Have you been drinking lemon water?

Lemon water with fresh mint leaves

I'm sure you've come across several Facebook posts suggesting to drink lemon water.

I did and I've tried it too!

On my recent trip to Ilog Maria with my friends, we passed by a fruit vendor in Tagaytay along the road going to Silang selling lemon for P100 a kilo. Yup, you read that right! P100 a kilo and they're the freshest bunch of lemons I've ever seen!

Fresh mint leaves from my Dad's aquaponics

I bought a kilo thinking I wouldn't make any Cream Dory anytime soon (usually the only reason why I'd buy lemon!) just because it's so cheap! But I'm glad I did because I started putting it in our drinking water with a few leaves of peppermint from my Dad's aquaponics and I've never enjoyed drinking water since then.

I'm also not sure if lemon water should take credit for it but I also lost 3.5 kilos since we started drinking lemon water. A friend of mine who went from 85 kilos to 70 kilos in 3 months also said he drinks a glass of warm lemon water every morning.

Aside from helping you to lose weight, lemon water is also said to help boost the immune system as it helps flash out toxins from our body. Got common cold? Try drinking lemon water as it is a rich source of Vitamin C. It is also said to be a natural 'Gatorade' as it helps replenish lost salts in your body after a work out.

Are you convinced yet? A glass of cold lemon water is naturally refreshing and works wonders for your system plus you can avoid drinking that unnecessary sugar from juices or powdered iced tea especially now it's summer time!

What are you waiting for? Go grab your lemons now!

How to go 'No Poo' (Baking Soda as Shampoo)

I've been doing 'No Poo' for quite some time now, perhaps over a year now. 'No Poo' simply means not using anything with 'chemicals' on your hair.

I started my 'no poo' regimen when I noticed that I couldn't find a shampoo that 'fits' me. And by 'fit' I mean a shampoo that doesn't cause my scalp to itch. I've tried all brands of anti-dandruff shampoo hoping the itch would go away but no matter how good they claim their 'anti-dandruff' to be, I experienced the same -- my head still itches and the itching worsens as I prolong using a (commercial) shampoo. 

Until I came across the 'No Poo Movement' and tried it. I stock on baking soda anyway because I always bake cookies for my kids so I thought why not give it a try. I did and it worked wonder! My scalp didn't itch anymore and I've been a convert ever since. 

I must admit that using 'no poo' feels like your hair is dry and tough as you wash your hair but I assure you that the natural softness of your hair will 'come back' after continued use. I also use cider vinegar as my 'conditioner once a week. Read about it from my previous post here.

So how do you go 'No Poo'? Simple. 

BAKING SODA AS SHAMPOO

You will need:

• Water dipper / tabo
• Baking Soda (the ones bought in the supermarket pictured above costs around P32 for 500g)

How to do it:

• Put about half cup of water in a water dipper (I find warm water works better) and about half a handful of baking soda. 
• Mix it a bit and pour it on your hair
• Massage it on your scalp and leave it there for about 5 minutes 
• Rinse

It's that simple!

I don't wash my hair everyday as I feel I don't need to. I know you'd tell me you're out everyday commuting in the polluted Manila but I don't see the need to wash my hair everyday. An itchy scalp brought about by dust or dirt is my cue to wash my hair again but I guess just out of habit, I only wash my hair every other day using baking soda and warm water solution. While I wash my hair with cider vinegar, my conditioner, once week.

Somebody told me that washing your hair everyday with baking soda is not good for your hair as it has high PH level (acidic on hair & scalp). Though I haven't tried washing my hair everyday with baking soda and I have no plans of washing my hair everyday anyway under ordinary circumstances, I suggest don't do it daily too.

I've had had friends who became converts of 'no poo' so I suggest you try it out. I swear, you'll notice a big difference in your hair which will become smoother and softer ! Itchy scalp? That solves the problem too.

Go 'no poo' today. And let me know your experience

Save on Hair Conditioner: Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar

Have you heard of the 'no poo' movement? It simply means washing your hair without the use of commercial and chemical shampoo. 

I've been doing it for quite some time I couldn't remember when was the last time I bought (commercial) shampoo. I have two bottles I got for free (along with conditioner, and deodorants) from Unilever from the PureIt water purifier I bought last year. I'm still struggling to finish them off because of my 'no poo' practice.

You can choose not to use anything when washing your hair but I use baking soda every other day (I only wash my hair every other day and more on that in a future post. Update: Baking Soda article here.). I also rarely use conditioner. In lieu, I wash my hair with cider vinegar once a week which replaces the use of conditioner and makes my hair ultra soft. I used apple cider vinegar before but my friends and I recently visited Ilog Maria in Tagaytay and found that aside from honey and soap, they also sell honey cider vinegar! Perfect for my conditioner.

To use, just pour about 1 tablespoon of honey cider vinegar in the water dipper with about 1 cup water (I really do not use any measuring device, I just estimate the amount I pour in the water dipper and it works just fine!). I rinse my hair with the solution and leave it for about 5-10 minutes. I do not have much time on weekdays that's why I only do it once a week. The smell sucks at first but you'll get used to it. The sour smell also doesn't stick after rinsing so do not worry about it. Rinse well and towel dry and you're good to go.

After a few washing, you'll notice your hair will be softer and smoother (also good smelling eventually!). I have already converted a few friends so I hope you'll try it out.

If you cannot drop by Ilog Maria in Tagaytay, any apple cider vinegar which can be bought in supermarkets will do.

Try it and save a lot of money from buying commercial hair conditioner. The initial out-of-pocket expense might be higher with cider vinegar (Ilog Mari's costs P150 for the bottle in the photo) but you'll use it far way longer than a P99 bottle of commercial conditioner. Plus the fact that you'll get rid of all the chemicals in your hair!

Try it and I promise, you'll never go back to commercial conditioner again!

Product name: Ilog Maria Honey Cider Vinegar

Product Description: natural honey cider vinegar

Size:320ml

Price: P150 (Ilog Maria Tagaytay)

Manufacturer: Ilog Maria Bee Farm

'The Regular Consumer' Verdict: Buy it! You'll not regret it,

Tazo Black Tea from Starbucks

As much as I am a coffee drinker, I am also a tea drinker.

I learned to drink tea in Singapore which is more a tea drinking country. Living there for five years, I picked up the habit. More so when my family and I visited Cameron Highlands, a town 4-hours away from Kuala Lumpur which boasts of acres and acres of tea plantation and home also to Boh tea, Malaysia's tea brand.

I got accustomed to drinking real tea -- hot or cold -- that I didn't enjoy powdered iced tea found in the Philippines. After all, these powdered iced teas have more sugar than 'tea' in them. And so I'd go out of my way to make my own iced tea or get 'real iced teas' like Sola. They have the 'real tea' tastes only 'real tea' drinkers can appreciate.

Previously, Starbucks doesn't offer much drinks apart from their coffee drinks. When meeting (different) clients in Starbucks all day, I cannot be ordering coffee all the time so I'm just glad Starbucks started offering real iced tea in Tazo black tea.

My favorite is Tazo black tea mango (although Starbucks only offer two flavors I think, mango & peach). Tazo tastes a little bitter to my liking and it has the grainy mouthfeel left on your teeth while drinking compared to Sola -- a typical characteristic of a stronger black tea.

So when you're in Starbucks and you don't fancy ordering any of their coffee drinks, grab a bottle of Tazo and enjoy 'real iced tea'.

Chuckie's New Flavors!

My kids love milk chocolate drinks no matter what the brand is. They ask me to buy them any chocolate drink they fancy. After all, they're all milk chocolate drinks!

They do not have a favorite brand and they tend to choose mostly based on pack design like the latest cartoon character on pack or promotions such as toys, school supplies, or stickers.

Though my kids never really get tired of the taste of their milk chocolate drink, I give them other drinks as well to accustom their taste buds to other flavours. Mostly, you only get different flavours from milk or yogurt drink but not for chocolate drinks So I'm glad Chuckie introduced two new flavours -- ChocoStrawberry Burst & WhiteChocolate Burst! 

My 3-year-old loves the ChocoStrawberry more while my 6-year-old liked the WhiteChocolate Burst better. 

I wonder what's the next new flavour Chuckie or other brands would introduce next. There was melon flavoured milk from Selecta and Nido. I know Mocha contains caffeine and might not be ideal for kids but I think it's something also adults will enjoy like the Meiji mocha-flavored milk available in Thailand.

How about you? What flavour do you think your kids will fancy next?

Product name: Chuckie ChocoStrawberry Burst & WhiteChocolate Burst

Product Description: Chocolate Milk drink with flavours

Size: 110ml

Price: P14.00 (Robinson's Supermarket)

Manufacturer: Nestle

'The Regular Consumer' Verdict: Kid will love it!

Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale is On Again up to March 8, 2015

My friends and I are planning to go to Cebu two weeks from now and flights have already been booked. Another friend of ours has booked a flight to Bacolod and we plan to rendezvous with her there and now us flying from Cebu to Bacolod is even more affordable with Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale from Cebu to local destinations!

The Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale is on for as low as P688 to local destinations from Cebu and to international destinations from Manila until March 8.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com for details and to book your flight.