Protect Yourself Against Dengue All-Year Round

Prevention is still the best protection against dengue.

Doctors and the Department of Health say that dengue now knows no season so it is always best to be prepared and protect ourselves against it. Here are a few emails I received with very helpful tips that everyone can benefit from.

Where dengue breeds [published in CONSUMERLINE By Ching M. Alano.Philippine Star, 15 Jan. 2008]

Many a grim tale has been told about the dreaded dengue. Here's another one, as shared in an e-mail:

Dear Consumerline,
This evening, we attended the wake of Natalie Corrales Feist, only 17 years old. Her mother Rosa is the sister of Pilita Corrales and her father Ed Feist is the head of a big pharmaceutical company in Manila.

Natalie was studying in Australia and had come home to Manila to spend the Christmas holidays with her family. What started only as a stomachache progressed to
malaise and fever that turned out to be the deadly dengue fever which snuffed out Natalie's life in such a short time. Natalie was an only daughter and the youngest of three children. It was indeed so sad to witness the grief, the sadness, and the pain of losing such a wonderful daughter and so pretty at that. The priest saying Mass also mentioned about another young girl of 15 who also died recently.
A couple of years ago, my nephew who was only 28 years old and was to be married, also died within a short time after he contracted dengue. He was an only son.

Dengue kills. Let us not wait for it to get out of hand and claim more young lives. As my own small contribution to help increase people's consciousness of this disease, allow me to share the warnings below. Many people are not aware that in their own homes, there are dangerous places where mosquitoes breed. Please take note:

• The bromeliad plant has beautiful flowers, but they are deadly, because in between are pockets that collect clean water, which is where the dengue mosquitoes breed. If you have them, get rid of them or place them in pots so that after watering them, the pots can be turned over to remove the excess water.
I have noticed that along Ayala Avenue in Makati and other roadsides, the bromeliads, which are very colorful, are often used by landscapers to brighten areas, etc.
The landscapers must be discouraged from using these plants, especially when they are planted in the ground, because they can cause an epidemic, as what happened in Cebu many years back. It was discovered that these plants were the culprits.

• Those that have bamboo fences placed over their concrete fences (as in many subdivisions) must see to it that the top is covered, because the bamboo crevices hold water and again become breeding places for dengue mosquitoes.

• I have just read on the Internet about a tip that was given at a recent gardening forum. Here it is: Put some water in a white dinner plate (I suppose a small white platito will do) and add a couple of drops of Lemon Fresh Dish Washing Liquid. Set the dish on your porch, patio, picnic table, park bench, or other outdoor areas. I'm not sure what attracts them — the lemon's smell, the white plate color, or what. But mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after drinking the Lemon Fresh Dish Washing Liquid and water mixture and usually, within about 10 feet of the plate.
Try it, it works just super! It may seem trivial, but it may also help control mosquitoes around your home (especially in areas where the dengue- and malaria-carrying mosquitoes have reached epidemic proportions) . It's safer than mosquito coils ... no offensive odor and harmful fumes, no risk of fire.
This is all I can say, which may be helpful in controlling the rise of the deadly dengue mosquitoes. Let us all try to do our part in our own homes and surroundings, so that by doing so, we can lessen dengue's breeding places and save more lives.
Isabel F. Guevara
Magallanes Village, Makati City

Speak out: Cure for dengue? By Bernardo Rocha Calibo Director, National Police Commission 7

THERE is hope that the dengue scourge will be obliterated. I was in a meeting in Manila recently with other Napolcom officials. While waiting for my flight back to Cebu, I happened to talk with friends. The conversation eventually turned to dengue. Some of their statements shocked me. I called up the persons concerned and they confirmed these revelations. Computer technician Wenceslao Salesale Jr., 27, was downed by dengue. His platelet count plunged from 180 to 80. He was rushed by ambulance from Novaliches to Manila . Inside the ambulance, a relative, acting upon the advice of a missionary priest, made him drink soup made from camote tops. The following day, his platelet count was normal.

Dengue attacked the 7-year-old daughter of engineers Mar and Lita Budlongan of Kaloocan City . Her platelet count read 80. The same treatment was used. The following day she was back to normal.

The 15-year-old daughter of businessman Nepomuceno Salaga of Sampaloc, Manila had a dangerous platelet count of 80 due to dengue. The same treatment was followed. The following day she was back in school.


I asked a doctor of medicine about herbal cures and he said that many, if not most, medicines come from plants. He also said that under the Hippocratic Oath, doctors are bound encourage anything that can cure a patient. We need not do research deep in the rainforests of the Amazon or venture into the ocean depths in search of the elusive cure for dengue. It is right there in the backyard.

The following information is from Wikipedia: "In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato (NCSPC)." "…Sweet potato tops are excellent sources of antioxidative compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer ad cardiovascular diseases. Sweet potato greens have the highest content of total polyphenolics among other commercial vegetables studied. "Sweet potatoes contain protein, dietary fiber, lipid, and essential minerals and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron. Sweet potatoes are also important sources of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid." Camote In the case of Salaga, he bought five sheaves (bugkos/ bigkis) of camote cuttings. Each sheaf consists of about 12 cuttings. Each cutting measures about one foot. A sheaf costs about P5. Camote tops are boiled in water to extract the juice. The boiling lasts for about five minutes. A little salt is used to give flavor to it. The patient is made to drink slowly and gradually. The body's immunity system is thus revived, making dengue helpless against the body's natural defenses. Camote enables the body to heal itself.

Now you know why I earlier said that my friends' revelations shocked me. They were shocking because people are needlessly dying all around us from dengue, while their very cure is also all around us. In the past, many were fond of using the derogatory statement, "Go home and plant camote." Now, camote is big news. It can save lives. What could be bigger than that? So, to fortify your family against dengue, "Go home and plant camote!"
(Engr. Lita Budiongan and Mr. Nepomuceno Salaga personally related to me their experiences with their respective daughters. I asked their permission to use their names.)

Day Surgery? Visit The Beverly Hills Medical Group In Manila

Heads up.
This is not the Beverly Hills that endorses that hideous "Miss Ugly" campaign that is so derogatory to the Filipina. This new multi-specialty surgery center has nothing to do with the center holed up at the 6750 building on Ayala. Okay, enough about them.

The Beverly Hills Medical Center Group, Inc. (BHMG) is Asia's largest U.S. based, managed and operated Multi-Specialty Ambulatory Surgery Center developed by its Beverly Hills, California based parent corporation - Beverly Hills Advanced Surgery Institute, Inc. (BHASI). When my sister in-law who is one of the dermatologists on the staff of BHMG invited me to visit one day, I was very much impressed with what I saw.


Lobby

A Multi-Specialty Surgery Center is center that specializes in not one but many types of surgeries. BHMG offers and has over 10 Centers of Excellence taht include among others -- Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Cosmetic Laser and Dermatology procedures, General and Vascular surgery, Gastroenterology, Gynecology Surgery, Otolaryngology (ENT) Surgery, Podiatry, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, Pain Management, Urology and Men's Health. An Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) is also known as a Day Surgery Center. This is a center where elective types of procedures, diagnostic or therapeutic, is performed on a patient and the patient is able to go home a few hours after the surgery. There are no emergency surgeries performed here, and so, as the Medical Director, Dr. Eric Arcilla, explained to me, there is no danger of getting "bumped off" out of the Operating Room in favor of a higher priority patient. "Your surgery will definitely proceed as scheduled," he stresses.


Shades of "Grey's Anatomy"

Among the procedures that can be performed at BHMG are the following -- Under the dermatological services there is EMAX Hair Removal, EMAX Skin Tightening, EMAX Skin Rejuvenation, BOTOX, Microdermabrasion (Diamond Peel) and Dermatologicsurgery. For Cosmetic Surgery there is Blepharoplasty (Eyelid Lift), Breast Enhancement or Augmentation, Face Lift, Liposuction, and Rhinoplasty. Array of plastic and reconstructive surgery procedures can also be performed at BHMG. Among the other out patient procedures for Gastroenterology that can be performed here are - Endoscopy (upper and lower), Polypectomy, Colonoscopy, Sigmoidoscopy. Under General and Vasculat Surgery there is dermal cyst excision, Cholecystectomy (gallbladder surgery), Hernia repair and Thyroidectomy and other procedures. For the Gynecologic Surgery there is D&C, Tubal Ligation, Perineorrhaphy and Perinealplasty (vaginal rejuvenation). Surgical procedures in the areas of Orthopedics, Otolaryngology and Urology may also be performed at the center. Post-surgery, a patient can choose from either a private recovery room (complete with a bathroom and a plasma TV) or the common recovery room which is just as good.

BHASI which is the parent company of BHMG is a Beverly Hills, California based Multi-Specialty Surgery Center that has been in exsitence for 11 years and licensed by the State of California Department of Health Services as well as Medicare Certified by the U.S. Federal Government. The center in Beverly Hills has been featured in the television series Extreme Makeover, Discovery Channel and the Lifetime Channel. Their doctors have been guests on Oprah, The Tyra Banks Show, Entertainment Tonight and Larry King Live.

BHASI's President and CEO is Maria Rebujio, a Filipina-American who was born and raised in the United States of parents whose lineage is originally from Pangasinan. She is married to George, who is also a Filipino and a former NASA engineer. Maria tells me that "The goal here at BHMG is to provode world-class healthcare by following the strictest guidelines and procedures set forth by U.S. Medical health standards. We want to provide the finest outpatient surgical care services here in the Philippines." Maria, who is a nurse by training knows all about the business since she was an OR Plastic Surgery nurse for many, many years before striking out on her own and opened up BHASI from scratch.

I asked if their prices were "Beverly Hills" rates as well and she immediately said, "No we are very competitive. No Beverly Hills prices here but you get the same care and facilities that you would get in the U.S. " All of BHMG's doctors are board certified and belong to the creme de la creme of their specialties. Take a peek here to see who is on the BHMG roster. They are all credentialed and graduates from the best medical schools in the country. In addition, BHMG is medically licensed as an Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) by the Philippine Department of Health Services (DOH).


Recovery Room

My sister in-law gave me a tour of the facilities and really, I was very much impressed with the cleanliness, the lay-out and the equipment that I saw. It was even way better than some of the private hospitals we have in the country. On the day I was there, the OR's were busy with two liposuction procedures. BHMG is the only ASC in the country with all of its medical gases implemented throughoutthe entire operating room and recovery room using National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. The airconditioning system is designed strictly for medical facilities. BHMG boasts of the only HEPA and Laminair Air Flow filtration system in the country. This system ensures a minimum particle-collection efficiency of 99.97% while the Lamianr flow diffusers supply a non-aspirating continuous column of air where it is most critical - above the operating table. The Laminair flow system that is installed meets the American College of Surgeon's requirements. The width of the hallways and the doors in the entire facililty are all in accordance with U.S. standards. With guarded gated entries, private entrance and exit, and secured ground floor access and parking, BHMG offers the utmost in complete client discretion.

Beverly Hills Medical Group is located at 57 Paseo De Roxas Avenue, Makati City. For more information on their dermatological and surgery services call 81-90210.

Total Wellness at Planet Infinity

I've dropped a dress size in six weeks thanks to this gym and to my trainer who pushes me. Okay, never mind what size it is for now, the important thing is that ever since I started working out at this place I have becomer a fitter momma.


Never mind that I have to travel an average of 20-30 minutes depending on traffic to get to Planet Infinity. The travel time affords me the luxury of catching up on my reading or in spending quiet time with the Lord. A visit to Planet is always worth the time spent going there. Though not very big as compared to the gym-chain near my house, there is a nice sense of community at this average-size but friendly gym. In addition, they have an excellent pool of personal trainers who bot push and motivate you to do your best. However, state-of-the-art facilities, a 24-hour gym and quality instruction are mere basics here. If you want to learn about wellness, go to Planet Infinity – the place where being well is a lifestyle.


I started working out here in late June. I was introduced to this place by good friend Mitzi, whose brother Ace, is the personal trainer of my gym inspiration, you know-who. It was love at first sight when I stepped into the confines of Planet Infinity. And not because of "the inspiration" - but admittedly is a plus factor :)The waiting area alone is already relaxing and welcoming. Mitzi and I had a healthy lunch at the Energy Lounge. Energy Wellness International, the company that runs the center, believes that respites are essential in leading an energized life. We set out to provide a place within the fitness facility where customers can refresh themselves in style not only as a reward but also as an important and much needed ingredient in a person’s total wellness. Relaxation enhances creativity.
Rest increases productivity.


The Energy Lounge exists in a symbiotic relationship with Planet Infinity. Planet Infinity deals with exercise or the ACTIVE phase of fitness, while the Energy Lounge deals with the RECOVERY phase. The BALANCE between the two is essential in maintaining the body’s ENERGY LEVELS and in achieving WELLNESS.

The 5 components of the Energy Lounge are:
1. Food Bar
2. Health Store
3. Lifestyle Shop
4. Sensasia
5. Wellness Nook/Library


Planet Infinity is where I spend most of my mornings now. Since last June, I've committed to taking better care of my health by promising that I would become more fit this year. And so far,thank God, it's working. I don't tire as easily and my stamina is way higher than it was three months ago. By skin is so much better, my clothes have become loser and over-all there is a general lightness about me. It helps that there is a place where I can take my meals and have some me time after my work-out. So after spending two hours in the gym, doing cardio and strengthtraining exercises with my trainer Zhi, I change and move to the Energy Lounge where the meals are not only terribly healthy (they have the actual caloric count for every item on the menu!) but delicious and affordable as well. The whole place is wi-fi too so I can actually work here if I want to. It's a good place where you can write and focus on your work.

Though I'm still many pounds away from my desired ideal weight I am glad that I've finally made the decision to get fit and have a found a place with a total approach to mind-body wellness that will help me achieve my goal. I'm giving myself until October to drop the unwanted pounds and inches as a birthday gift to myself. There, it's cast in stone, in black and white...

Maybe then I'll post a picture of my before and after self :) We'll see. One thing I';ve learned though is that you have to find the right motivation to push yourself. In my case, it was really a matter of improving my health and general well-being especially now that I am at midlife and where at peri-menopause your body starts to feel all these aches and pains and your hormones drive you crazy on certain weeks of the month. Since I started working out, my hot flashes (yes, you read that right, at 42) have all but dissipated, my vertigo episodes are gone and I'm no longer breathless after climbing several flights of stairs. I also feel that i am able to manage my stress much better.

Planet Infinity is located at the Crossroads Building on Mother Ignacia street in Quezon City. It is also the building that houses the Bread of Life Church and a host of other small cafes such as Tea Spa, Soul Shop, Soularium and The Garden Shelter plus a library where you can while the time away. Nothing intimidating or loud in this place folks, - just a plain, simple, effective, all-natural and healthy way to achieving total wellness.

Couple Time At The Island

Island Spa at Rustan's

H and I decided on a quiet birthday celebration this year.

After a really great lunch of Indian food over at Queens restaurant in Makati, we hied off a few meters down the road to the Island Spa (899-1234) on the 2nd floor of Jupiter Place in Jupiter Street, Makati. Dubbed as "an oasis in the middle of the city, " Island is a quiet place of rest in the middle of hustle and bustle of the busy street that it is in.

At the reception you are met by a member of the staff who asks what your preference is. We decided to go for the usual Swedish full body massage (550 for one hour). We were then ushered into our respective changing areas. The spa itself is clean and simple. The changing and shower rooms are sparkling clean which to me is a MUST, otherwise I will never patronize the place again. There is a sauna room and several immaculately clean shower stalls. After changing into comfortable cotton shorts and a loose kimono top, we waited our turn in the couples room which was to my initial impression a bit quirky - mainly because of the mood lighting and the fashion channel that plays on the television across from where you are seated. I wasn't particularly hot about having a massage and having club music in tha background so I just asked the attendant to please turn it off. You have to see and experience the room to understand what I mean. Don't get me wrong - the massage room is very comfortable, conducive to sleep and the therapists are most accomodating. They cater to your requests with a smile :) The room temperature is also well-regulated.

The massage beds and the rooms per se are clean and quite basic. Spartan-like if you compare it to the more expensive spas around town. The scent of eucalyptus and peppermint waft through the air from the moment that you step into its confines and lulls you into a more relaxed state. H and I settled down and after waiting a few minutes, two attendants came into the room to knead tired muscles and bodies. And here lies the difference...

The therapists at Island have exceptional hands! They really hit the spots that matter and what makes this particular treatment different is the use of hot water compress. H and I have been to several spas both here and overseas but this was the very first one we experienced in Manila wherein a warm and relaxing hot compress is applied to the weariest parts of your body - basically the shoulders and back. The compress is applied in between major kneading of weary arms and back muscles. I cannot begin to tell you how stress-relieving that truly felt. The therapists and the treatment certainly made up for the simple ambiance that the spa had. As usual, I dozed off half-way through the session and never felt more relaxed at the end of the hour. I shook my head in amazement. My body felt so light! Really, it was a massage to remember.

Island has a plushier branch over at the 5th floor of Rustan's Makati but expect to pay a little bit more over there. The rooms are nicer - very Asian and of course there is less hustle and bustle within the confines of a department store versus a busy Makati street. Simple though the facilities may be, the experience over at the Jupiter branch is well-worth a second visit and it is something we both plan to do over the long summer break.

Island's price points :550 - 1,200 pesos for reflexology or body massage (depending on the branch)

Rating : **** (facilities, therapist, ambiance, cleanliness, spa products)

Legend :

** so-so *** good **** very good ***** excellent

Notes from a Spa-holic

I'm a certified spa-holic.

Every Friday from hereon, expect a spa review or a wellness treatment or product to appear on this page. This is a "pledge" I've made to myself to keep my sanity - to better take care of myself and indulge in the things I love at least once a week.

If there is one luxury I like to indulge in, it is both the thrill and the comfort that an hour (or more) at the spa can bring. I don't want to think of it as an indulgence but rather an essential to helping maintain my well-being. For some women shopping for clothes or jewelry does the trick, for others it's cooking, I'd rather spend time resting my mind and body while someone kneads my woes away.


It really doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Spa treatments run the breadth of 350 pesos for a relaxing foot reflexology treatment to a high of 4500 for a package (scrub, massage and facial) at a high-end spa. Last week, my friend T and I found ourselves at one of the newer and pricier ones in the city. Nevertheless it was a spa moment to remember.



Terra Wellness Spa (638-9145 to 46 or 638-2977) is located on the 4th floor of Discovery Suites at the Ortigas Center on ADB Avenue. Terra, a Latin word for earth, offers seven elegant treatment rooms that offer total privacy for couples or individuals. All luxurious treatment rooms have individual shower and bathroom facilities. After spending time with the Good Shepherd nuns, cleansing our souls, my friend T and I thought it was time to pamper our weary bodies and mid-lifing spirits. So off we went to Terra...



Stepping into the serene confines of Terra alone is enough to make your stress levels drop instantly. Plush and comfortable seats await you in a zen-like waiting area where you are served a cup of tea while you browse through the spa menu offered by a very knowledgeable and polite attendant. I decided to go for the Terra's Touch, their signature treatment which is a 90-minute variation of the Swedish massage. After having done that, I was asked to pick what kind of music I wanted to listen to (a first!) - classical, jazz, celtic, pop (yes...), movie adagios, new age etc... and because the Oscars were coming up that week, I opted to go for the film soundtracks.








Reception area at Terra



I was then introduced to my therapist who asked me what kind of organic massage oil I wanted to use - calming, revitalizing or oriental. Because I was headed for a basketball game that evening, I opted for the revitalizing oil lest I crash on the seats of Araneta Coliseum which would have been terribly embarrassing for me. We moved to a corner of the reception area where the therapist blends your oil from a "bar" and lets you check if she was able customize it according to your desire. Having done that, I was lead to a chair in quiet corner where I was asked to slip off my shoes. The act of removing the shoes before entering the spa area itself is a practice commonly done in high-end spas in Thailand but rarely done here. Slipping into oh-so-soft and white terry slippers, I was ushered into the main "sanctuary" where not a sound could be heard and the ambiance was pure heaven.

My therapist then brought me to my very own private room where I was given adequate time to shower and slip into an equally soft and plushy robe. The toiletries in the bath are first rate, not your standard issue spa shampoo or soap. You can tell because your skin feels like a baby after your done with your shower.

Bathing ritual done, my therapist quietly slipped into the room to begin the spa ritual. Terra's treatments were customized by Kate Fernandez Moynihan and the unique feature of the Terra's Touch treatment is that they ask the client to lie down face up first. Most other spas will have you lie on your back and then half-way off to dreamland, you are asked to turn over - which kind of disrupts the relaxation mode. Over at Terra, it's sheer pleasure and relaxation from start to finish. I must say that it was one of the best massage treatments I'd had in a long while. And there's no stretching here to contend with (which I actually hate...) after the treatment is done. When the therapist was done with me, I could hardly get up and if I didn't have a ballgame to run off to, I would have slipped into a deep, deep slumber right then and there.




Slip into bliss in the couple's room

Everything at Terra is world-class - from the service, to the oils, to the fixtures, the linen, the facilities and most of all the treatments. The therapists carry a light and positive aura about them which to me is very important because after all when they touch your body, their energy gets transferred to yours. I've had treatments in teh past where I ended up with a migraine or an even more painful back all because the therapist seemed to have a "heaviness" about her - and I don't mean the weight.

If body treatments aren't your thing, Terra also offers Ingham Foot reflexology which is a 75 minute treatment or the Traditional Thai Foot Massage which runs for 60 minutes. Instead of a private room, you slip into one of their "pods" and lose your aches while a skilled therapist massages your feet and your worries away.

Like a princess in a pod...

Terra is one of the best new wellness places to arrive in the Ortigas business district. For the executive or the lady of leisure who wants to indulge in an afternoon or evening of world-class pampering, this is definitely the place to go. A piece of heaven on luxurious, solid ground :)

Terra's price points : 800 - 2,200 pesos for reflexology or body massage

Rating : ***** (facilities, therapist, ambiance, cleanliness, spa products)

Legend :

** so-so *** good **** very good ***** excellent

Manila's Best At-Home Pampering Treats

They say that you can tell a lot about a woman or a man just by looking at their hands, feet and teeth.

Growing up, I remember how my father, a stickler for grooming and style would say "You can tell a lot about a man by his shoes and his belt." I suppose the same holds for a woman's bag and shoes as well. However, I digress...

As I grow older, I notice that I have a fetish for the following things - immaculate hands and feet (think well trimmed nails and no chipped polish) ; for body scrubs and pearly white teeth. Daddy always had clean hands and feet. I knew all about Dr. Scholl's products even as a seven year old. His collection of colognes was quite vast and I remember how he used to spend a great of time in the bathroom just brushing his teeth every morning. No matter the time of day, he always smelled squeaky clean! The original metrosexual :)

The last few days I've been indulging myself by pampering these most abused parts of my body. Yesterday afternoon I indulged in a major scrub and had tha masseuse come over for reflexology. The benefits of massage are simply wonderful. Your mind calms down, your muscles get unknotted, you have an over-all sense of well-being. Best of all, when it's done in the confines of your home, you don't have to bother with dressing up, driving to the spa or tha mall, and getting your wallet derailed by other stuff that you see on the way to a massage.
I guess this is the reason why there's been a boom on home service massage companies over the last year or so. Life has become soooo stressful in Manila that a massage has become de riguer in order to preserve one's sanity. I've been calling on the girls from DIAL A MASSAGE (727-3954)for the last year and a half now and have been so happy with their services. They are highly skilled, courteous, well-mannered and mind their own business. Best of all, at 275 pesos an hour (of course you need to add a tip) it's really great value for money. Don't believe me? Give them a call this week-end and you'll see what I mean. For Quezon City you can call 723-9552 and for the Makati area call them at 723-7157.

Shameless plug : This wonderful scrub a dub is made by another classmate, Rose Manzano. Very relaxing and does the trick to slough off dead skin. 294 pesos for two tubs at Watsons

Today, I decided to try out the services from TOETALLY NAILED (634-8512) a "nail service salon at your doorstep" which is based in the Valle Verde area. I booked for 10AM and a few minutes before the appointed time, Fe was at my doorstep. Now, this is not your usual manicurista who comes visiting at a set time every week. Fe came complete with their own foot spa tub and a host of other gadgets, creams, masks and scrubs. The works! Highly skilled, I dozed off in my armchair as she gave me a very thorough and invigorating foot scrub and woke up to a living room sweetly scented with peppermint. And don't pooh-pooh their nail enamel... no Bobbie or Caronia here girls. Only Essie, Orly and Sally Hansen. ANd the best part - the rates! At Toetally Nailed a manicure costs a "staggering" 150 bucks, and an hour long foot spa is priced at 250 pesos only. I was so happy with their services that I booked them again for tomorrow to do the roomie. Yes, he's part metrosexual too.

And as for teeth. Well, I am blessed to be classmates with Dr. Noemi Reyes (727-3677) over at Greenhills Dental who has the lightest of hands that I always fall asleep in her dental chair. That is how good she is! So, I've got the dental hygeine part down pat. Thank God for dentist-classmates. My next project is to try out a teeth whitening procedure that I've been curious about for the longest time.

I wasn't this particular about these body parts before. You know what they say about the "warranty" being gone after the age of 40... I do not know if it is age but the things we women go through to take good care of ourselves. And this is not vanity folks, I mean we're dealing with the basics here. .I'm not talking Vicki Belo, La Mer or La Prairie... Indulge once in a while and take good care of the basic stuff. Life is short and it doesn't take a fortune to stay happy and clean. When people see your hands and feet and when you smile - what do you think goes on in their heads?

P.S. I had all the time in the world to indulge this week because I was stuck at home nursing a viral infection. Which to me was a signal, to take better care of myself again. And mini-pampering always does the trick!