A Tour for Health

By Miguel Camus

Zara Jane Juan could have been anything she wanted. A former Miss Hawaiian Tropic International finalist and Bb. Pilipinas, she is beautiful and statuesque—the kind of person you would expect to be gracing the covers of fashion magazines, and hosting glamorous events.

Last week, however, Zara was hosting the “Health and Wellness Tour” sponsored by Ceaco, a 13-year-old society devoted to promoting and protecting the diverse aspects of Filipino life such as culture, environment and health.

With July being Health Month, Ceaco thought that it would be more effective to target government offices as they should set an example for the rest of the people. “We would like to start with people in the government as we view them as role models,”  said Zara, who is also Ceaco’s spokesman, at the  National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the first of several government institutions they plan to visit.

While it was Ceaco’s first press conference, the program it put together was very well-organized and featured speakers from the various fields of expertise, such as MD Rebueno, an environmentalist who gave a spirited talk on the abuse we deal to the environment and how, ultimately, this will impact our well-being. A human-resource expert from Shakey’s, Leo Gellor, discussed the healthy pursuits that companies can promote, such as exercise programs and sports events that are common to Shakey’s. This was followed by a short talk by Jojie Cordero, Ceaco’s proponent.

Reno Nalda of the Philippine Business for Social Progress gave a talk on kicking the very unhealthy smoking habit. The World Health Organization predicts that about 1 billion people will die from smoking-related deaths this century, and that over 80 percent of this will be coming from the developing world. Present also was Buds Convocar, president of Artist Association of the Philippines, who explored the subject of art in the context of wellness. “Painting is good for forgetting one’s problems; it eases the stresses in life,” he said.

Zara then briefly recounted her experience as a stroke victim. She explained the mission of Ceaco and its commitment to health, especially among the youth. She underscored that much of one’s state of health hinges on making the right food choices, and she exhorted government  employees to choose natural foods over processed stuff. She also emphasized the need for food education, such as teaching kids—and some adults—how to read nutrition figures such as fat, sodium and sugar content.

Finally, the last guest to speak was Perla Esguerra, the head dietician of the Philippine Heart Center. She spoke on the importance of a balanced diet. No nutritionist will ever end a speech without the “ apple a day” adage and Esguerra happily indulged the assembly gathered.

“An apple a day is OK, but two apples are better,” she quipped. Translation: When it comes down to one’s health, you can never have too much of a good thing.

LEA SALONGA

Fairy Tale Continues

‘It’s a very humbling experience.” And so goes Lea Salonga, winner of the 1990 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical, along with, a year later, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Drama Desk Award and the Tony Award, all for the same category, all for the Claude-Michel Schönberg-Alain Boublil blockbuster musical Miss Saigon, produced by theater impresario Cameron Mackintosh.

Gab Fab: VJ Drei in the MYX

Every day, Andrei Felix, aka VJ Drei, takes us on a journey. On radio, he brings his avid listeners inside his mind as he rattles off his views on different issues that affect his listeners in between playing the latest music on Maxx FM. On TV, he takes us inside the court as he reports statistics and other basketball-related stuff in the National Collegiate Athletic Association on Studio 23. Meanwhile, on MYX, he dishes out the latest music happenings in MYX News and takes us back in time in MYX Backtrax.

Show & Tell:

She was focused on the show

THE recent verbal skirmishes among sexy stars in one of the usual disrobing events produced and organized by a men’s magazine got our attention. Well, they do this all the time anyway, the usual catfights that lead to instant publicity.

More on Christian Bale’s ‘family feud’

THE British press is spinning like a top: Not only is The Dark Knight (with an English director and a Welsh star) making history at the box office, now it has two tawdry off-the-screen subplots. Heath Ledger’s overdose death in January would seem to have very little to do with Christian Bale’s recent family feuding, but not according to the Daily Mail Online.

Fermentations:

Wrestling with Riesling

FIRST, there is the bottle, long and tapered unlike the usual wine bottle with “shoulders.” Then there is the low alcohol level with some examples just batting at 7 percent, giving the impression that the wine is wimpy and bland.  And then, because the wines are virtually oak-free, they are deemed “unfashionable,” swimming against the current tide of rich, buttery whites that have had time in new barrels. Though still misunderstood and bypassed in favor of the wines made with the more familiar Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling is considered the noblest of all white-wine grapes. Here is why.

Finally, we were all seated together, red wine poured out in the ready, and Chef Roxs, coming from his kitchen dish in hand, was headed our table. The rib eye steak from New Zealand, which he had spiced up and grilled, was going to go “under the knife.”

Learning Curve: An evening with Mega Mom

I’VE always been, unabashedly, a Sharon Cuneta fan and meeting her was such a thrill. I mean, I grew up with her—through her songs (from the time she first appeared as a 12-year-old singing “Mr. DJ”) and her movies (from her lovable cheesy Viva Films stuff with Gabby Concepcion to her more mature roles), and through her life’s many phases. And now, through her real-life role as midlifing mom to three beautiful daughters, her all-too-real struggles with her weight, her work-life balance, and her continuing efforts to improve herself as a person and as an actress. Did I mention that, being almost the same age, I also went through the same hairstyles and dress sense as she did?

Something Like Life:

Having it all...or not

Women have come a long way from the time of our mothers and grandmothers. We can choose to be anything we want to be. Go anywhere we want to go. But perhaps it is time to sit back a bit and realize that we cannot do everything.

Tea, the British Way

ALEXANDER PUSHKIN found “ecstasy” in a glass full of tea. Chinese sage T’ien Yiheng drunk the brew to “forget the din of the world.” And Queen Victoria demanded hers be served, along with a copy of Times, the moment she ascended to her throne. In the days of yore, tea was the drink of nobility, philosophers and luminaries of the literary world. Since its discovery in China 5,000 years ago, it has built empires, smoothed diplomatic relations, and fueled the obsession of more than a few nations. Perhaps no other beverage is as steeped in historical, spiritual and ceremonial significance as tea. And now more than ever, it is embraced by young and old alike for its many health benefits.

Zara Jane Juan could have been anything she wanted. A former Miss Hawaiian Tropic International finalist and Bb. Pilipinas, she is beautiful and statuesque—the kind of person you would expect to be gracing the covers of fashion magazines, and hosting glamorous events.