Learning how to Care for our Hearts on World Hypertension Day

Ever since Ian suffered heart failure a few years back. We have always been cautious about his health condition especially that he is also diabetic. We are always looking for further information aside from doctor’s advice so we are sure that we can take care and monitor hi health condition always.

Over 12 million Filipinos are suffering from hypertension. As the country’s leading cause of death, along with other cardiovascular diseases, hypertension remains to be a top problem among Filipinos. Over 70% of cases are uncontrolled, and 38.6% of patient populations in hospitals are attributed to hypertension. On World Hypertension Day, Sanofi together with TheAsianParent organized a FamHealthy episode via Facebook live to raise awareness about managing this lifestyle disease especially in this time of a pandemic.

With over 230 live viewers, mom vlogger Ara Casas-Tumuran moderated the session with cardiologist  Dr. Eduardo Tin Hay, and Sanofi Philippines Country lead Dr. Amal Makhloufi.

Among the topics covered is how to properly measure one’s blood pressure, which is a necessity to manage hypertension. Dr. Tin Hay shared a few tips that should be adapted for proper blood pressure measurement including not drinking caffeine and not smoking 30 minutes prior to the measurement. He also stressed the importance of getting an accurate reading, preferably as an average of two separate measurements, before getting diagnosed with hypertension.

Dr. Tin Hay also answered questions from the audience about the risks of getting vaccinated for COVID-19 when one is hypertensive. He explained the importance of referring to one’s primary care physician because cases may vary from person to person. “Having hypertension is not a contraindication for getting vaccinated. If you have hypertension, but are taking maintenance medicine, you can get vaccinated, as long as you check up with your doctor first,” said Dr. Tin Hay.

Several moms asked about risk factors, and how to properly manage hypertension. Dr. Tin Hay mentioned that the heat, especially during the summer months can greatly affect one’s blood pressure. He emphasized the need to limit the intake of salty foods and alcohol, and to exercise regularly. “Limiting your salt intake and exercising regularly can lower your blood pressure. It’s not perfect, but it could help. These small things, if you add them together, can greatly help in managing hypertension.”

Dr. Makhloufi, Country Lead for Sanofi Philippines, opened the discussion with a brief overview on hypertension, highlighting that in the Philippines, over 12 million Filipinos people are suffering from the disease. “As a global healthcare company, we are not only promoting the consistent adherence to hypertension medicines. We are also encouraging that patients and their family members adopt a more holistic approach to disease management,” shares Dr. Makhloufi. 

She also shared the programs that Sanofi has in place for hypertensive patients, like the EMPOWER Patient Support Program, where patients are provided with personalized coaching sessions by nurse educators. Additional coaching modules are also available through the BioMark app that can be downloaded by patients in Playstore or Applestore for free.

Moms from the audience were eager to ask questions about common misconceptions about hypertension and were grateful to have their questions answered by Dr. Amal Makhloufi and Dr. Tin Hay. 

Watch the replay of the webisode here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1230483180739424&ref=watch_permalink

About Sanofi Philippines

Committed to helping Filipino families in building a healthier Philippines, Sanofi is a multinational healthcare company that promotes a holistic approach to patient care. With top of the line products innovated to provide the best for patients, and health programs that empower and educate, Sanofi continues to be the thought leader in managing lifestyle diseases and improving access to medicine.

MUST TRY: Tea Talk’s Top 10 drinks perfect for family summer bonding

Cool and refreshing treats perfect for the summer season. All season round actually. Milk teas are everywhere but let’s get to know Tea Talk’s best sellers here.

For the second time around, it is imperative for Filipinos to spend the sunny season staying in residences due to the pandemic. Instead of the usual beach and swimming escapade, we are confined in the four corners of our home. Most people have come up with ways to have fun and beat the summer heat—setting up an inflatable pool, locking up in an airconditioned room while watching movies, and of course, drinking ice-cold beverages. 

It’s a fact we could all agree on: one of the best ways to quench the thirst in this scorching heat is to drink milk tea. Having two consecutive summer seasons in lockdown, you must have ordered your favorite milk tea drinks from your usual milk tea shops. But hey, it’s time to switch it up! And we got the next best milk tea shop for you to try! 

Accentuating its special milk tea concoctions made from authentic ingredients, Tea Talk is one of the up-and-coming local milk tea shops you should check out. Avoid going stir-crazy this quarantine and spark bonding conversations with your family with Tea Talk’s summer coolers. 

We listed down the top drinks from Tea Talk for every milk tea lover:

Taro Bubble Milk 

For milk tea enthusiasts who love a mix of sweet and nutty flavors, Tea Talk’s Taro Bubble Milk is the one for you. Made with natural tea, creamy fresh milk, and sweet taro flavor, this drink will definitely give you the energy and fiber boost that you need.

Brown Sugar Boba Milk 

If you are looking for an irresistible dessert-like beverage, give Tea Talk’s Brown Sugar Boba Milk a try. With fresh milk and brown sugar syrup as its main ingredients, you can expect a sweet caramel taste, a hint of arnibal, and a mouthwatering silky texture.

Sakura Red Velvet 

If you have a sweet tooth, Tea Talk’s Sakura Red Velvet will give you a creamy velvety cheesecake goodness. Perfectly crafted Japanese-inspired milk tea, this drink is infused with real cherry extracts and mixed with creamy red velvet cheesecake and blushing pink tapioca pearls.

Matcha Milk 

Looking for a refreshing and healthy drink that will satisfy your taste buds? Have Tea Talk’s Matcha Milk. Concocted with fresh milk, natural sweeteners, and matcha flavor, one sip of this drink will get you hooked.

Tea Talk Milk Tea 

Undecided or no particular flavor preferred in mind? You could never go wrong with a cup of signature Tea Talk Milk Tea. Made with rich and creamy fresh milk and topped with tapioca pearls, this drink will give you a simple yet delicious taste to enjoy.

Oolong Milk Tea 

Up for an unfamiliar and unique drink? Tea Talk’s Oolong Milk Tea offers a light and diverse flavor with a nutty aftertaste. It’s a natural and classic iced oolong tea with rich and creamy fresh milk topped with tapioca pearls.

Thai Milk Tea 

For a classic, vanilla-like beverage, Tea Talk’s Thai Milk Tea is a go-to drink. Made in natural Thai tea flavor and milk, you will surely enjoy its silky texture and deliciously sweet and creamy taste.

Lemon Green Tea 

How about a revitalizing and healthy fruit drink? Tea Talk’s Lemon Green Tea will give you a naturally sweetened and refreshing iced drink made with lemon juice splashed with green tea goodness. You can also have it in black tea flavor.

Passion Fruit Special 

If you want a refreshing drink with tropical flavors, Tea Talk’s Passion Fruit Special is the drink for you. This beverage is a sparkling iced passion fruit tea drink oozing with natural health benefits, giving you a sweet and a hint of tangy taste.

Wintermelon Fruit Tea 

Craving for a soothing yet invigorating drink? Tea Talk’s Wintermelon Fruit Tea is an ideal choice. An iced drink made with natural lemon juice and splashed with wintermelon tea flavors, this drink will give you the right amount of sweet and fruity flavor.

What are you waiting for? Have a Happy Tea and Happy Talk experience this summer with your family and quench your thirst with Tea Talk. Find the nearest branch in your area: https://www.teatalk.ph/our-stores/

About Tea Talk 

Tea Talk is the first homegrown milk tea brand of Morong, Rizal. Launched in 2019, Tea Talk features authentic milk tea and beverages made with best quality and fresh ingredients. With its unique tasting milk tea and complementing appetizers and snacks, Tea Talk aims to bring a Happy Tea and Happy Talk experience to its customers. For more information, please visit Tea Talk’s official website at teatalk.ph. You may also like and follow Tea Talk on social media: facebook.com/teatalkmain on Facebook, instagram.com/teatalk.official on Instagram, and tiktok.com/@teatalk.main on TikTok.

Home Foodie Video Series: Kids Kitchen Camp

Kids always want to keep themselves busy all day long. Now that they are not allowed to got out for some physical activity, managing to keep them being creative at the comfort of our home is quite of a challenge as we know how they wanted to move around a lot. They gets easily bored with being stuck at only one activity and keeps doing it all over again and again. Cooking is is one of the things they enjoy doing with adult supervision of course.

It’s good to get them involve and get them involve in the kitchen. Why not check this out!

Let your little Home Foodie master chefs enjoy a hands-on Facebook cooking & baking session.

Resident Home Foodie chefs will demo two (2) scrumptious and kid-friendly recipes per day on May 25-27.

Visit our facebook.com/HomeFoodiePH page at 2pm on the said dates be a part of this online demo! Don’t forget to read the guidelines, waiver, and recipes! #Madalicious

What to Know Before Moving to Toronto

Quarantine has stripped us of the privilege of going outside. Having to stay at home made these trying times tougher than it already is. Pre-COVID, everyone just went outside and went wherever they wanted to go. Looking back, it felt strange seeing people from different places get together in a random location. It’s been two years, but travelling felt like a dream.

There are so many great spots closed off due to lockdown. Around the world, there were 1 billion fewer international tourist arrivals. People had no choice but to stay at home and follow the protocols. Luckily, there were improvements in other places. COVID-19 cases were decreasing in some countries, and soon enough, people could go outside.

Memories of walking through beautiful sceneries are nostalgic. The smell of salty air on a beach. A park’s cold breeze in the morning. These are all familiar places we could be in right now. As a child, I’ve always wanted to travel around the world. Paris, Japan, Greece, and all the other countries too many to mention. There’s just something extraordinary in knowing that there are thousands of places you can go to and explore.

One of the places I like going to are museums. History lingers in every piece of art being preserved there. Speaking of museums, the specific museum I’ve been meaning to go to is The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto, Canada. It has a reputation for having an outstanding collection of international culture and history from different periods of time all over the world. Its appearance looks very modern, too. The building itself has sharp, geometric angles that suits the museum’s creativity and elegance.

CN Tower, Toronto Canada (photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower

Since we’re here talking about Toronto, I just can’t not include the CN Tower. Standing at 553 meters, the observation areas in the tower must be striking. Imagine being there and seeing all the scenery atop the CN. Plus, it is said that the tower is a famous landmark, since it can be seen from anywhere in Ontario. Seeing a city in the night must be great. All the different lights; headlights, stoplights, signs, and the ones from buildings— they look like giant glitter scattered across a cityscape. I am really keen to looking homes for sale in Toronto and would to settle there. Who knows our future!

Moving to a place like Toronto is like a home away from home! Since I’ve been used to living the city lights and the fast moving phase of the city life, I knew it is a great place where things are pretty much the same, only the weather I think is the thing I need to adjust on as they have the four distinct season and I am only used to either rain or shine! 🙂

This is another thing I miss about travelling. Seeing normal things and romanticizing them in my head. It’s different when you’re in another place, because it’s like seeing everything for the first time. Say, you’re in Korea. You’re in a great part of town, and the sunset is all gold and oranges. When you look back, you won’t just remember a sunset. You’ll think, “I saw a beautiful Korean sunset when I visited years ago.”

Roughly 10 years ago, my family and I went to a famous aquarium in our country. It was a great outing, and I had developed an interest in marine life. Sadly, things got busy and I never got to visit an aquarium again. Going back to Toronto (I really want to visit there), there is a famous aquarium called Ripley’s Aquarium. The place is famous for an underwater tunnel with a moving sidewalk. There are literally fish everywhere, behind a glass. It must be a surreal experience.

There are so many places I want to go to. Yet here I am, stuck at home, sitting in front of a screen and writing my longing away. I swear, when this pandemic ends and everyone and everything is safe again, I will pack my bags and fly out somewhere. Being stuck at home made me regret not going out and exploring more. So when the day comes and the world is back to normal, I will cherish every moment that I spend walking outside.

Innovative Hair Accessory

Getting a haircut is all fun and games until you regret it and want your old hair back. This is common among women, myself included, because making a permanent decision isn’t always so easy. That’s why it is easier to settle for something easily reversible. A washable hair dye. A henna tattoo. And for the hair, clip in hair extensions.  It’s becoming a very popular accessory, especially among teenagers. It’s easy to apply, and at the end of the day, you can just unclip it and let your natural hair rest.


The main reason as to why these hair extensions are popular is because it’s accessible and really easy to use. The idea of having an extra chunk of hair to add more volume to yours is a happy thought to have.

Uniwigs is an online store that sells beautiful and natural wigs. Their products have a wide range of hair accessories, specializing in wigs. For a reasonable price, customers have bought Uniwigs’ products because of the high-quality material it was made from. 

These hair products are essential for a lot of people, especially for the ones working on to build their self-esteem. People experiencing hair loss may get tired from all the serums and supplements that they take for hair growth. Sometimes, a quick fix is what they need. Wigs are great substitutes for many things. While waiting for the natural hair to grow, popping on a wig for a while can boost confidence.

For some people, wigs are strange because it looks ‘unnatural’ or just different. It always depends on the brand and quality of the wig. Human hair wigs are the key for natural-looking hair. Of course, as the name suggests, the wigs are made from 100% real human hair.

All the products from Uniwigs are unique, just like how hair from every person is. It has a natural, yet somehow a “standing out” quality to it; in a good way. From wigs to hair toppers, Uniwigs has it all. 

At the end of the day, having healthy hair is what’s important. As long as you are confident with the way you look, let it be. Hair is an important part of our identity. We dye it, cut it, style it. Wigs are a representation of how much fun we could do with our own hair. And if you don’t have it, that’s what wigs are for.