and spirits next time around.