ZEN Health Jan-Feb 2011 Featuring Bea Alonzo

ZEN Health Jan-Feb 2011 issue featuring Bea Alonzo!!! Woohoo!!! :)

BTS: KRISTINE HERMOSA COVER SHOOT FOR ZEN HEALTH MAY-JUNE 2010

Among the many photo shoot's I've managed to organize is Kristine Hermosa's for ZEN Health Magazine May-June 2010 issue :)


Photos by Ria Regino
Makeup by Mickey See for Shu Uemura
Hairstying by John Valle for L'Oreal Professionnel
Styling by Miko Calma
Clothes by Cinderella
Shot on Location at Dusit Thani Manila
Special thanks to Ms. Danelle Ruth Palang


BTS shots taken by V. Glenn Orion

ALL PHOTOS ARE OWNED BY ZEN HEALTH MAGAZINE UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

ENJOY!!!

BEA'S WEBSITE ANNOUNCEMENT

Another WEEEEE moment! Just saw this in Bea Alonzo's official website! Wahoo!!! Many many thanks to Monch Navales, Nina Ferrer, and ofkors, Bea Alonzo for the opportunity and for gracing ZEN Health's cover!







Oh, crap! I still have to finish the cover story...Almost forgot! :p


Later! :)

BTS: BEA ALNOZO COVER SHOOT FOR ZEN HEALTH MAGAZINE'S JAN-FEB 2011 ISSUE

One helluva afternoon cover shoot with Bea Alonzo at The Bellevue Manila just happened yesterday. Woohoo!!! Of course, it won't be possible without the supah supportive ZH staff and THE DREAM TEAM namely Doc Marlon Pecjo, Brent Sales, Christine Duque, and Patrick Galang.

Quick quick but fab shoot. Great food. Great and hilarious staff and company, I must say. Non-stop kwento and chikahan from aftie til night. Hands down to the ZH Staff and The Dream Team :)

(Lay-out 1)

(Doc Marlon, Brent Sales, and Silver)

(Mastah MUA Ms. Christine Duque and Bea Alonzo)

(Zas me, doing ze interbyuuuu)

(Ze mastah stylist Patrick Galang and Red)

ALL PHOTOS ARE OWNED BY ZEN HEALTH MAGAZINE UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

BEA ALONZO ON ZEN HEALTH MAGAZINE'S JAN-FEB 2011 ISSUE! :D

I'm soooo excited and I just can't hide eeeet! :p We, at ZEN Health, are gettin' busy with the 2nd Anniversary issue featuring Bea Alonzo! Woohoo! :D

Breaking Away From The Bonds of BDD

“I hate my calves, my pores are huge, my nail beds suck, I have man shoulders”—do these lines (taken from the movie Mean Girls), or its related terms, often reverberate in your head as you glance at your reflection? Or worse, have you become a jigsaw puzzle of someone else’s body parts? Take heed—you might be suffering from Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Defined as a psychiatric illness or condition where a subjective feeling of ugliness or repulsiveness despite the person’s normal appearance exists, BDD causes the person to be occupied with the imagined defect which is blown out of proportion. This, in turn, starts to affect the person’s physical, emotional, mental, relational, and occupational wellbeing.

“Basically the person would be pre-occupied with one defect which might really be a defect, but the loathing and the repulsion is not proportional to the actual defect.” explained Dr. Randy Dellosa, psychiatrist and doctor of psychology. “There is also an exaggerated repulsiveness towards that body part.”

If you think you’re ugly, say aye!

Although not all people who think they’re ugly or are sometimes dissatisfied with how they look are sufferers of BDD. But those who obsessively regard themselves as a huge pile of crap despite their normal, and even appear beautiful which results to numerous mild to reconstructive surgeries might do.

This holds true because according to Dr. Anna Marie Lansangan of Shimmian Manila, there are patients who will seek the help of a cosmetic surgeon before that of a psychiatrist.

“Once they have their surgery, their self loathing’s supposed to end but there are some who are never satisfied,” said Dr. Dellosa. “Another indication is how they treat the feedback from others. Most people will say that there’s nothing wrong and then the person would feel that there really is something wrong. There’s now a mismatch between what’s real and the perceived ugliness where it’s about self perception more than what is real.”

Dr. Lansangan said that even in a cosmetic surgery clinic, they can easily spot a person who might be suffering from BDD as the key symptom is the person’s strong delusional belief that a body part is defective or deformed in some way which is objectively unremarkable.

Other signs and symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, include frequent trips in front of the mirror or avoiding it conversely; being self-conscious; avoidance of public; use of too much makeup or clothes to camouflage the self-inflicted imperfections.

The evolution of insecurity

Ages ago, women with love handles and voluptuous physiques were deemed attractive, almost-perfect, and beautiful. Take a look at old paintings of women and find that chubbiness equates to attractiveness and beauty. And, FYI, men in those times found those kinds of women sexy and suitable for motherhood because, according to Dr. Dellosa, being fleshy and plump gives the impression that you can be a good mother. The reason is that plumpness is associated with good mothering because if you’re a kid, who would you like to embrace more? Of course the mother with a plumper figure.

Now, scour the metro for a chubby woman sporting the latest fashion statement up in a billboard today and you’ll find close to nothing. No thanks to Kate Moss for the waif-like body mania, almost all women followed suit. And because Kate Moss is a model, one budding designer justified the want and need for this kind of physique and said that clothes look and fit perfectly on models with 36-24-36 or lesser vital stats.

That may hold true for models, but not for the common women who have different needs and who don’t work for the catwalk. So another angle looked into is the involvement and the influence of the media.

Considered another insecurity purveyor, Dr. Dellosa explained that advertisements in radio, print, or televisions are always meant to make people feel bad about themselves and to buy the product thereafter. And for you to buy the product, they have to ingrain subconsciously that there’s something wrong with you or that there’s something lacking or there’s something ugly about you.

Dr. Lansangan believes otherwise.

“Media may play a great role in portraying a “must be figure” or a must be look” to be recognized as beautiful but I must say that it’s not the cause,” she said. “But it may somehow intensify the BDD patient’s over-concern on their flawed body part.”

If it’s not entirely the media’s doing, then who else’s?

“Parents might inflict low self esteem on their kids,” said Dr. Dellosa. “If parents tell the kid that he or she is ugly or ridiculed or made fun of some body part of the kid. Intentional or otherwise, it can contribute to the emotional wound or trauma and this lessens the kid’s self esteem. If the kid feels bad, of course he or she’ll assume higher and even unreachable standards.”

Other than the physical factors, Dr. Dellosa added that there is also an internal aspect that has to be considered. BDD can be genetic. There might be a passed gene that has the BDD gene. It may be a biochemical imbalance in the brain because it has been found that people who have BDD sometimes have serotonin imbalance which is also seen in people with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD.

The guys feel it, too

Contrary to the popular belief, men feel insecure, too which might lead to the onset of BDD. Dr. Dellosa knew this guy who was so preoccupied with his pimples and pock marks which were very negligible and totally forgettable. In fact when I saw him I didn’t even notice it until he pointed my attention to it.

Because of it, he started to become socially withdrawn and became very timid. He wouldn’t go out of the house, eventually suffered from agoraphobia and affected his schooling.

The right side of the mirror

If you think you are under BDD’s wicked spell, break loose from its bonds by submitting yourself to anti-psychotic medications and anti-depressants if no amount of reconstructive surgery can alleviate your concerns, suggested Dr. Lansangan. The onset of BDD is insidious and the concern about one’s appearance develops gradually. Indeed, patients often brood about their imagined defect for several years before consulting a physician.

Also, you should get an evaluation from a professional if it’s a holistic evaluation where there will be a triad of treatment which includes the serotonin balancers that are actually anti-depressants; psychotherapy to enhance your self-esteem and tweak your standards of beauty and handsomeness; and wellness therapies so that you will feel good even when the medications and psychotherapies have ended, Dr. Dellosa proposed.

Dr. Randy Dellosa (http://randydellosa.blogspot.com) shares these tips on how to battle BDD:

1. Accept that you cannot please everyone. The moment you set yourself to pleasing everyone is the moment you succumb to loneliness, remorse, and dissatisfaction.
2. Choose what you read, hear or watch because not all of them are real.
3. Rather that having a high standard of beauty, find a person partner who will accept you for your flaws and strengths. If you think you’re ugly and you find somebody who loves you then consider it true love
4. Choose friends who love themselves and who inspire you to live healthily and gratefully.

WELLNESS: Hilot and The Pinoy's Touch

What has been considered as the Pinoy’s traditional choice of stress-buster is now one of the world’s famous and sought-after massage therapies to date. After its standardization, it has garnered hordes of patrons than ever.

More than a thousand years ago, Hilot has been in existence; providing first aid assistance to illness-stricken townsfolk and responding to the community’s various medical needs—even midwifery and diagnostics.

Fast forward decades later and the generically known Hilot sa Pilay has evolved into a more developed, elaborate and now standardized Filipino Hilot.

The Pinoy’s healer

Bibiano “Boy” Fajardo, president of the Association of Traditional Health Aid Givers Inc. or ATHAG, suffered from muscular dystrophy when he was 27years old and through Hilot was he cured in less than a year. And with the aid of herbal baths and herbal concoctions that cleansed his system, he eventually reached the pink of his health in no time.

“Hilot is a healing process and has been a part of my life since I was 20. I was already into it,” said Fajardo. “When I got sick of muscular dystrophy, which was incurable even at this time with the Western medicine, I was healed by albularyos (native medicine men). After that I committed to myself that I will go further into its study.”

This healing technique is not just the usual drink-the-medicine-and-get-cured process but more of the balancing of energies and the body’s four elements.

In Philwell.org, Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, integrative healer medical doctor and Cathy Turvill, president of Philippine Wellness Association, explained that “humankind and the environment are interrelated and interconnected through energy channels in the universe and in the human body. Thus the focus of the Hilot is not just body (or muscle or tissue manipulation) by hand, but also the harnessing of bio-energies from the following: the universe (cosmic, spiritual, and ethereal), the environment (earth, wind, fire and water), botanicals (leaves, flowers, aromatic oils) and the healers themselves. The Filipino Healer or Hilot Massage Therapist becomes the medium for harnessing all these bio-energies to bring about balance, harmony, health and wellness.”

Setting standards

Most of the spas in and out of the metro now offer Hilot and has included it in their spa menu. In fact, its soothing effects and benefits can be experienced in the rest f the world, too. Much of the accolade goes to the combined efforts of PhilWell and the Department of Tourism to promote Hilot in the world.

Cathy Turvill said that when they first put up PhilWell, one of their key thrusts is to create a Filipino brand of massage or spa therapy that they could promote.

“Since then we saw the need to standardize Hilot because before, the techniques and styles for executing the therapy and massage are hodge-podge. We cannot sell something unless we do it properly. So we started working with the Department of Health, the Department of Tourism and TESDA to come up with the basic and standards of Hilot,” she said.

What makes Hilot truly and distinctly Filipino is the use of warm banana leaf strips with droplets of extra virgin coconut oil before and after the massage. According to Dr. Galvez Tan and Turvill, naturally ionized banana leaves “act on the molecular and bio-energy as manifested on the skin and body parts to determine which areas need an infusion of massage. Banana leaves also provide astringent and cleansing effect to the body.”

Hilot and the world

In a recent article in Malaya titled “‘Hilot’ now available in Japan’s high-end beauty clinic”, Takano Yuri related that "a specialized wellness tour triggered my interest of to visit the Philippines and experience the traditional Hilot. I discovered its benefits in enhancing health and beauty, a main reason for including this in our line of services to be offered in all Takano Yuri clinics in Japan."

Thus, its debut promotion in Takano Yuri beauty salons in Japan.

Apart from being included the salons’s exquisite roster of services, HIlot has also been registered in the International Language of Spas and was picked up by Spa Finder 2007-2008, a trend spotter based in New York, added Turvill.

SPAdventures: Quan Spa puts the AHHH in Spa

There’s something relaxing and unequivocally exciting about the simple utterance of the word “spa.” Down south, the tranquil vibe that the word exudes is simply translated into a place called Quan Spa. Somewhere in Marriott Hotel Manila rests this unassuming minimalist of a relaxation haven where southerners and northerners alike surrender themselves for an hour or two.

What’s in a name?

Quan Spa lives up to its name, being a Chinese character quan meaning “a source of pure water”, as guests are warmly welcomed by a curtain of flowing water and the feeling of being along a crisp, fresh stream. Symbolically, the spa’s name is that of water and is often associated with good luck. Also, quan is a Chinese character synonym which denotes completeness or sufficiency.

(photo courtesy of Marriott Hotel Manila: uan Spa)

But don’t get too awed with the name just yet. Wait until you’ve tried Quan Spa’s therapies, wraps, facials, and massages.

The gift of the flowing water

There’s no denying the fact that this spa, which has made its debut in 2004 at the Sanya Marriott Resort and Spa in China, is very much inspired by none other than water. Friendly yet attentive certified therapists greet guests with beaming smiles that makes one feel as if they have long been part of each others’ lives. And this feeling will hold through even after the treatment has been done because the instant guests arrive at the lounge, they are asked to answer questionnaires regarding the status of their health and their personal preferences. This way, said Health Club and Spa Manager Almira Mondonedo,the guests are assured of a smooth-sailing spa relaxation, sans the burden of discomfort.

Proudly Pinoy

Although most spas abound offer various treatments and massages inspired by the different cultures of different countries, Quan Spa, albeit its Chinese origins, endorses and offers 100 per cent Pinoy-inspired treatments such as Hilot, Dagdagay foot spa, Banana Leaf Wrap, Papaya Scrub.

“What we are really promoting are Filipino treatments and Pinoy products,” stressed Mondonedo.

Wading in my own water

Quan Spa boasts of their treatments that have been backed up by empirical proofs, as witnessed by generations upon generations of patrons. Techniques for body scrubbing, body wrapping, massaging, bathing and steaming have been handed down in all cultures across the world and these time-proven remedies are the source of inspiration for their treatments.

Given these, I must say that my first Quan Spa experience was like being caressed by and wading in my own water. Personalized spa treatment was what I have observed and felt in my quick sojourn to this place.

Interesting tidbit I found out was that Quan Spa bases their guest’s kind of massage oil and suggests services that are more apt for the day, afternoon, or night. This way, says Mondonedo, guests do not feel sleepy when they should be awake and otherwise.

The spa’s treatment menu is about “reality management,” said Mondonedo, as they target specific concerns such as stress-management, detoxification, age management and much more. While all treatments have specific objectives, Quan Spa delivers them in an environment of luxury and relaxation.

Guests leave Quan feeling that they have had a positive change in either the way they look, the way they feel or the way they respond to everyday situations. Quan treatments support the quest that all people have, which is to feel alive and vital and to present their very best self to the world.

FITNESS: GET FIT! DO THE CIRCUIT!

Has the gym become your last resort to fitness simply because it has bored you to exhaustion after a few weeks? Or have you quit going to your favorite fitness hub due to your demanding work schedule; leaving lesser and lesser time for you to sweat it out? Perhaps, circuit training might be perfect for you!

A combination of aerobics and resistance exercises, circuit training is specifically designed to initiate and target muscle development, fat loss, and over all fitness. Brainchild of G.T. Anderson and R.E. Morgan, circuit training was developed at the University of Leeds, England in 1953.

Circuit training employs a little over 30 minutes of a gym-goer’s time and usually has quick intervals between routines and exercises. The training, originally composed of up to 12 various exercise stations and themed circuits, uses the aid of dumbbells and weights, exercise machines, calisthenics, and resistance equipments. And because it is time efficient, there’s no space for boredom or the feeling of being burnt out

Studies have shown that this particular training aids people, more specifically women, in achieving their much coveted goal of having a fit and svelte physique, and maintaining it longer in the process with lesser time needed. Thus, this has become a group of college friends’ inspiration for their newest baby, the 360 Fitness Club.

360 degrees and more

Joana Pinon, managing director, has been working out for 10 years until her work got in the way, she stopped, and gained weight.

“At an average I stay around two to three hours in the gym. But when I got so busy with work, I stopped and I gained weight,” Pinon said. “So that’s where the idea came up. What if there’s an express fitness center that you can workout in?”

In 360 Fitness Club a group circuit training is more than just an exercise program. It consists of 20 exercise stations that combine cardiovascular and strengthening exercises – a total body workout that will make you burn up to 500 calories in just 30 minutes, tone and shape up with the use of free weights and exercise accessories.

“We're all about making fitness a way of life, a habit, and it's easy to do just that if exercising will be fast, efficient and fun—30 minutes and you get a total body workout. Of course, it should be effective especially if you complete the circuit at least 30 minutes for three times a week,” Chappy Callanta, a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, Nebraska, USA said.

In the Philippines, 360 Fitness Club is by far the first co-ed express circuit training club and is the first to offer group TRX suspension training.

“The club will also offer 45-minute group exercise classes such as power yoga, hip-hop dance off, latin dance, and cardio combat, and these classes will be taught by the best group exercise instructors. The group exercise coaches, however, will not just instruct - they will teach, motivate, and inspire. 360 Fitness advocates fitness as a way of life, so there will also be a health bar that will offer low calorie, healthy dishes to encourage proper nutrition to its members,” Piñon added.

Get started! Visit 360 Fitness Club at Strata 100 bldg., Ortigas Ave, Ortigas Center in Pasig City.