Beer Festival in the City

It is that time of the year for beer lovers -- Oktoberfest!  And Megaworld Lifestyle Malls is staging a big celebration of all things beer this October.

The month-long Eastwood City Beer Festival begins with a star-studded kick-off event on September 27 where beer lovers can get to sample a diverse collection of imported and craft beers being offered by different merchants while partying to live performances of popular bands Urbandub, Pupil, and Up Dharma Down, and Rico Blanco.

Beer Festival launch at Publiko in Eastwood City

All Thirstdays of October will give patrons great beer promos from restaurants and bars in Eastwood City and live performances from bands and artists such as Never the Strangers, Sheila & The Insects, Taken by Cars, She's Only 16, The Bloomfields, Tricia Garcia and Ebe Dancel.

The Beer Tent rises on October 18 until the 19th in Eastwood Central Plaza, where guests can indulge in their favorite beers while watching hilarious stand-up comedians from Comedy Cartel or enjoying music from rock groups Kenyo and The Dawn.

Eastwood City Beer Festival will climax in a spectacular finale on October 25, where guests can groove to the beat of live party music from Deuce Manila and DJs Funky Avy, Ace Ramos and Ron Poe.

Non-beer drinkers, like me, can also enjoy the festivities with the different beer-themed attractions: the giant wall art made out of beer caps, giant beer barrel and the beer exhibit, where guests can learn about the different beers served by merchants at the festival.

Will share my beer experience in one of my future posts so stay tuned.

My Ideal Protein Journey - Part 2

I hope I was able to hold you in suspense on my previous blog entry.  Here I am sharing more about the Ideal Protein Diet I am on.

Let me take you through what my food intake is for one week:

DAY 1: 

Breakfast - IP Crispy Cereals

Lunch - Fish plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Peanut Butter Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 2: 

Breakfast - IP Capuccino Drink

Lunch - Pork plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Pink Lemonade Drink

Dinner - IP Chicken Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 3: 

Breakfast - IP Chocolate Pancakes

Lunch - Beef plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Cran Granat Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Mushroom Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 4: 

Breakfast - IP Fine Herbs & Cheese Omelet

Lunch - Chicken plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Peach-Mango Juice

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 5: 

Breakfast - IP Maple Flavored Oatmeal

Lunch - Fish plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Milk Choco Pudding

Dinner - IP Tomato-Basil Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 6: 

Breakfast - IP Chocolate Drink

Lunch - Pork plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Raspberry Jelly

Dinner - IP Vegetable Chili Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

DAY 7: 

Breakfast - IP Capuccino Drink

Lunch - Beef plus 2 cups vegetables

Snack - IP Cran Granata Protein Bar

Dinner - IP Leek Soup plus 2 cups vegetables

The regimen is simple but has to be followed on time -- 7 am: drink 1 glass warm water (to wake up the digestive system); 8 am: breakfast plus supplements; 12 nn: lunch; 3 pm: snack plus supplements; and 6 pm: dinner plus supplements.  If dinner at 6 pm is not possible due to work, dinner should not go beyond 8 pm (to give time to digest food before going to sleep).

My first week went great and I lost 10 lbs easily.  My succeeding weeks however were a little hectic with work and so I missed the appointed times for meals. I also missed a couple of snacks because I did weekend afternoon siesta to rest from a tiring work week and missed a dinner when I was stranded on my way home due to heavy rains and flood.  My next losses averaged 4 lbs a week.  Not bad, you might say but that's only half of the Ideal Protein Diet target of 7 lbs losses per week.

Yeah, that's me...lost 28 lbs in 6 weeks.

I am very happy with my progress because I know that even though I am losing weight rather fast, I am sure that I remain healthy and still eat well.  For just being in the programme for 6 weeks (three weeks if one needs to lose only a few pounds), I have lost 30 lbs and inches from my body.  I and the people around me now can see the changes -- I regained my jaw line, I now can see my neck, my wrist watches and bracelets need adjusting, I now wear clothes that are 4 sizes smaller and I can now wear my old clothes which I stopped using since 2010.

I will be going to phase 2 of the programme which is the weaning stage. Will share that once I know what I'll be doing to still lose some more weight while keeping off the weight I already lost.

Read My IP Journey - Part 1

The Ideal Protein Diet is available in Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care outlets.  Contact coach Dina dela Paz-Stalder will be very happy to guide you through the programme. 

My Ideal Protein Journey - Part 1

I've been chubby most of my life, except in my early teens when I was average and in my 30s when I ballooned to obesity.  I love good food, whether I'm cooking or just eating, and that is the problem.  I have tried some diets like Atkins and even went Pesco-Vegetarian for 2 years, where I lost 45 lbs but gained it all back 2 years after when I stopped. 

A few weeks ago, I learned about a new formula that is not only a diet programme but teaches you to make the right food choices and live a healthy lifestyle.  It's called the Ideal Protein (IP) Diet from Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care and the owner, Ms. Dina dela Paz-Stalder is the health coach.  She herself underwent the programme and had an amazing transformation.

Ms. Stalder's amazing transformation.

In a nutshell, the Ideal Protein Diet was designed as a means of preserving lean body mass, including muscles, bones and other tissues, while losing fat.  The IP diet limits carbohydrate and sugar intake, supplementing with important electrolytes and vitamins and teaching the body to live off its stored fat.  To accomplish this, a line of high-protein, low-fat, low-carbohydrate products (prepackaged protein powders) that are eaten along with healthy food options like leafy green vegetables and lean protein and supplements such as multi-vitamins, calcium-potassium and calcium-magnesium.

The Ideal Protein Diet package of Diana Stalder

Prepacked protein powders

The supplements to ensure maximum health

I started six weeks ago with an open mind and hoping for will of steel that I will be able to finish the programme with good results.  I am (or was) a heavy rice eater and pasta lover that I thought I would not be able to give up the carbs for good.  But I did and now I lost my cravings for anything with carbohydrates.

I would like to share with you what my meals are like in a week's timeframe but let me reserve that for my next entry, together with my full body progress photos.  I still have to complete my last week on the programme.  In the meantime, here are before and after (taken last July 19) head shot photos.  

The Ideal Protein Diet is available in Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care outlets.  Contact coach Dina dela Paz-Stalder will be very happy to guide you through the programme. 

"The Art of Writing Lifestyle Stories" Summer Workshop

Pursue your passion for writing to and learn from one of the most experienced, sought after and respected PR practitioners and lifestyle writer in the country today!

Join "The Art of Writing Lifestyle Stories" Summer Workshop by Toots O. Tolentino and hone your skills to perfection.

The workshop is open to all high school, college students and those who want to discover their own hidden talent for writing lifestyle stories. The workshop shall teach the student how to write stories covering the following subjects: Art & Culture, Health & Wellness, Home & Interiors, Food & Restaurants, Fashion & Beauty, Travel, Family and Personalities.

Workshop starts April 4, 2011 and will have the following schedules:

Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 am - 12 pm; 2 - 4 pm

Five sessions - 2 hours each

Class A: Apr. 4, 6, 11, 13, 18

Class B: Apr. 25, 27, May 2, 4, 9

Class C: May 16, 18, 23, 25, 30

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am - 12 pm; 2 - 4 pm

Five sessions - 2 hours each

Class A: Apr. 5, 7, 12, 14, 19

Class B: Apr. 26, 28, May 3, 5, 10

Class C: May 17, 19, 24, 26, 31

Saturdays: (10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.; 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.)

Four sessions - 2 1/2 hours each

Class A: Apr. 9, 16, 23, 30

Class B: May 7, 14, 21, 28

For further details, call / text: 0917-8604205 or email: tolentino_toots@yahoo.com.