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!

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.

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.

Whenever I'm in Manila, I would always drop by Real Food Molito to check-out their stuff. They have…read morea wide range of products that cater to various dietary preferences and needs. Their staff are attentive and they promptly reply to text inquiries about product availability and stock. I get my KetoFilipino desserts here plus fresh organic produce, keto friendly food and gluten free items. So glad this is close to our house so it's easy to drop by every so often. They have a few dedicated parking spots in front of the store but those are usually filled.

We've been getting supplies of adlai (as a substitute for rice) from this branch for quite awhile…read moreand finally saw their other healthy products. Selection is amazing and I'm looking forward to trying their dark chocolates and keto-friendly ice-cream! This just gives us another reason to visit Molito!

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!

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.

Rocha's puto is really special and delicious. Actually it is one of my favorite places to get puto…read morein the world. The puto is chewy and cheesy. I could probably eat a whole box in one sitting. If you are in Marikina, I highly recommend buying a box or two! Next time I'm in Marikina this is a must visit for me.

First day of school. You will expect the students to talk about academic issues. But, surprise,…read moreRocha's Puto at Kutsinta made its way into the conversation. My classmate asked me where I was from and I answered Marikina. Quickly, she remarked: "I've been there. Dumayo kami to try Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. You're famous for that, di ba?" And all the while I was thinking Marikina was famous for shoes! But, maybe, the palate makes a greater impact on the memory than the feet. Oh well, this is one time I am happy to be wrong. The puto of Rocha's is really quite good. Flavorful but not overly sweet. Soft and fluffy and never buhaghag. This rice cake from Rocha's is becoming a staple at meals served for family celebrations. So, next time, if you are going to a potluck party, you now have more options than just spaghetti, pancit or pizza. Visit Marikina and buy Rocha's Puto and Kutsinta. Marikina, the puto and kutsinta capital of the Philippines? Not bad.