Malungai Life Oil

A few months ago, I was sent a box of Malungai Life Oil to try. 
I’ve been taking malunggay (moringa oleifera) in some form or other already. In fact, malunggay has been incorporated into a lot of products already — coffee, tea, lotion, body care or simply crushed versions of malunggay (taken in capsule form).
Malunggay is known to have many benefits:
  • increased energy
  • strengthened immune system
  • better-managed sugar levels
  • lower cholesterol levels
  • controlled blood pressure
  • cancer prevention
  • and more…
Last Christmas 2010, I got very sick. A virus was going around and I went from just colds and cough to flu to asthma. It took several weeks, well after New Year, before I started to feel better. Friends of ours told us about the malunggay capsules (powdered malunggay leaves) they were taking and we decided to try it out. So far so good. No cough or colds, no sluggish feelings, and I feel great overall.
Ok, I’m no medical practitioner and so, not qualified to categorically say that my body condition is due primarily to taking in malunggay. I can only say that since I started taking it, my immune system seems to stay up.
Malungai Life Oil looks different from the usual dried, powdered versions that I have been taking. This one is a green, soft gel in blister packs and I guess if I pricked it, I will get what its name says — oil!
Is the oil version better than the dried, powdered variety?
I went to their website and this is how they explain what they believe is the advantage of their processing (I am quoting their exact words):

Unlike other moringa products in the market, Malungai LifeOil is not crushed or pulverized malunggay leaves which, if harvested randomly, may contain sulfur from acid rain and carcinogens due to heavy metals like lead, chromium, and mercury. 

Malungai LifeOil soft gel capsules capture the benefits of malunggay in its purest and powerful form that effectively help increase energy, strengthen the immune system, manage diabetes / sugar levels, lower cholesterol levels, control blood pressure, and fight cancer. 

The Philippine-manufactured Malungai LifeOil is the only moringa oil product in the world. Each soft gel capsule contains 500mg of combined oil extract, which is equivalent to 1000 grams of malunggay leaves and seeds…

LIFE OIL is the world’s first and only product developed from pure Moringa Oliefera (Malunggay) Seeds and Leaves oil extract which provides the best dietary source. Life Oil is rich in Organic Chlorophyll, Essential Amino Acids, Vitamins, Minerals and Phytochemicals.

So it seems the difference is that most dried and pulverized varieties are sourced from malunggay leaves while Malungai Life Oil comes from malunggay seeds and leaves.

Malungai Life Oil comes in two variants: 60 capsules and 10 capsules. It can be taken twice daily or as recommended by a doctor/health professional.

Some precautions: pregnant women need to consult their doctor prior to taking this. It is NOT recommended also for children below 12 years of age.

For more information, contact:

Manila Nature’s Link Corp.
Unit 1606 Orient Square Bldg.
F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center
Pasig City 1605
Tel. 474-2499
Fax 687-5849
Website: www.malungailifeoil.ph

Book Launch: [R]evolutionaries

[R]evolutionaries book cover

When I hear the youth being cynical about their future in this country, I feel sad. After all, they will live out and be part of the future generation. Of course, I cannot blame many of them, who have seen how deep-seated corruption has made life a lot more difficult for the ordinary Juan and has distorted the values that they have learned from their families and from school.

So when a book is launched about how innovative-thinking Filipino youth have spent their time finding new solutions to old problems, testing how far their skills and creativity will take them, daring to go beyond the normal call of duty in life, and proving the status quo wrong, I become hopeful that there is indeed a future for my children.

Good friend and writer Nina Terol-Zialcita and Silvie Bandiola-Agravante took two years to complete the writing of the [R]evolutionaries book but it is all worthwhile as you will read below.

Author Nina Terol-Zialcita

More than just a collection of stories, the [R]evolutionaries has 14 chapters dedicated to innovative thinking, resourcefulness, teamwork, passion, initiative and leadership. It is testament to how the youth are showing the way in breaking barriers, building bridges, confronting issues and solving problems within different communities and fields of expertise.

For 6 years now, the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Foundation has been conducting annual searches. This book features those winners.

The book is an easy read and filled with inspiring pictures of our youth in action. You’ll read of their work in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and NCR spanning areas such as education, disaster response, environment, women’s rights, social services and livelihood.

I believe this is a book that every Filipino home should have because it is meant to be read by everyone, most especially our youth. If they are one of those who are cynical about whether the Philippines is ever going anywhere, this book will hopefully inspire them not to just keep whining but to actually get up and do something on their own.

Here is what Nina Terol-Zialcita has to say about [R]evolutionaries:

And TAYO Awards Foundation, Inc. President, Bam Aquino, also has a few words:

Royal Wedding Apps Flourish!

Prince William and Kate Middleton
(photo by Mario Testino)
The excitement over the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this April 29 has given birth to so many ‘royal’ apps – some free, some for a fee (yes, this is clearly business for some).
Even Buckingham Palace will be releasing today, April 18, its first “Royal App” by the Royal Collection. And it has a royal wedding website as well! Goes to show that the British monarchy is now adapting technology to help bring them closer to their loyal subjects. What a change from the distant, put-on-a-pedestal-to-be-admired-from-afar royal family of old.
In my other blog, Here’s To Life!, I wrote about why this royal wedding is particularly fascinating to me. And, since I own an iPad, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of the official app from Buckingham Palace. For starters, I’ve already got the FREE app, The Royal Wedding by Hello! on my iPad.
Here are some of the more interesting ones I’ve found (pls note that not all these apps may be available to Philippine users):
FREE
1. The Royal Wedding by Hello! (Hello Ltd), iPhone and iPad – So far, this is the best app I’ve seen. The UI is very clean and the info is almost comprehensive in nature.

2. Royal Wedding Video App (ITN), iPhone and Android – the video content is linked to ITN’s ‘Royal Wedding Channel’ on YouTube.
3. A Royal Wedding Celebration: William and Kate (Onteca), iOS Universal – also has impressive content on how the couple met to the guest list. There is an ‘iPad only’ version of the app but it is priced at $0.99.
PAID
1. Royal App (Royal Collection), iOS Universal and Android, expected to sell at £1.79 beginning April 18.

2. Royal Wedding Essential Guide (BlueYellow Media Ltd), iOS Universal, $0.99 – Has a wide range of content and features an interactive map using GPS showing locations relevant to the wedding. It has a lot of trivia about the couple as well as a Royal Personality Test to show which royal person has the same personality as you. Right now, this price is 50% off so I don’t know how long it will be on sale.

3. Royal Wedding Invite (Ryan Stevens), $0.99 – you have a “pretend” invite to the royal wedding.It used to be a free app but having seen its content on my iPad just now, I won’t spend to buy the app.
4. Royal Wedding – The Wills and Kate Story (Trinity Mirror Digital Media Ltd), iPhone and iPad, $1.99 – This is a hefty 183MB download because it contains video and audio narratives from James Whitaker, world’s foremost Royal Correspondent. 
One more thing, don’t fail to visit the official royal wedding site. CLICK HERE.

Public Service: ATM Schedules for Holy Week Downtime

Some banks are using the Holy Week to do maintenance work. I received email from BDO and BPI on this.

Do take note of the scheduled ATM downtime. Better, make sure you withdraw enough money to cover for your Holy Week plans.

BDO

BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) will undergo a nationwide systems upgrade during the Holy Week (from April 20 to April 23) to further improve its service to all valued clients.

The Bank, in an official advisory, is requesting all its clients to be guided by the following schedules:

– The use of BDO ATM cards will not be available in all ATM machines and payment terminals in retail stores from 11PM of April 22 (Friday) to 7AM of April 23 (Saturday). For BDO Dollar Account Holders, the use of ATM cards will not be available from 11PM of April 22 (Friday) to 6PM of April 23 (Saturday).

– Bills payment using ATM, Internet, Mobile Internet, Mobile and Phone Banking will not be available from 11PM of April 20 (Wednesday) to 11:59PM of April 23 (Saturday).

– Other transactions using Internet, Mobile Internet, Mobile and Phone Banking will not be available from 10PM of April 22 (Friday) to 6PM of April 23 (Saturday).

To avoid any inconvenience, BDO is encouraging all its clients to schedule their transactions prior to the commencement of the systems improvement.

BPI

To enable us to continuously deliver world-class service levels, we will be conducting a short maintenance activity for Express Online, Express Mobile, and Express Phone on April 17, 2011 from 2:00 AM to 5:00 AM. These transaction channels will be unavailable during this time. Thank you for your understanding.

I will try to update this post in case I hear of other banks scheduling maintenance work as well.

(Bank logos taken from their respective websites)

Buon Giorno has a new home at Rockwell Business Center!

Nestled in the newest business enclave in the Ortigas, the Rockwell Business Center (RBC), is this Italian restaurant which we were recently invited to. This was my first time to visit RBC and was actually pleasantly surprised at its mixed-use ambience. Many restaurants dotted the surroundings of the business center which seemed vibrant and teeming with office people way into the evening.
This is where Buon Giorno found its second home (the first one being in Tagaytay). Host of the bloggers for the evening was Buon Giorno’s proprietor, Mark Floro, who regaled us with stories about the beginnings of Buon Giorno and how its many dishes were concocted by his wife, Linda.

Mark Floro

Before it found its place in RBC, Buon Giorno was located at Liberty Center along Shaw Boulevard (so if any of you are wondering where they have relocated, read on).

Buon Giorno’s decor is typically European and very warm.Tiffany lamps lend a very romantic mood while lighting up the place, with strategically located pin lights adding brightness to the place.

In typical Italian fashion, the walls were artistically painted depicting country scenes and open fields to give that homey feel to all diners.

I also took a peek at the kitchen which was in full view of the diners. To me this was testament to the owners’ full confidence that they were preparing meals that were fresh and hot out of their ovens and the surroundings were sanitary.

Food was flowing that evening and I am afraid I did not get to try everything but let me give you an idea of the ones I did.

Zuppa di Zucca Arrosto, Php 140
(Pumpkin soup)
Quattro Formaggi, Php 356
(A mixture of four cheeses: mozzarella, fontina, parmesan and gorgonola)

Beef Wagyu with Shitake Mushroom Gravy

Buon Giorno’s Special, P218 per serving
(The very best salad ingredients with a special house dressing)

We had our choice of dressing that night. Try the MarLinJo dressing. It’s good.
Pollo E Funghi, Php 302
(A risotto dish with chicken strips and mushrooms)

Pescatore Alla Puttanesca, Php 308
(An assortment of seafood on spicy and peppery tomato sauce)

Canneloni Spinaci,  Php 294
(Chicken & mortadella ham rolled in sheets of spinach pasta smothered with tomato sauce and cheese)
San Prieto Con Basilico John Dory, Php 470
(Dory fillet with creamy sauce and spinach)

Creamy dory with the sauce on it (from Buon Giorno stock photo)

Molten Chocolate Cake, Php 168
(Moist cake with molten chocolate and served with vanilla ice cream)

Dalandan Shake, Php 120
There was nothing I ate that I did NOT like. Everything I tried that evening was really deliziosa but I have my favorites for the night — the Buon Giorno Special, the Canneloni Spinaci, and the Creamy Dory. 
And what was Mark’s recommendation next time we return? He says to try the Bruschetta. Me? I missed out on their gelato (ice cream) which was not available that night, so I am going back to try it.
Buon Giorno! Caffe & Bistro
G/F West Tower
Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas Ave.
Pasig City
Tel. No. 710-3515

How do I love Samsung Smart TV? Let me count the ways…

Ok, I admit that title is probably too cheesy. But really, I am such a gadget lover (even if I can’t afford it most times) and we’ve been hearing about convergent technology for some time already.

I think we’re now getting very much closer to total convergence — where just one device has the features of several gadgets combined like TV, internet, mobile. And I saw it at iblog7 in early April.

Samsung, one of the sponsors of iblog7, brought in this eye candy, 46-inch smart TV that caught my eye all the way from the back of the theater. Who wouldn’t ogle it? It was W-I-D-E. And thin (like the side view of my iPad).  During the break when they took it to the lobby of Malcolm Hall, I was one of those who stood around and admired it – not just from the front but from the side AND from the back as well. Here’s that “quarter turn please” look:

Now, a quarter turn, please?
And….another quarter turn, please?
So from the aesthetic point of view, I’m already in love with this Samsung smart LED TV. I know just the spot in my home for it — almost anywhere!!! Because if it is that thin (see those 4 legs?) I don’t need a special TV stand or table that is over a foot deep. This TV will be such a space saver for me. For a mommy with 4 kids, I’m always running out of space. This space-saving feature, for me, is TOPS!

Let me now count how many different ways I can use the Samsung Smart LED TV:
As a TV
1. We can watch 2D movies – After all, this is a TV, right? 
2. We can watch 3D movies – It’s 3D-enabled. That means once I sync the required 3D glasses with the TV, we can watch 3D movies from the comfort of our home. First movie in my 3D cinematic list? Avatar!
As a Multimedia Player
3. MP3s on a USB stick can go into the USB slot behind the TV and voila! I can listen to my music from anywhere in the room.
4. With the same USB stick, I can watch videos in MP4 format! 
As a Gaming Console
5. I can download from a wide choice of gaming apps and get the whole family to play them on thhe 46-inch screen. Whether it’s Sudoku Plus, Bejeweled 2, or some other game, for sure my kids will spend hours on this TV. 
As my Skype Device
6. See this? This is how we get to talk to my girl who is in China right now. That’s a 13-inch screen with an itsy-bitsy picture of my girl in one window and work on another window. 
We need to crowd around that laptop just to get a view of her and hear her voice. Now, take this Samsung TV and we can divide all 46 inches into 2 windows and all of us will still be able to see her without craning our necks! And hear her voice in surround sound too. Cool!
As a Digital Picture Frame
7. I just need to hook up my digicam or videocam using a USB cable and I can have all photos in my camera or videos in my videocam play on the big screen. Imagine a slideshow on that big screen. During family gatherings at home, this is the perfect way to show off family pictures to a large crowd.
Surf the Net
8. This is where convergent technology really matters – bringing web content into TV. With my wireless network at home that I can connect to the Samsung TV, I can surf the web in one window and watch TV in another. No more looking down at laptop, looking up to watch TV. Everything I need to watch and do is on one device.
As a Power Saver
9. The Eco light sensor in the Samsung TV measures brightness in the periphery of the TV and brightens or dims the screen as needed. This saves energy in the long run.
10. Another energy saver is opening just one device to surf and watch TV rather than opening a laptop and a TV set. The Samsung LED TV is energy-efficient too, unlike my old TV set here which not only has a smaller screen but also has that bulky back, to boot.
I truly would love to have the Samsung LED TV in my living room. For me and my family, it is a game-changer as far as how we use our various devices at home.
(This is my first entry to Samsung Smart TV’s blogger contest.)

Send SMS within the Philippines with Gmail

Chatting using the computer has been around for some time now. This technology has allowed people to communicate without having to pick up a phone or call/text using a mobile phone. The drawback though was that both parties had to be online and both had to be on Gmail.

Now, Gmail makes it even easier to contact friends via their mobile phones. You can send FREE SMS to a friend from within your Gmail account.
I took this screencap from Gmail’s site:
(click on image to enlarge)

1. Log into your Gmail account. In the Send SMS box above Chat, enter the phone number you want to send a SMS to.

2. In the dialog box, enter Contact name of the SMS recipient and check that country and phone number are correct. Then, click Save.

3.Type your message in the chat window and hit Enter.

4.Your message will be sent to the phone number you entered.

When your contact replies to your SMS, it appears on your Chat window, which is great because your exchange is saved as chats in your Chat History, just like ordinary chats.

Any messages you send or receive from Gmail are FREE. Your contact, on a mobile phone, also gets your SMS free but the reply from phone to Gmail will be charged a regular SMS rate by the mobile provider.

This is good news for those who are online at work or at home. Best example: ME!!!

Now I need not pay SMS charges and still be able to contact my family and friends on their mobile. You can do the same from work. Well, that is if Gmail is not blocked in the office. 🙂

If you already have a Gmail account, you can log in right now and try it. If you still don’t have Gmail, create an account now.

NOTE: SMS with Gmail is available as of now only for Smart and Sun Cellular subscribers.

Read about Gmail SMS HERE.

Beach Hut’s SPF covers you 100% this summer!

School’s out and summer is in!!!

If you’re hitting the beaches, better be ready for all that sun exposure with a bottle or two of sunblock in your bag.

Me? I’m 100% ready for all that sun because this box brought me all the sun protection that my kids and I will need this summer. And it’s good from face to toe…

I was excited just seeing the Beach Hut box because I knew it would contain sunblock. But what kind of sunblock did they have this time?
Just as a background, I use sunblock every day on top of my facial moisturizer. I am more conscious of applying this because with age, skin gets easily damaged by the sun’s rays and the damage is oftentimes irreversible. When I am indoors, I can go as low as SPF 15 but if I know I will be stepping out of the house, I use my SPF45 sunblock. In fact, I’ve got an unopened sunblock with SPF65. And really, summers these past years have been pretty bad!
Opening the Beach Hut box, I got the biggest surprise because this was what was inside:
Yes, my kids are the ones who will go wild using the frisbee and the waterproof camera. Me? I’m more excited to use the two sunblocks that came with the box. 
Beach Hut Max 100
The highest SPF I have ever seen is SPF 75, which Beach Hut also has. Now, they’re the first to be brave enough to announce an SPF 100! Wow.
This is what Beach Hut’s website says about their SPF 100 product:

It’s here! Experience extreme high spf protection without the messy and oily feel like other lotion sunblock. Beach Hut Max SPF 100++ w/ micronized zinc oxide is uber light on skin, quick drying, and gives you that non messy, non sticky sheer feeling while offering up to 99% maximum protection from UVA/UVB rays that causes sunburn, skin cancer and skin darkening. This summer, don’t settle for anything less than 100, get the new Beach hut Max 100 unbelievably light lotion sunblock.

  Beach Hut Face SPF 65

My problem with regular sunblock for the beach is always my face. Many of these products are not only greasy to the touch but when some get in your eyes, they sting like hell! I’m really looking forward to using Beach Hut Face SPF 65 because 2 things caught my eye on the label: “Will not sting eyes” and “Made for sensitive skin”. That’s exactly what I need!
Here’s the official description from the website:

Beach Hut Face is specifically designed for sensitive skin. It is specially formulated with organic zinc oxide for an ultra mild yet complete sun protection that is proven and tested hypoallergenic. It is made with organic sunscreen that keeps the skin moisturized and protected from harmful UVA/UVB rays while still being safe and gentle on skin.

And for the kids, here’s one that didn’t come with the box but which I got earlier from Beach Hut people — Beach Hut Kids SPF 65. It’s hypoallergenic and comes as a spray so it’s easy to apply. I would suggest though that for their face, use the Face SPF 65 rather than this spray so it doesn’t get in their eyes.
Bring that sun on! 
You can find Beach Hut at Robinsons, Landmark, Chris Sports, Olympic Village, R.O.X., Nothing But Water, Stoked Inc., Travel Club, Island Souvenir, PCX and Cash n Carry.
Naturale Labs, Inc.
#73 Scout Fernandez St., Brgy. Laging Handa
Quezon City
(632) 375-6515 loc. 108

Allies Wonder Peanuts: Loaded with garlic, not with calories

Although my doctor has told me to stay away from nuts because of my kidney stone history, it is really a very hard thing to do. You see, I super love nuts. Macadamia, pistachio, walnuts, almonds, cashew or plain peanuts. I love them all. And when it comes to peanuts, I always look for the brands that carry lots and lots of garlic. I can actually eat those crunchy garlic chips alone, I think.
There’s a new line of peanuts in town. Dear friends Fran and Paul, who are also my neighbors, are behind Allies Wonder Peanuts, a line of greaseless, low calorie, garlic-loaded peanuts.
Here, take a look at the peanuts up close when I opened my container:
Ooooohhhh, it was really addicting. Generous helpings of garlic chips were all over the container and they were very crunchy and garlic-ky. The peanuts were very tasty and indeed greaseless so that’s why it carries less calories. I can indulge as it is more healthy than peanuts cooked in oil. Yup, I violated my diet restriction many times over but I just couldn’t help it.
For information on where to find Allies Wonder Peanuts, contact Paul at (0917) 538-8125.

Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout is here!

Shortly after the recent Japan quake struck, our internet connection began to suffer. When I say suffer, I mean really painful, tortuous suffering. You see, we have a 3Mbps plan with this broadband company and even if I had my entire brood online, we never had serious problems with speed. As an active blogger, I could still happily surf the net for my writing tasks while keeping up with my social network contacts. My kids could still do research for their academic requirements while watching YouTube videos.

But up to this time, we are lucky to get even a 1Mbps speed constantly during the day. At night, when everyone is online, our internet speed would drop to dial-up speeds (as slow as 0.12 Mbps). I’ve not had speeds like that since maybe the early 2000’s! And to top it all, there was one day this week when our internet connection totally conked out! What was I to do?

Guess what saved the day, at least for me — my SmartBro dongle!!!

I topped up my prepaid SmartBro number with enough load and subscribed to UNLISURF50. That gave me unlimited internet connection for one whole day!

This really got me thinking that subscribing to just one broadband carrier may no longer be sufficient. There is a need for a backup carrier. The kids and I cannot afford to have the internet down because my work is primarily online and they have a lot of schoolwork online too. And truthfully, I think we will all have withdrawal symptoms if we go without the internet even for just one day. Hahaha…

Now is the time to seriously look at what could be Smart Bro’s grandest, biggest bang-for-the-bucks broadband blowout. 

Smart Bro’s Unlimited Home Broadband Plan is available for either Php 999 or Php 1995. And that’s not all. You get the following ABSOLUTELY FREE just for subscribing to either of these two plans:

1. FREE All-in-One HP Printer 
2. FREE Call & Texts with SMART Gold Lite Plan 300 for 6 months subscription
3. FREE 1-month broadband subscription

You get consistent and stable surfing speed, unlimited internet connection and all these freebies to boot!

This summer, I’m seriously going to look at these unlimited broadband plans. My kids and I have come to depend so much on internet connection that we really cannot afford to do without it on a daily basis. The kind of unexpected disaster wrought by the Japan quake tells me that it is always good to have alternatives. Smart Bro gave me the internet connection I needed when my other broadband carrier failed to deliver. I think it will continue to come to our rescue down the road.

That is a big thumbs-up for me!

If you are like me, an avid internet user, and most of all, if you’ve got internet-savvy kids who will climb the wall if the internet is disrupted even for a few hours, you need to look at Smart Bro’s summer promo and avail of the cool freebies. I bet you need that HP printer like I do to replace my 3-year old HP inkjet printer.

Check out Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout. This promo runs from March 4 to June 4, 2011. You can find additional details on this promo at the Smart website. Just click HERE.

Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 1871, Series of 2011.


(Note this serves as my entry to Smart Bro’s Broadbandest Blowout blogger contest.)