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!

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.

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!

I have a friend who prescribes Healthy Options for common maladies like sore throat, dysmenorrhea,…read moreand headaches. I don't know how effective their natural and organic remedies are since I haven't really tried them, but she swears by them. Anyway, I did visit Healthy Options upon her recommendation. If, like me, you consider grocery shopping therapeutic, then I have to warn you: You will spend a lot of time here as their displays are particularly soothing. Unfortunately, most of their goods are beyond what I can afford, so I just content myself with lazing around their aisles and learning about the health benefits of such and such. One thing I did buy here, and have been buying since, is rolled oats, specifically Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Rolled Oats. I don't really care that it's wheat-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free; what I love about this brand is the taste and texture! I cook it according to package instructions and drizzle it with a bit of Alpine and brown sugar and take it with me to the office as baon. Love it!

*Note: This is a 4.5 Star review…read more Since the past weeks have been very, very hot and humid, I've been craving for cold desserts. My new favorite dessert at the moment is Bingsu! While I was down South, my friends and I decided that it would be great to end the night with something icy to cool down. We actually weren't sure where to get Bingsu but, thankfully, we found this hidden gem at Molito. Bingsu is basically the Korean version of shaved ice or halo halo. Imagine soft, icy snow with condensed milk poured on top then add any toppings of your liking: from mochi to fresh fruit to brownies! We arrived almost to closing time but they still allowed us to order. We decided to try the regular size of the Injeolmi, Mix Berry Yogurt, and Mango (of course!). There was a bit of wait since we were the last order and they ran out of ingredients and had to prep for more. So, we waited for about 15-20 minutes. While we were waiting, we decided to hangout in their "Snow Room"! Yes, they have a small room in the café where "snow" falls from the ceiling. Pretty cool making snowballs! :) After hanging out in the snow, our bingsu orders arrived. Among the 3 that we ordered, the best was actually the Injeolmi! It's was the most traditional one and it was also the most flavorful. It had the right amount of sweetness and it was packed with ingredients. The Mix Berry Yogurt was tart and had dried fruit which added the sweetness. The Mango Bingsu was a winner. But, I always ended up going back for more spoonfuls of the Injeolmi! The one common factor for all the Bingsu we ate though is that the ice was sooo fine, fluffy and creamy. One of the best quality bingsu I've tried so far! I will definitely come back when I'm in the South again. I hope I'll be able to try their Cheese Bingsu next time! :)

Ok so I've read all the reviews and decided today was the day to go have some dessert, because our…read moredinner sucked royally and needed a pick me up to end the night out on a good note. The snow room in the cafe was a pretty fun touch. The desserts they serve were certainly fun and just the goodness we needed. We ordered the chocolate snow ice, the small one, certainly, it was enough for two to share as a dessert. I'm used to the Taiwanese snow ice and this is certainly something new. Reminded me of the snow ice, but the ice was really flakey and soft, super fun for the palette. The chocolate wasn't overly sweet and was just plain enjoyable. We were already eyeballing the menu for our next visit and scoping out the other tables. It all looks so good!! If you need a cool pick me up... This should certainly do the trick! We hope to visit again soon and try everything eventually :) A la cuisine! Stay hungry my friends!