Healthy Fast Food Chain?

Who says fast food stores are not healthy?  A  headline on AOL caught my eye. A picture of a healthy looking food. However, it says that it has problems but not with the healthy or calories on its food but something bigger which is rising food costs that would cripple Chipotle´s expansion plans. But what shocked me more was the fact that it is one of America´s fastest growing fast food chains..probably not not so close to McDonald´s and Burger King. Yet, what amazed me was the fact that Chipotle Mexican grill manages to maintain to serve and cook ¨Food with Integrity¨, which is also their official slogan.

As what the website says, they are committed to serve food that are organic, locally produced and  animals also are raised without antibiotics and synthetic hormones which makes it not compromising great taste! Although not all the ingredients are certified organic (USDA Organic seal and  Naturally Grown Seals), they choose still the best ingredients that are fresh and produced locally (in every branch they look for local producers as suppliers instead of having a centralized supply).They also make sure that it also protects the environment.  I sure hope they open a branch soon here in the Philippines so I can try their stuff and in the same way help our local farmers!

Cheers to health and organics!  :-)

Organic Products in Our Local Supermarket

I got so excited today as my Mama and I were shopping groceries in our nearby supermarket because I stumbled upon products marked with the USDA Organic Seal. Yup, from cookies to cereals and apple juice and even chips! However, it is quite expensive since of course, it´s from the United States and shipping costs were probably part of the price mark up. ¨The owner must´ve been an organic convert..¨, I thought to myself. 

It only shows that people are getting more and more aware of the benefits of using and considering organic products to take! How about you? Can´t afford organic products or thinking if there are existing organic products here in the Philippines? Good news! There are! Start switching in the form of basic necessities such as organic soap, shampoo, facial wash, deodorant and more! These are all available in Philippine made organic products namely, Human Heart Nature, Giga and Plantex! I recommend these products not just because I use them but also because they are affordable. Grab ém now! Not convinced? Check out their links and there are also other Philippine made organic products out there that we can choose from. So, feel free to choose! 

Cheers to organics and health! :-)

Organic Spice and Herbs

Seems like Dr. Mercola is my new doctor now...You see, he has always emphasized to eat as much as possible organically grown food in order to achieve optimal health. Well, most of us are focusing much on the vegetables or main dish side but how about our herbs and spices? Should we continue to patronize processed herbs that could probably contain serious risks to our health? I used to be a hater of ampalaya or if I eat it, I cover my mouth or put as much rice as possible to hide the bitter taste and swallow it right away knowing that it has a lot of benefits, I force myself to eat it! Yet, a few years ago, our household help was taught to cook it with the use of of course processed spices and herbs with probably heaps of MSG and other synthetic preservatives. I have loved eating it then on. But as I knew more about organically grown plants and vegetables, I began to refrain eating it anymore unless of course I have no choice and just cross my fingers that it will do more good than harm to my system.

So going back to what Dr. Mercola has emphasized, he has observed that herbs and spices were overlooked which is one way to enhance and improve our health. But of course, it should be organically grown. Their nutrient-dense status to vitamins and minerals and antioxidants more potent than fruits and veggies, it promotes the overall well being in the entire body and not just in a specific body area. At the same time, it is low on calories as well as boost metabolism that could help burn calories!

The next time we shop for spices and herbs, we better be selective and make sure it is harvested, grown and processed organically or else we will be missing out some healthful ingredients beneficial to our body. It might as well be 100% organic!

One of the herbs that Dr. Mercola recommends and which actually made him travel all over India was an ancient herb called Turmeric. This herb was used by India and China thousands of years ago..It contains a lot of benefits and one of them is promoting immune system and supporting healthy bones and joints. I have not scouted yet if we have some available here in the local market but if we can´t get hold of it , then might as well make do with our local herbs and spices which I´m sure has benefits of its own as long as we know it is organically grown (I believe that most of them are). You may check out his article if you want to find out more the Turmeric´s benefits. 

Gotta go for now and more organic stuff to talk about soon!

Cheers to organics and health! :-)

Better Sunscreen and Wrinkle Prevention

¨Whoa!¨, was my first reaction the moment I read Dr. Mercola´s article on a better sunscreen protection and wrinkle prevention in one entitled Sunscreen and Wrinkle Prevention in a Pill! According to Dr. Mercola, the unknown carotenoid  called astaxanthin´s benefits are also skin deep. It usually comes from wild salmon. ¨Astaxanthin is the reason salmon have the strength and endurance to swim up rivers and waterfalls for days on end—their diets are high in this pigment, which concentrates in their muscles and makes them one of the "kings of endurance" of the animal kingdom.¨ says Dr. Mercola. ¨Wild salmon are 400 percent higher in astaxanthin than farmed salmon, and 100 percent of their pigment is natural astaxanthin, rather than synthetic. Plus, wild salmon have much higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than the farmed version. But even if you are successful in purchasing genuine wild salmon, there is the problem with high levels of mercury and other unwanted toxins, not to mention the skyrocketing prices.¨ 

So, better be careful when we eat salmon. I have actually loved salmon due to its benefits. However, I still have to shop for eligible wild or naturally colored salmon to fully enjoy the perks of having beautiful skin inside and out plus an internal sunscreen! Besides,I don´t think the antaxanthin pill is available in my area so I better eat more salmon!

Check out more by visiting the World´s Number 1 Natural Health Website!

Cheers to Health and Organics! :-)

Organic Seals Part 2: Down Under and Kiwi Certified Seals

Last February, I wrote about my search for organic products in Australia which I named Organic Hunt in Australia..and unfortunately there was no time for me to continue the hunt anymore due to the busy schedule and preparations for my brother´s wedding that time. I´ve often tried to squeeze it every time we shop but with no luck. Good thing, I found Natural and Organic Choices! It is a website that talks about everything natural and organic..of course it goes with the name!

Now, my previous blog which I declared as the first part of the Organic Seals blog only mentioned three:  IFOAM, USDA Organic and Certified Naturally Grown (the latter ones are both US certified while IFOAM is the international seal). Now, I was planning to finish this topic in two parts but my source says it currently updating particularly with regard to the Organic Seals topic. Well, that´s actually good news because it would mean there might be additional seals recognized from different parts of the world and not just the 13 seals originally written.

I should have thought of the Natural and Organic Choices sight while I was in Australia and find their certified organic seals on their organic products. So, for my fellow organic fanatics and mates, check out and Find A Certified Organic Seal For Australia and New Zealand .

Should it give you additional information on other countries certified seals, that would be better!
Cheers to Health! :-)

A Store called Healthy Options

The other day,I chanced upon Healthy Options, a store that also sells imported health and wellness products. I found out it mostly sells organic products. Yet, I still took time to read the ingredients. Somehow, I found products that contain the official USDA Organic seal which by the way I mentioned in my previous blog: Organic Seals. When I read the back label of some products, I could say that even if they don´t have the certified organic seals, it is still healthy to use or take because some of the ingredients are natural though some also contain synthetic chemicals. Yet, it also says "contains no GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) ingredients". which means it is completely safe to use and take! Most if not all of their products are from the United States. Now, for the prices, of course it is relatively higher compared to products that which is used in every household which usually contains harmful chemicals. I was indeed feasting my eyes on the products displayed when it was time to go since I had a visitor then. I´´ll definitely go back there to shop! Oh, and there were confectioneries too! Amazing huh! For more info, check out there website and enjoy shopping!