Do you fall into #MalnutritionTraps?

"Ang payat ng mga anak mo Pearl!" 

(Your kids are thin, Pearl!)

I get this comment a lot about my kids, especially from my relatives. But, then usually it is followed by "sabagay, payat ka rin noong bata ka" (anyway, you were also thin when you were little).

Yes, I have always been slender. I guess I only gained weight after giving birth, but even until now, I am on the lighter side and I am not worried at all since my BMI is normal.

So, I don't worry that much about my children's physique. Even if they are thin, my 2 girls, Athena and Brianna's weight are normal. Tristan, however, is underweight. It could probably be because of his hyperactivity; he was diagnosed with ADHD.

It could also be because of the food we eat. I do the cooking at home and It is really a challenge to prepare a healthy balanced meal. That is why, somehow, I am worried that I am not providing my children with all the essential nutrients they need. I am also guilty of feeding them with fast food and instant foods, which I believe is also one of the struggles of most Filipino families. 

In fact, did you know that our country has been facing a rise in the number of underweight and overweight Filipinos for more than 20 years? The World Health Organization (WHO) defined this phenomenon as the “Double Burden of Malnutrition” or the “prevalence of both undernutrition and overweight in the same community, nation, or region.”

To address this problem, our government launched the Pinggang Pinoy® campaign in 2014. Pinggang Pinoy® is an easy-to-understand food guide showing proper food group portioning on a per-meal basis. This reflects the principles of MOderation, VAriety, and BAlance (MOVABA) to promote healthier eating habits. 

Solving the Philippines’ Double Burden of Malnutrition should be a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors as it is not an easy feat. With this, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation partnered with government agencies to conduct education programs to raise awareness and promote the practice of Pinggang Pinoy® in malnutrition hotspots, where incidences of Double Burden Malnutrition are high. This training was given to homemakers/mothers who have malnourished (underweight, stunting, wasting, overweight and obese) school-aged children.

The pilot run resulted in improvements in the knowledge & attitudes of households related to the practice of Pinggang Pinoy® within target areas. However, behavior changes towards healthier eating habits remain to be a challenge. The program uncovered a number #MalnutritionTraps that some Pinoy households easily fall into. 

The following #MalnutritionTraps provide a picture of how unhealthy eating habits may lead to Double Burden of Malnutrition: 

1. Overconsumption of carbohydrates: 

Voracious rice eaters can easily fill half of their plates with rice. Others have pandesal & noodles as regular meal deprived of other nutrients derived from a well-balanced meal. 

2. Under consumption of vegetables and/fruits: 

It is common for some to be content with rice & meat to satisfy their hunger and skip/take the insufficient amount of vegetables/fruits. Fact is, the variety of colors found in Glow foods are important sources of vitamins & minerals to sustain our energy & keep us from getting sick. 

3. Overconsumption of protein: 

Typical Filipino “SILOG” meals include a double serving of proteins (e.g. Tapa+Itlog, Tocino+Itlog, Longanisa+Itlog, Bangus+Itlog). Eating different kinds of protein is fine for as long as they are taken in moderation. We must also avoid protein dishes served high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. 

To help Filipinos break free from #MalnutritionTraps, Ajinomoto’s Culinary Nutrition Team prepared Healthy & Delicious Pinggang Pinoy® Recipes, downloadable through https://bit.ly/2HIsfkj. Busy and budget-restricted homemakers will also find these Pinggang Pinoy® recipes useful because all are easy-to-do and affordable (P250/day for a family of 5). 

For updates about Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo!, visit www.ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH.

Veterans Bank’s Freedom Trail March starts countdown for 77th Year of Bataan Death March Commemoration

In partnership with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), The Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) kicks off the 77th year commemoration of the Bataan Death March with the Freedom Trail March that runs from March 2 to 3, 2019. 

The Freedom Trail March is a two-day event that traces the 140 kilometers actual route of the Bataan Death March. The event aims to instill the values of Bravery, Sacrifice, and Love for Country. The Freedom Trail March is expected to gather around participants from the Philippines and other countries. US and Filipino military and police units along with other civilians are among this year’s marchers. 

Veterans Bank’s Freedom Trail March honors Filipino World War II heroes and survivors by traversing the trails while retracing the steps of our fallen heroes during the Bataan Death March.

“It is our generation’s responsibility to continue remembering and honoring the bravery and heroism of our veterans during the war. It is our commitment to making sure that the next generations will never forget and always remember what our heroes endured during the Bataan Death March,” said Mike Villa-Real, Head of Veterans Bank’s Marketing Communications Division.

The Death March, considered as one of the darkest days in Philippine History, is the forcible transfer of 60,000–80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war (POW) from Saysain Point, Bagac, Bataan and Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac. The prisoners were loaded onto box cars in San Fernando, Pampanga. The transfer began on April 9, 1942, and left thousands dead and seriously wounded after enduring torture under the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army.

The Death March route stretches from Mariveles in Bataan to Capas, Tarlac via San Fernando, Pampanga. The total distance covered was from 96 to 112 kms.

The Freedom Trail March will commence midnight on March 1, 2019, at KM Zero in Mariveles Bataan and expected to end at 5:00 pm on March 3, 2019, at the Capas National Shrine in Capas Tarlac. There will be several stops along the route. Participants can join at any point of the trail. Special performances will be done by re-enactors at the San Fernando Train Station and Capas National Shrine on March 3.

This year’s event also includes a competitive bike tour dubbed as the“Ride for Valor,” which will be held on March 10 from Kilometer Zero in Bataan to Capas, Tarlac. The Bataan Freedom Fun is the final event that concludes the commemoration activities. 

Bataan Freedom Run will be held on April 14, 2019. Running enthusiasts are invited to register for the event. The route will start at the Balanga Capitol up to Mt. Samat. The event includes a 21-kilometer half-marathon, 10 kilometers, five kilometers, and 1-kilometer courses, for all types of sports enthusiasts and runners from all ages as well as pets.

Since 2014, the Philippine Veterans Bank, with PVAO, the Provincial Government of Bataan, along with other partners, have held the Bataan Freedom Run in honor of WWII veterans who endured the death march in 1942.

Proceeds from the activities will be used for the restoration and maintenance of historical markers along the route of the Bataan Death March.

To register and find out more, visit the Facebook pages of the Bataan Freedom Run and the Veterans Bank Freedom Trail.

Details on Email Marketing for Franchise Brands

There are a lot of business owners who are aware of how important email marketing is. They have made a lot of effort in order to become noticed. Even franchisers have started advertising online as well. Franchisers may be a bit hesitant to start email marketing because of various reasons. For example, there are various types of franchises available. If people are not familiar with these things, it will be harder for them to cope.

Different Types of Franchisees

The different types of franchisees are the following:

• Single location
• Multi-location
• Partnership
• Sole Ownership

How will a single franchisee make his particular branch stand out from the other franchisees of the same brand? It can be a complicated matter for sure. There are some details that you will learn about franchises in general when you check this. Who knows? You may get all of the information that you have always wanted to know.

You need to be clear about your branch and where you are located. The more that people see important details about your franchise, the more that they will trust you. The more customers that you get, the more that you will realize just how important email marketing is for your type of business.

These are some of the tips that you have to remember:

• Do not forget to build your email list. You need a lot of subscribers that you will send your email to. You can get more subscribers when you create your own website or when you advertise through social media websites.
• Create a campaign that people will not be able to resist. There are some franchise owners that will require you to seek permission before you can push through with the campaign that you are planning. If they approve, you can be specific about the marketing strategy that you can do.
• Send triggered emails depending on the actions that people do when they are online. You may just send your email to people who want to know more about what you can offer.

These tips will hopefully help you promote your franchise business the best way possible. Are you ready to start getting more customers?

HyC 150: Your Health and Beauty Need in just One Supplement

Last 2018 marks my 30th year of existence. Gosh, I still can't believe it! So it's high time that I take even more care of myself because together with aging, comes a lot of changes in our body. And apparently, physical signs of aging are more evident on our skin. It is because, as we age our body produces less collagen. But never be too complacent, because skin aging isn't only caused by aging itself, other factors such as the sun, harsh weather and our lifestyle also have a great impact on our skin. 

This is where anti-aging supplements come in, which as we all know, "nagkalat" nowadays because people have become more physically conscious. So for this matter, I would always go to the one that is proven and tested.

I first knew about Premium HyC 150 when I attended one of their events in 2016, you can read about it here. Premium HyC 150 has Hyaluron, Collagen, plus Ubiquinol, Biotin, Elastin and Pearl Coix, which helps meet our daily health and beauty needs in just one supplemental drink.

No more hassle, just a 1-step beauty routine when you wake up in the morning. No need to pick your pocket and buy thousands worth of beauty products to help keep your body and skin healthy. No need to spend so much time and effort to be beautiful all over. Just drink one sachet of Premium HyC 150 every day for only P125 and you’re all set for the day ahead!

Premium HyC 150 is available at Watsons stores nationwide, online at www.lazada.com.ph and at the HyC 150 online store.

For more information, visit their website at www.HyC150.com; like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HyC150; follow them on Twitter #HyC150 or Instagram @HyC150; or call (02) 546-7297 or 0917-7750779.

Doe Deere: The Queen of Lime Crime, Momtrepreneur & a New Venture

Doe Deere welcomed her new daughter, Loreli Elita into the world 21st of September this year. The queen of makeup and founder of Lime Crime could not hide her joy on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Doe Deere (@doedeere) on Sep 21, 2018 at 2:29pm PDT

She expressed her joy and took that chance to shed light on her new prospects in the coming months.

Deere’s daughter was carried by a surrogate because of the medical complications that the pregnancy would have exposed her to. A few months ago she opened up on Instagram about her situation and decision to use a surrogate to carry her baby. Loreti is Deere’s first child.

It was also during that time that Deere made it public of her decision to step down from most of her roles at Lime Crime for the purposes of concentrating on a new venture. Indeed it’s a time of new beginnings for Deere and her family.

Deere has always been open about her life in public and she welcomes all of us into her new journey. Having welcomed a newborn and announced the launch of Poppy Angel off (A jewelry boutique line) sheds light on the experience of momtrepreneurs around the world.

The Poppy Angeloff Venture

The Lime Crime founder is on the new jewelry venture. Kat Day expressed her joy to work together with her sister in the jewelry business. “We all love jewelry in our family and when we were not able to get what we wanted, we took that opportunity to work out something”, said Kat Day.

Kat day is also a new mother meaning that all of them will be operating the business with babies tied around them. This is a similar trend across the globe. Most women have broken the glass ceiling of patriarchy in the business world. They have overcome barriers that always brought them down.

Deere has worked out her way through thick and thin and has managed to build an empire in the cosmetic world.

Entrepreneurship is part and parcel of my life . I always search on the needs of the market and think of a solution for it. Besides, find something that you are passionate about and follow through it. –Doe Deere

This is a marketing technique that has previously worked for Deere. Right now she is building a following on Instagram for the new brand’s Instagram page. She has also assured followers on her personal Instagram page that they will love the aesthetics of her jewelry.

Who is Doe Deere?

I've had posted about Deere several times before like on this article. But again, Deere surfaced into the cosmetic industry in 2008. She started small but her prowess in online marketing helped her to dominate the cosmetic world within a short time. Deere was a popular user of Myspace and LiveJournal at that time.

She took advantage of her social media popularity to build a community of followers who turned her into a household name. She shared some of her music and sold constructed clothing and vintage to her followers.

How Deere built Lime Crime

Lime Crime entered the cosmetic industry with pomp and color. In the early days, her products mainly attracted subcultures such as Dollies, the Goths, the Punks and such like stuff. However, within a short period of time, Lime Crime offered the Cosmetic industry what it needed (creativity).

Deere’s Transition

Having served in the top leadership of the company for several years now, Deere recently revealed that she will be stepping down from her position together with her husband.

She, however, assured her customers that the company’s goal of providing cruelty-free cosmetic products will continue. Deere will also remain on the board of Lime Crime even as she ventures on her new business.