Spotlight | Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg + L-Carnitine 500 mg.

Times sure have changed since the outbreak of COVID-19. Gone are the days when we could all travel freely and leave our houses without having to worry about getting sick or being infected with a life-threatening disease. In this day and age of the pandemic, our home has - literally and figuratively - become our haven, and my family's health and well-being has become my top priority. Now, more than ever, it is imperative to safeguard our health and have a strong immune system. This is where Puritan's Pride comes into play.

Originating from the USA, Puritan's Pride is a trusted brand of vitamins and supplements with an almost 50-year history in the industry. The company manufactures their products in the United States and carefully sources out ingredients from over 100 different countries around the world. The brand is also known for their commitment to quality, which is why they take pride in the rigorous testing during the process of making their products and before releasing them in the market.

Here in the Philippines, Puritan's Pride products are exclusively distributed by no other than Puritan's Pride Philippines. They offer a wide and complete range of products - from multivitamins to health supplements (skin care, anti-aging, weight management, among many others) at very competitive prices. Puritan's Pride Philippines recently sent me these gifts of health and wellness, which I'm all too happy to receive. Health is definitely the greatest wealth in the 'new' normal, you know. :)

Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg +
Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg.

With all the quarantine cooking and eating that I've been doing lately, Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine surely comes in handy. Dubbed as one of the best weight loss supplements in the market, Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine promotes a faster metabolism to help you shave off some pounds and allows you to burn more calories as it supports your body's fat-burning functions. Not only does this product enhance the effectiveness of your workouts, it also helps your muscles recover after a high-intensity exercise.

Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg,
1 caplet a day, preferably after a meal.

Each bottle of Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg comes with 60 coated caplets. Serving size is 1 caplet per day, to be taken preferably after a meal. I take mine after lunch since I usually skip breakfast because of intermittent fasting. Each caplet contains 500 mg of L-Carnitine and is made with vegetable cellulose, food glaze, vegetable stearic acid, and silica. 

Nutrition facts (click on photo to zoom).

I've tried Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine before, and I can vouch for its effectiveness in terms of metabolism and calorie burn. No other product has made me sweat buckets like this weight loss supplement. I sweat profusely even inside an air conditioned room! I also like how this product has made me feel more active and energetic - no feeling of sluggishness even if I had less than ten hours of sleep. Looks like my weight loss journey will finally get back on track now that I have a two-month supply of L-Carnitine.  

When it comes to health supplements, perhaps the most well-known is Vitamin C. It is one of the most widely-consumed supplements in the world, all because of its reliability and wide range of benefits such as a stronger immune system and clear, healthy skin.

Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg,
1 caplet a day, preferably after a meal.

A bottle of Puritan's Pride Vitamin C contains 100 coated caplets. Each caplet contains 500 mg of ascorbic acid which is vital to immune function and necessary for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It also contains 14 mg of Rose Hips that boost Vitamin C absorption. In addition, each caplet is also fortified with Citrus Bioflavonoid Complex, a potent antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals and helps prevent premature aging.

Suggested intake of Puritan's Pride Vitamin C is one or two caplets daily, preferably after a meal. I usually take one caplet after lunch, along with the other supplements that I take daily. The caplets may look a tad bigger than the usual ascorbic acid, but they're easy to swallow and they don't leave a burning sensation in the stomach when ingested.

Both products are available on Puritan Pride's official website.
Puritan's Pride L-Carnitine 500 mg (60 caplets) retails for Php 799 per bottle, while Puritan's Pride Vitamin C 500 mg (100 caplets) retails for Php 549 per bottle. Be wary of fake Puritan's Pride products proliferating online. Make sure to purchase only from their official website or their Lazada flagship store.

Chamomile For Dogs | 3 Benefits You Probably Didn’t Know.

We are all well aware of the amazing properties of chamomile. I bet you have some chamomile tea at home right at this very moment. Why wouldn’t you? Its therapeutic properties and various benefits are more than enough to make you want to drink it every single day. Plus, it does taste pretty great, doesn’t it?

This is why people drink chamomile tea: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320031

I’m not here to talk about all the amazing things that this flower can do for you, though. It’s time we concentrated on someone other than ourselves. It’s time we paid some attention to our four-pawed, barking friends. Given how affectionate, loyal and loving they are, they really deserve our undivided attention, don’t they?

If you thought that feeding your pup regularly and taking it out for frequent walks is enough to make it happy and well, I suggest you think again. There’s more to their feelings and needs that meets the eye. There’s also more to chamomile that meets the eye. Have you ever even thought of using “dogs” and “chamomile” in the same sentence?

A dog. And chamomile flowers. :)

In case it has never crossed your mind that this flower could be rather helpful for your little companions, you should use this day to do some research on that topic. The things you will find will probably amaze you and lead you towards making a very important decision of giving your pup chamomile. An idea that might seem strange at first will quickly turn into the best idea you’ve had in a while.

Before you go any further, though, and decide to make some purchases, I suppose you do want to know what it is that chamomile can do for your dogs. That’s the right way to go. Doing research before buying just anything is the right step towards buying the perfect thing. Since we’re researching chamomile today, if you continue reading, you’ll get to find out about how our dogs can benefit from it. Let us get started.

Photo credit: Experience Life.

It Soothes Their Upset Stomach
When you notice that your pup is having abdominal issues, you are definitely eager to try and find a solution. An upset stomach can be very irritating for a dog. It can cause pain, vomiting and diarrhea, among other things. Gastrointestinal issues are rather common among canines and I am sure that, if there’s a way to help, every owner will jump on that opportunity.

Here’s a thought. Why not try chamomile products? This flower is praised for its calming properties and research has shown that it can soothe our dogs’ upset stomachs, which leads to the reduction of symptoms like vomiting, pain and diarrhea. Don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself.

It Reduces Anxiety
Whether you want to admit it or not, your canine can get anxious too. This disorder is not reserved for humans only, so you need to understand that most of our animals can also suffer from anxiety. Similarly, chamomile is also net reserved for humans only, which is why you shouldn’t deprive your pets of its amazing properties.

If you notice signs of anxiety in your dog, you should try to find a way to calm them down, instead of panicking right there with them. One of the perfect ways to calm them down is, you’ve guessed it right, chamomile. This flower will get your pup more relaxed and at ease. While it cannot exactly cure anxiety for good, it can definitely relieve the symptoms, which will help your canine lead a higher-quality life.

It Treats Skin Issues
Skin irritations can be rather annoying, especially the ones that never seem to disappear, no matter how hard you try to fight them. You’ve tried everything you could think of and your dog still keeps scratching that one inflamed patch of the skin. It appears that there really is nothing you could possibly do about it and help the poor animal.

Instead of simply giving up, you should try to apply chamomile on the inflamed spot. It can be perfect for treating flea bites, allergies and even certain bacterial or fungi skin infections. Once again, its soothing properties are responsible for resolving the skin issues and help your doggie heal.

How To Choose The Right Place To Buy CBD Oil In San Diego.

Given the low level of THC in the plant used in the production of CBD oil, this product has become legal for consumption in San Diego as well. You can use it safely and without any concerns whatsoever that you might get into a conflict with the law enforcement officers. This product is used due to its therapeutic effects and it cannot get you high.

As it is so thoroughly explained on this page, Cannabidiol is a non-toxic and non-psychoactive compound, which makes it safe for our consumption. There are even Cannabidiol-based products made for animals, which only goes to further show how beneficial and safe this compound is. Nobody in their right mind would give their pets something that could harm them.

The question of safety and legality has been addressed several times so far, so there’s no need for me to go into many details about that. There is a more pressing issue concerning people and we’re going to deal with it today. What good does it do you that you can legally use CBD oil if you don’t know where to buy the perfect product in San Diego?

You need to keep in mind that there are a lot of different manufacturers and suppliers and you cannot trust them all. Unsurprisingly, every company will claim to be the best in the business, with an aim of selling you their CBD oil and prevent you from buying from their competitors. That’s just how business works and it’s not about to change any time soon.

As an average consumer, you don’t really care about their games of competition. What you do care about is finding the perfect supplier and the perfect product in San Diego. This can be done successfully, but you will definitely need to do some research before deciding where to buy your CBD. Making uninformed decisions will only make you regret your decision of buying the product in the first place and you don’t want to let that happen. You want to get all the benefits of CBD and you need the right supplier for that.

Speaking of benefits, you’ll find some here: https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/health-benefits-cbd-3516616/

Check Supplier’s Reliability
The first thing you need to do when you’re searching for your supplier in San Diego is make sure that the company you are thinking of buying the product from is reliable and trustworthy. This way, you will make sure that your CBD oil is of high-quality. I suppose you do want the product to be of high-quality, don’t you?

How do you check this? For starters, you ask the people around you if they have any info about a specific supplier. If they don’t, you turn to the Internet for help. Check out the supplier’s website and go through the whole selection of products in order to see what’s offered. Then, find some online testimonials and reviews to check how previous users were satisfied with the products they bought from that specific supplier.

Look For Quality Of Service
Most people opt for ordering this product online and that seems to be a very good idea. If this is what you are planning to do, you probably want the CBD oil to be delivered to your address as soon as possible. You also want it to be in the perfect state when delivered. Most importantly, you simply want to click a button and not worry about the order anymore, until it arrives.

Since CBD oil is here to stay, you want to find a supplier that’s also here to stay and it needs to be the one that will provide you with a high-quality service. Buying online can be the perfect option, just as long as you buy from the right place. Once again, you can check online reviews to determine the quality of service of a specific supplier.

Make Sure The Price Is Right
I suppose you don’t want to get ripped off and end up paying more than you should for CBD oil. Feel free to compare the prices in a few places and then choose the one that seems perfect. Although I understand that you want to pay as little as possible, you should remember that an extremely low price can be a sign that the product isn’t very good.

Healthy Diet Safeguards Against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic intensifies the Philippines' battle against 'Double Burden of Malnutrition'. This is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 'the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight and obesity, or diet-related non-communicable diseases, within individuals, households and populations, and across the life course.'

The limited distribution and access to food supplies aggravate the plight of poor and low income households to sustain each person's required nutrients through healthy meals. On the other hand, home confinement due to the mandated community quarantine may cause more people to not only restrict their physical activities but also to overeat and/or consume more food with empty calories as part of coping with stress and/or boredom.

Given the importance of maintaining healthy diets to sustain our health and immunity against viruses and bacteria, we should turn to the practice of Pinggang Pinoy® as a viable safeguard to protect our family from diseases.

Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo!

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) introduced 'Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo 7-Day Menu Challenge' as a way to encourage homemakers to serve a variety of balanced meals to their families. Homemakers could access the Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo 7-Day menu plan at www.ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH. This is part of the company's 'Eat Well, Live Well, Stay Well' campaign to provide Filipino families with practical tips on proper nutrition,  recipe menu and fitness activities to cope, stay well, and enjoy life despite the current COVID-19 situation.

Ajinomoto's 7-day menu plan is composed of complete meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal provides recipe suggestions for healthy and delicious Pinggang Pinoy® recipes that are easy to prepare and affordable, too. These recipes are simple yet healthy solutions to serve enjoyable Pinggang Pinoy® meals. Homemakers could make use of their extra time to purchase widely available and inexpensive fruits and vegetables to complement rice beyond the usual supply of canned goods. Ajinomoto's recipes make common ingredients more palatable like Tofu Sisig, Meaty Pechay Picadillo, Pork Tapa and Tomatoes, Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote, Sweet and Sour Galunggong, and many more. Here are three recipe samplers done in three easy steps:

Pork Tapa with Tomatoes.

Pork Tapa with Tomatoes

1. Marinate pork in water, sugar, soy sauce, pepper and SARSAYA® Oyster Sauce overnight. 

2. Saute onion, garlic, and pork.

3. Pour the marinate mixture and boil until the mixture is thick.

Sweet and Sour Fish.

Sweet and Sour Galunggong
1. In a pan, fry the galunggong. Set aside. In the same pan, saute bell pepper and carrots.
2. Add soy sauce and water and cornstarch slurry. Season with salt, ground pepper, and AJI-GINISA® . Let it boil until sauce thickens.
3. Add the fried galunggong to the SARSAYA® Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Meaty Pechay Picadillo.

Meaty Pechay Picadillo
1. Saute onion, garlic, and ground pork, and mix in carrots, green peas, and pechay.
2. Season with pepper, soy sauce, and AJI-GINISA® Flavor Seasoning Mix.
3. Cook for one minute more.

For full recipes and for more information about Ajinomoto and its products, visit www.ajinomoto.com.ph and facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH.

What’s In My Travel Bag?

Travel is a fantastic way to figure out what's important to you in your day to day life! What you choose to take with you can define you better than any personality test, or horoscope. So let's deep dive into my purple hand-me-down carry-on bag, and I'll let you see what I hold near and dear when the home is far away.

I have a love-hate relationship with red eye flights. :)

Vital Things
These are the things I couldn't go without and have to be in my travel bag for me to be able to last more than a couple of days away from home. There's medication- aspirin, my asthma inhaler I haven't needed in years (but don't want to risk needed without having it!), and Tums in case my need for spicy food doesn't line up with my body suddenly deciding to show my age. Besides that, there's a phone charger, a tiny bottle of scented hand sanitizer, a little bottle of lotion to chase the sanitizer with, and of course, any important documents I need to bring with me. I keep these with me first and foremost, grabbing them before I pack anything else.

Photo credit: Nintendo Today.

Fun Things
I can live without these things, but why make myself go through that? These are the things that keep me sane in my travels. A mini-notebook in case inspiration hits me midair, my Nintendo Switch so that I'll be too distracted to get inspired- and a mix of different local candies so I can still have my sugar fix while away from home. There's nothing to cure homesickness like chewing on taffy from the town where you grew up.

Skincare is life. 

General ThingsLess fun, more necessary, I keep these so I can survive travel without a hitch. I make sure chewing gum, extra hair ties, make-up, face wipes, and a stain-pen stay in my bag. These help travel go smoothly and save me the worry of missing bodegas when I'm in the middle of a great outdoors excursion. Sometimes I leave some of these out if I need the space, but usually, they go along with me.

Tiny travel buddy.

Just-In-Case
Travel is something that you have to take seriously, so plan for everything! These give me a little peace of mind, while all being relatively small enough that I don't even notice they're there. I keep a small GPS tracker in my carry-on, and my purse, while I'm abroad that only I have access to see. This idea only came up after an almost-theft in Barcelona that made me realize how easily everything important to my travel could have gotten taken. Whether I'm on a ski trip or looking at Atlanta houses for sale, if my purse goes missing, I'll be able to help the cops locate the thieves.

I've spent years of traveling everywhere from Japan to Belgium and have used that time to whittle down what I need when I travel. Trial by fire is the best way to figure out what you need with you, and what's just taking up space and could be replaced by some fun souvenir or trinket! Give yourself time to find what works best for you, and don't be afraid to let that list change with time.