When we wash our hair do we find ourselves thinking about what hair chemicals we put on our hair?
We may not be aware that we are unknowingly putting harmful chemicals on our hair thus resulting to general conditions such as migraine, nausea and skin rashes. The symptoms may be quickly attributed to stress but if you look closer to that hair product you’re using, you’ll be surprise to find the culprit.
Popularity does not equate to safety, some popular brands sold in the market are loaded with mildly toxic chemicals that may be harmful in prolonged use.
Novuhair, Nature’s answer to hair loss, gives you the lowdown on these chemicals to help you with your choices.
The truth about hair chemicals
Lather
Myth: Shampoo must produce lots of lather in order to properly clean your hair.
Truth: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a compound that helps shampoo and other cleaning product in producing foam and bubbles. Though it may effectively remove hair build-up, it can also strip off essential oils that is needed to keep your hair healthy.
Anti-bacterial compound
Myth: Parabens has an anti-bacterial compound benefits that outweighs the harm.
Truth: Parabens are basically used to prolong the shelf life of hair and cosmetic products mostly for its antibacterial purpose. Symptoms that are related to over exposure to parabens are Atopic Dermatitis and Rosacea. Further studies also show that use of products with parabens accelerate skin damage and aging related to sun exposure.
Perfume
Myth: My hair smells terrific! I love the perfume scent on my hair product.
Truth: A nice whiff of perfume might not be harmful but the fragrance that is mixed in your hair product might have come from harmful substances from highly toxic ingredients which can lead to Allergic reactions and mood swings. That perfume is better off somewhere else.
Straightening and Smoothening
Myth: Hair products that promise straightening and smoothening effect use non-toxic Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate as a natural preservative.
Truth: Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is a substance used in making your hair soft and bouncy, although it is considered natural preservative, also releases formaldehyde which can lead to skin and eye irritations. Prolonged use may also affect your immune system.
Use of some of these chemicals combined may also result to hair loss and other hair problems, thus, it is important to be an informed consumer. A lot of new products have saturated the market hence, read the labels for fine prints before buying.
Novuhair, nature’s answer to hair loss is made of 19 Natural ingredients which includes herbal components such as moringa oleifera, panax ginseng, virgin coconut oil and the natural essences of rosemary and peppermint.
Novuhair’s all-natural ingredients
Novuhair nourishes the scalp and hair by increasing the flow of nutrients and improving blood circulation to the scalp. Novuhair also helps hydrate the scalp, maintain the hair’s natural luster and prevent early hair graying, hair dryness and itching.
Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide.
Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre showed that you can eat delicious food and lose weight at the same time as it kicked off its first Cohen Cook-Off Challenge. Cohen clients faced off in a cooking competition and presented their healthy, easy-to-cook and appetizing Cohen meals that can be quickly prepared at home and by doing so, lose weight safely and effectively.
Cohen Cook-off Challenge Contestants
From left to right at the Cohen Cook-off Challenge: Regina Chuavon (Director, Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre Philippines), Carrie Luis (a freelance assistant), Marian Remo (businesswoman), and Dr. Mary Ann Tangcangco (physician)
Showcasing their original recipes were Mary Ann “Dr. Ianne” Tangcangco, 40, a physician who lost 35 lbs. on the program so far; Marian Remo, 30, a businesswoman who lost 16 lbs. to date; and Carrie Luis, 26, a freelance assistant who just started the program. Cohen clients Tangcangco, Remo and Luis prepared Apple Cake, Beef Stuffed Zucchini and Mushroom Burger, respectively.
Backed by years of scientific and medical research, Cohen’s Lifestyle Program is a personalized and rapid weight-loss and wellness program that focuses on proper nutrition and uses food as medicine. Each client’s unique blood profile is used as the basis for an individualized eating plan that recommends the personalized quantities of specific types of food that correct the hormonal imbalance that causes weight gain and obesity.
How does it work?
The program works like a prescription. It only “prescribes” food tested at the precise personalized quantity based on the biochemistry of your body to allow the body to do what it is naturally designed to do which is to burn fat. The food prescribed is easily available in the local supermarkets and is most likely already in your kitchen. Through this, there is no need for costly and unsafe procedures, such as injections or pills. Cohen’s Lifestyle Program delivers fast results, with clients averaging a loss of up to eight to 10 lbs. a month.
Barbara Young (CEO, Cohen’s Lifestyle Center)
“The Cohen Program has a track record of success in delivering rapid weight loss using only food as medicine. We provide a safe, effective and scientific method of achieving a slimmer and healthier body, where all other methods may have failed,” said Barbara Young, Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre CEO and a certified life coach.
“Cohen’s Lifestyle Program takes a holistic approach to losing weight. We don’t just guide you in losing weight but we also teach a healthier lifestyle, including cooking and eating habits and the way you look at food. You don’t need to be a chef to be able to prepare healthy, delicious meals.”
“With a little bit of creativity in preparing food, losing weight can actually be fun. With the Cohen Cook-Off Challenge, we hope to inspire more people to take charge of their own health by getting involved in the preparation of their own food.”
What does the Cohen Cook-off Challenge show us?
The Cohen Cook-Off Challenge demonstrates that you can enjoy healthy, delicious and easy-to-cook meals even on a weight-loss program. With Cohen’s Lifestyle Program, you can now say goodbye to bland food to lose weight rapidly, safely and effectively.
Cohen’s Lifestyle Centre offers complimentary information sessions. To schedule an appointment, you may call the Makati office at 828-5251 or (0917) 892-6436.
A healthy mind is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. It affects how you perceive the world and how you react to your environment and the people around you. In order to function normally and accomplish your daily tasks and goals in life, it’s important to keep your brain and mental well-being healthy.
“Healthy brain and mental functioning can be cultivated. In the same way that eating nutritious food and exercising can make your body stronger and more fit, certain habits and activities can also boost your brain power and mental well-being,” says Dr. Nicky Montoya, president and CEO of MediCard Philippines.
To improve brain and mental health, Dr. Montoya offers some tips:
Get enough sleep.
Sleep helps your brain and body work properly. While you’re sleeping, your brain is forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information.
Deep sleep also promotes normal growth in children and teens. It also boosts muscle mass and helps repair cells and tissues in children, teens and adults.
Drink plenty of water.
It is important for the brain to be adequately hydrated to function properly. Your brain cells require a delicate balance of water and various elements to operate efficiently. When you’re dehydrated, your brain has to work a lot harder to perform at the same level.
Drinking water also helps you feel refreshed, which may improve your state of mind. It can also prevent headaches and hangovers.
Get moving.
Exercise releases endorphins, which are essential for producing good moods. Working out also keeps your brain and vital organs healthy. It also improves your body image and keeps you motivated to conquer challenges and pursue your goals.
Learn a new skill and play brainteasers.
Learning a new skill and playing brainteasers can keep your brain sharp. When you learn a new skill, your brain creates new neural pathways that help you process and remember information better. Meanwhile, brainteasers and games that require you to decipher codes and pattern series, remember events and rationalize your answers can also enhance your problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, creativity, and imagination.
Communicate with other people.
Regularly talking and socializing with other people can boost your communication skills and improve your decision-making and problem-solving abilities. It is also a way to avoid depression and negative thoughts, which can interfere with your daily activities.
Practice meditation.
Meditation, which involves focusing your thoughts on the present moment, provides cognitive and psychological benefits. Aside from giving a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, it can also improve memory, empathy and sense of self. Harvard researchers discovered that practicing mindfulness increases the amount of grey matter in the hippocampus, which helps with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection, and lowers grey matter density in the amygdala, which helps manage anxiety and stress.
Since meditation is a big component of Ashtanga yoga, attending yoga classes can also be good for your mental well-being.
Dr. Nicky Montoya President of Medicard Philippines
“The best thing about the human brain is that it adapts and re-wires itself as a result of behavioral changes. There are a lot of ways you can do to get the best out of your brain cells. One of the most effective ways is, of course, letting go of unhealthy habits and embracing a healthy lifestyle,” says Dr. Montoya.
The MediCard Lifestyle Center in Makati offers quality medical and specialty services, including nutrition counseling, diet management, and yoga classes. For more information, call (02) 878-5101or visit http://mlc.medicardphils.com.
I confess, I am a big fan of James Reid. Not only for his looks but also for his abilities as an actor.
But then, I am also a HUGE fan of Century Tuna. My all-time favorite is the Century Tuna Hot and Spicy Tuna (a favorite of my family as well). We have it over rice, with pandesal, on a salad, made into a sandwich spread, eaten as a viand AFTER it was made into a spread, lol! The list goes on. But my favorite baon treats are the Century Tuna Vienna Sausage and the Corned Tuna.
Century Tuna products
So when I was invited to the presscon of Century Tuna I immediately said yes. And when I found out that James was going to be there, I decided to arrive at the venue early. 😀
After a big reveal that showcased a body reinvented by Century Tuna, stopped EDSA traffic, and sent fans on a social media frenzy, top actor James Reid appears anew in a TV commercial that gives a glimpse on how thinking like a champion has brought him to where he is now.
There’s no denying that James Reid is one of the hottest young actors today. He’s a social media phenomenon—with millions of followers online, not counting the various fan accounts that his devoted followers set up.
The highly bankable love team JaDine, in which he is paired with his reel and real life partner Nadine Lustre, has sent their legions of fans in a frenzy, whether in mall tours, concerts, meet and greets, and even online where they are constant trending topics.
There are his chart-topping albums including Reid Alert which hit certified platinum level status last May. Then there are his box-office film successes—the 2014 romantic comedy and his launch movie Diary ng Panget; and Talk Back and You’re Dead, the teen romance flick that followed a year later. No doubt, his biggest hit to date is On the Wings of Love, the top-rating primetime series with Nadine that kept viewers glued to their TV sets until its sensational finale.
Clearly, James Reid is on a winning streak and his steady career path is one that is marked by a succession of winning moves. Recently, he joined the ranks of Anne Curtis and Derek Ramsey as endorser of Century Tuna, the country’s number one tuna.
Derek Ramsey and Anne Curtis – celebrity endorsers of Century Tuna
#BodyoftheCentury James Reid stars in the newest commercial of Century Tuna now airing on primetime TV.
Becoming part of the Century Tuna family has certainly paid off for the young hunk. He is presently at his fittest—sculpted abs, toned muscles, firm biceps—which can be attributed to a rigorous fitness regimen and a proper diet consisting of good protein that Century Tuna can provide.
It’s no surprise then that James headlines their latest campaign, where he appears in a series of sizzling television commercials: the first, a TV spot focusing on metamorphosis that sent his fans in a frenzy and created a sensation; the second, which is presently airing, revolves around the idea of commitment and loyalty.
Century Tuna couldn’t be happier for having James in its roster of celebrity endorsers. From the very beginning, they already saw a champion in him. “His story is truly inspiring,” said Greg Banzon, Century Tuna General Manager. “It speaks of transformation, the relentless desire to improve oneself. It’s a winning formula that brings many positive lessons for everyone: perseverance, keeping the faith, while staying humble and true to yourself—qualities that make James a true role model.”
Meanwhile, for James, it’s really all about trust. “I liken it to a championship game,” he reveals. “If you want to win, you naturally want to surround yourself with a teammate you can put your total faith into. That to me is Century Tuna, and I can’t think of any other name that I’d trust to keep my body fit.”
With bated breath, we watch as James continues to transform—from a teen heartthrob to a more mature actor with the determination, the attitude and the body to conquer and win in the challenging world of show business.
As we get older it becomes more and more difficult to lose weight. It often feels as if we are constantly losing the battle of the bulge – especially once we hit our 40s and our metabolisms become slower and slower and slower. More than a few just give up and accept their “more curvaceous” selves.
Despite our best intentions we just can’t seem to lose weight. Perhaps at this point it is our mindset that is holding us back. In this day and age, when there’s a plethora of unhealthy food to consume and unhealthy lifestyle choices to make, it can be difficult to follow a diet program. But if we have the right attitude to lose weight and maintain our ideal weight, nothing is impossible.
Sheryl Garcia, who weighed 152 lbs., reached her healthy weight of 112 lbs. in just six months.
Francis Salazar started the program in 2011 weighing 325 lbs., and in eight months, he lost 153 lbs.
Sheryl Ehmene Uy-Garcia and Francis Salazar, two Cohen’s Lifestyle Program graduates who have maintained their healthy weight for more than three years, can attest to the effectiveness of conditioning one’s mind to lose weight.
Before adapting their new mindset, Uy-Garcia, an advertising sales unit head in her mid-30s, and Francis Salazar, a technology consultant, both suffered from asthma and obesity.
They turned to the Cohen Lifestyle Program, a rapid weight-loss, and wellness program through nutrition. Salazar started the program in 2011 weighing 325 lbs., and in eight months, he lost 153 lbs. Garcia, who weighed 152 lbs., reached her healthy weight of 112 lbs. in just six months.
Salazar and Garcia share the following “mental diet” tips that they learned from joining the program:
Assess your relationship with food.
Before you can effectively lose weight, you have to understand and deal with the root cause of your problem first –your relationship with food. The two Cohen clients reveal that they were emotional eaters before trying the program. Salazar shares, “I ate when I was happy; I ate when I was sad.” It’s important to be aware of why you may overeat and to stop feeding your emotion in order to successfully maintain your ideal weight.
Always remember your weight-loss motivation.
Losing weight can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you focus on why you want to lose weight. “During one of my monthly ER visits, the doctor warned me that my asthma was fatal and I would expire early if I didn’t take care of myself. I enrolled in the Cohen’s Lifestyle Program because their approach is very personal. They made me focus on my ‘why’ – to live longer for my husband and kids,” shares Garcia.
As for Salazar, his family’s medical history compelled him to finally say goodbye to obesity. “A couple of my uncles died due to diabetes and stroke, and my mom knows that my current situation is a ‘ticking time bomb.’”
Have a support system.
There may have been times when you wanted to give up, but with the help and support of your family, you can push through with your weight-loss journey and reach your goal.
Garcia and Salazar stayed committed to the Cohen Lifestyle Program with the help of their families. “A key factor that helped me stay committed to the program is my supportive husband who encouraged and cooked for me whenever he could,” shares Garcia.
In addition to family support, it is also important to have the support of others who understand what you are going through and are supportive of your desire to lose weight and be healthier. Cohen Consultants often meet with their clients, such as Francis and Sheryl, to help them on their weight-loss journey.
Set realistic expectations.
Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. You have to work for it, including sacrificing some indulgences. “Before Cohen, I only ate pork, rice and soda, no vegetables and fruits, but now, my plate always has salad with protein,” Garcia shares.
Sometimes no matter how hard you try to stick to your diet program, setbacks happen which can slow down your weight-loss progress or even increase your weight. The most important thing is you do not completely let go of your goal and you get back on track with your weight-loss program as soon as possible. Before you know it, you can reach your goal.
Salazar says, “Now that I no longer need to lose more weight, it is okay to indulge once in a while, but not overindulge. It’s okay to enjoy food. We eat to live, not live to eat.”
Change your perspective on food and diet.
Your mindset on food and diet is an essential factor in losing and maintaining weight safely and effectively. Salazar shares, “I learned that food is not supposed to run my life. That food is there for nourishment, but not to control me. I learned to be a more moderate and responsible eater.”
Garcia reveals, “It’s time to think of my family, not just my comfort. I eat to survive and only occasionally, eat to enjoy. Cohen teaches the discipline and the tools on how to make the right food choices, and I haven’t had any asthma attacks from the first day I started the program!”
If cooking is not your thing and you are more of a delivery kinda guy or gal then check out this post on Cohen’s Meals on Wheels … healthy food delivered right at your doorstep.
We may not be aware that we are unknowingly putting harmful chemicals on our hair thus resulting to general conditions such as migraine, nausea and skin rashes. The symptoms may be quickly attributed to stress but if you look closer to that hair product you’re using, you’ll be surprise to find the culprit.
Myth: Shampoo must produce lots of lather in order to properly clean your hair.
Myth: Parabens has an anti-bacterial compound benefits that outweighs the harm.
Myth: Hair products that promise straightening and smoothening effect use non-toxic Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate as a natural preservative.
Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide.
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