Organics for Life!

I told my husband, Jeff - aka my editor, that my well is running dry... I mean creative writing well, that is, not any other…

To an aspiring writer like me, this is something we all dread. Actually, it’s not that I lack the inspiration. On the contrary, I have lots that I just have too much mental clutter right now. So much has happened over the past 2 weeks. There are just several highlights but the topmost is the launching of our new line ARTIZANS Organics.

ARTIZANS Organics, is our company’s latest business unit with the purpose of promoting health and wellness by providing access to complimentary organic products that are healthful, accessible, affordable, and does not harm the environment.

What made us decide to go into this had been the result of years of our own personal battle with debilitating diseases as well as the GOD-given opportunities we have come across recently.

My closest friends know that our family had been an advocate of natural, organic products for several years now. The decision to go organic was propelled by several life changing events that our family had gone through over the past 10 years.

Both my husband and I are asthmatic. Mine actually started very early. As a baby, I had become a fixture in doctor’s clinics. There was a time when I just dreaded seeing people wearing white. For many years, they represented to me the nightmare trips and painful needles they would have to prick or attach to me. It was so traumatic that I remembered one incident where I absconded from the hospital. It was a long story and one I would never forget.

My husband’s allergic and asthmatic condition on the other hand, is adult-onset. His asthma started when he was in college, although the doctors believed that it might not had been diagnosed early. He would have frequent episodes of lung infections and as a result, just before reaching the age of 30, he was diagnosed of Bronchiectasis, a pulmonary disorder common only to old people.

And our 2 boys, well, the fruit couldn’t be too far from the tree. Much like their parents, they too are born allergic and asthmatic. I remembered countless sleepless nights. My heart breaks to pieces when my little ones couldn’t sleep of persistent coughing or of difficulty in breathing. I am just thankful to GOD for sending me an angel in the form of my very good friend and pediatrician—Dr. Ed Serafica who would not mind my calling or texting in the wee hours to consult about my children.

Our allergies are not just brought about by the food we take, but in everything we are exposed to---food, dusts, strong perfumes, chemicals from the products that we use etc. The allergic and asthmatic episodes are so severe that we avoid precipitating known allergies at any cost. Our game plan had always been prevention.

Two years ago my mom also passed away of the big C—Cancer. It started with her reproductive system, then to her lungs, then to her brain. A year before that, a young son of a very close doctor friend also passed away of a much rarer type of cancer. Such was a promising future snatched out of a young man by this merciless disease. This year, the father of another close friend also passed away of cancer.

Like allergies and asthma, cancer has gotten so common. Most people I know have a relative, a friend, or a friend of a friend who has had cancer. It makes us wonder why thirty to fifty years ago, cancer is not considered a common disease… but yet, it has gotten so prevalent, much like the common colds nowadays. What happened? What had caused this?

Like most families whose beloved succumbed to cancer, we did our own research in order to try to understand and hopefully find ways to prevent it from happening again.

Such was the beginning of our long journey of prevention, disease-management and making smart choices that affected our lives. Our own home-based researches which include several internet searches, reading various books and magazines, interactions with doctor friends and conversations with cancer survivors and known asthmatic friends, led us to discoveries and an understanding that we actually had the power in our hand to arm ourselves---our bodies, for this battle of a “life” time.

One vital lesson we learned was that good nutrition, drinking lots of water, getting enough sleep, stress management and exercise are still the hallmark of wellness and the most inexpensive at that.

Another was that, a lot of the products we take and use are actually doing more harm than good.

For instance, a lot of the soaps, shampoos, conditioners, body washes and other personal care products we buy promises long, soft, smooth, shiny, healthy hair and skin but fail to mention that certain side effects can be traced back to the harsh chemicals such as Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, and Parabens which they contain. These are controversial chemicals that are considered possible causes of cancer, skin irritations, allergies and neurotoxicity and others.

Pthalates, another common ingredient in shampoos is derived from naphthalene and which can cause congenital anomalies among developing infants…pregnant women please beware!

A quick internet search involving these chemicals would show you several studies that would make one very afraid. If you want to make a specific research on the toxicity level of the current brand you are using, may I suggest that you log on to www.cosmeticsdatabase.com

The problem is, a lot of people do not read the labels of the products they buy or if they do, most people do not take the time to understand what these chemicals are for and what the side effects are. Too often, we are smitten by the glossy and beautiful appearances of models endorsing the product which we see on print or on TV.

Another problem is that a lot of personal care products disguise themselves. Most products are so good at highlighting the good and toning down the bad.

A lot are actually labeled as organic, natural, botanicals, aromatherapy, aromacology and other similar sounding terms and yet, they still contain these harmful chemicals.

Hence, it is very important for consumers to read the label. What we should all aim for is to be rid of these chemicals while getting the benefit that Mother Nature had been providing us since the beginning of time. How I wish getting gugo shampoo straight from the gugo plant is as easy as it were many years back.

While I still adhere to home preparation and still maintain a few pots of aloe vera in my garden to mix with other fresh ingredients, it was such a relief to me when I discovered Human Heart Nature, one of the products that ARTIZANS Organics promotes and distributes.

Human Heart Nature was created by Ms. Anna Meloto-Wilk and Ms. Camille Meloto, the daughters of Gawad Kalinga founder, Mr. Tony Meloto.

Motivated by love of GOD and of the Philippines, the vision of Human Heart Nature was to create a line of products that has real health benefits without harming oneself and the environment, at a price that most can afford. You do not have to be rich in order to buy organic, natural products.

Human Heart Nature also consciously uses only Philippine-sourced and grown raw materials to support our local organic farmers. The future plan is to include the different Gawad Kalinga communities to grow these raw materials, as a viable livelihood program. These are values and advocacies that ARTIZANS Organics wholeheartedly support.

Human Heart Nature is a line of personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners, body washes, bug sprays that are sourced from organically grown Philippine raw materials. These do not contain harmful chemicals like the ones I mentioned earlier.

Instead of the strong detergent—Sodium laurel sulfate, Human Heart Nature uses Vegetable Glycerin, a more superior, more expensive yet more healthful alternative. Instead of Parabens as preservatives, Human Heart Nature uses natural preservatives such as Tocopheryl acetate or Vitamin E, royal jelly, honey and others. These are preservatives Mother Nature had been providing us for ages.

Human Heart Nature is a viable substitute to the current brands of personal care products that most people use. One example is a 50 ml Human Heart Nature shampoo which only costs P29.95. For the same budget, you now have a choice between a safe and beneficial Human Heart Nature product, or of other brand products which contain these harmful ingredients.

Most of us are skeptical about the quality and efficacy of the product when it is cheap. Cynics would say that if it’s too good to be true (price wise) it probably is. Well, what I can say is to challenge every one to just try. A shampoo for P29.95 doesn’t really hurt our pockets if in the end we are able to make better choices for ourselves. We challenge anyone with falling hair to at least try the strengthening, less hair fall shampoo for at least a week to see the difference.

It is good to keep in mind too that the main motivation in launching this product is to help people ----the recipient communities: Gawad Kalinga and our organic farmers and the users--- our own Filipino brothers and sisters who have less in life and are the very same ones who would not be able to afford costly medical treatments.

Personally, our family feels so in love from the results we got from using Human Heart Nature products that we decided to become one of the two super distributors in Cebu. While margins as super distributors is not at all lucrative in terms of money value, we feel that Human Heart Nature is an excellent product that all of us should have access to. This is largely an advocacy than business in the strictest sense.

As super distributor, this meant that ARTIZANS Organics takes care of the Cebu-wide distribution and can offer and extend the distributorship arrangement to anyone who is also interested.

To know more about the products, about this income opportunity as agents/distributor, or to place an order, please contact ARTIZANS Organics at (032) 5188343 or email organics@artizans.bz. Orders may be picked up from our office in Mandaue or from our drop-off/pick-up point at Ayala Center Cebu or door to door delivery for a small fee.

There are still other complimentary products that ARTIZANS Organics carries whose availability will soon be announced. Just like Human Heart Nature, these other products are well studied and chosen primarily for the health benefit it brings. Please watch out for announcements as soon as these products are available.

ARTIZANS Organics

Promoting Health
Nurturing Earth
Building the Nation
One Person at a time

To GOD we give all the glory!

Going Green

What do Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Shangrila Mactan Resort have in common? Not only are they the embodiment of beauty, but there’s definitely more to these recognizable names than meets the eye.

If you are one of the 15 million Filipinos who took the time to switch your lights off last March 28, 2009 from 8 to 9 pm for the Earth Hour, then you would know that there are already several known personalities and celebrities who had become avid spokespersons on green revolution.

Nope, this is not the same as the one coined in the 80’s where people were asked to plant trees, vegetables and fruits. Still a worthy cause back then, but in the present time, the green movement as it is also coined, has taken on a new and much more encompassing coverage.

Several public and private personalities have gone beyond their comfort zone to promote the environment. The pressing and looming concern on global warming brought about by the depletion of natural resources at unprecedented rate, and with all of us feeling the direct effect cannot deny the impending threat to our very own survival. Surely something ought to be done.

The 11th Hour Trailer

Without sounding mellow dramatic, it takes little to realize, that the extreme temperatures we now experience is really out of the usual.

While the heat has not scorched us to oblivion yet, there are those in several miles across the worlds that are directly affected, currently fighting for their very own lives. Mother Nature, normally nurturing and caring, is a force to reckon with when we place ourselves on its worst side.

Last December, for the first time in history, people in Manila experienced extreme cold while for the other parts of the Philippines, summer had arrived much sooner than expected. Our weather bureau, PAG-ASA, whose forecast, I sometimes likened to the predictions of Madame Auring (pun intended here), is in a much more difficult situation now with the weather going haywire. If you must leave the house, I must say that umbrellas are the most versatile of tools you can bring… it works pretty well whether it rains or shines.

For the common tao, one can ask, “what can I do to address the issue of global warming, I am just one person?” Well, the answer is, each and everyone is enjoined to help, doing his or her own share one person at a time.

Spelled out in a more practical terms, I have a few practical tips you can do…

1.)Switch off lights and other electrical equipments when not in use.

Unused electrical appliances continue to take in energy and electrical load when left plugged in. Add up several households that are unmindful of this practice and we are talking about a serious carbon foot print.

Carbon Footprint is the amount of generated carbon emissions, which contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change. This is an indication of the effect one has on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced as measured in units of carbon dioxide.

What’s more, the natural gas, still the main source of electricity, comes from a fast declining resource buried deep down from the earth’s crust, the key word—fossil fuel.

To make matters worse, our electrical appliances when in use, emits free radicals believed to be harmful to the human body. This is one of the cited sources of premature ageing and skin cancer. No wonder my dermatologist advised me to use sun blocks with UVA and UVB coverage even when staying indoors.

2.)Close the faucets when brushing teeth, shaving or when not in use

We all have the illusion that water is an infinite resource. Well, you are wrong!

If you have lived or had a chance to visit the Middle East, you will know that water is a precious commodity. People are dying because of water, either by lack of it or for an effort to take control of it.

With more than two-thirds of the human body composed of water, we might as well be called water creatures! No water means serious trouble for us all.

We will survive without precious gold or the black gold---oil, but we will certainly not survive without water. It is the vital key to our survival, and yet, we indiscriminately destroy the very source of water. Wastes chemicals are irresponsibly dumped in rivers or seas with poisons finding its way into our water system.

3.)Recycle

In the office, we strive to have paperless transactions, or if we do use papers, we make sure that it is well used up, front and back.

According to the product insert of the organic tea we are currently brewing, one ton of paper takes 2 or 3 times its weight in trees. Now if only trees could talk. No wonder the Ents in Lord of the Rings are mad.

At home, we do save used bottles and plastic containers and give it a second life as dispensers of products we buy in big volume. Even egg shells are used as mulch or natural fertilizer to our plants.

Back in the office, we have launched a new jewelry line called ECO CHIC, making use of the usual trash and converting them to treasures. You have to see our latest accessories made of newspaper beads or the cool colorful pendants from the cuttings of our lowly brooms, among others. The ingenuity and pure talent of our design team never fails to amaze me. I am just very, very proud of them!


We also highly recommend the use of fabric bags when shopping at the supermarket instead of using non-biodegradable plastic bags. I commend SM & Rustans Supermarket for coming up with their reusable shopping bags. My husband so used to the habit that we could never leave home doing grocery shopping without those cool bags.

4.)Be conscientious in our every choice.

It takes 30 days to form a habit. When asked to buy or use something, it is worthwhile to ask one self, “Is there a better, more economical, more responsible way other than this?”

During the Earth Hour countdown at Shangrila Mactan Cebu, those present were asked to write their pledges to support the environment on a used compact disc. As a symbolic gesture, we were asked to hang our disks on a pine tree situated right by the stage. Though the tree looked impoverished lacking the usual lights and glitters, I am reminded of Christmas in a noble and practical way. Now if only every one keeps the promises they made that evening.

Having represented our company, I wrote that we will continue with our GO GREEN initiative. That is, for our local brand ARTIZANS; we will plant one tree for every product sold. With or without recognitions or accolades, we knew this was one of the best decisions we ever made in our company.

In my personal capacity, I wrote, “I promise to use only earth-friendly, organic, biodegradable self-care products for my personal and family use”.

This is actually not just by choice but also by necessity as belonging to a generation of asthmatics, we are all very allergic to several synthetic chemicals. For many years now, using organic products is the only way for us. I will discuss more of this in my next article.

5.)Get informed and be a part of a bigger organization that promotes green living.

To get a healthy gym habit, you are always advised to get a gym buddy. Your gym partner is there to help encourage and motivate you.

This is pretty much the same with any new activity you delve into.

A green buddy as I call it, and I don’t mean Shrek here, should be there to share the latest knowledge and information on green living with you. He or she must encourage you when the going gets rough and tough, probably even to the extent of being able to share, trade or barter some the things he or she has. Now that truly is economical!

6.)Participate in activities that promote Green initiatives.

I am not much of a party-goer anymore. I actually have a body clock that goes off at the strike of 10 in the evening---my exact time to hit the sack when most pubs are just starting to open. I now prefer to spend my evenings with my boys at home doing our nightly rituals, reading books, making up stories, singing. I am now resigned, very well settled to my blissful state of motherhood come evening.

Yet, for the Earth hour, I realized I do need to be one with friends, old and new, who shares the same belief as I. It is good to be affirmed and to know that indeed I am making the right decision. Going green is a commitment and something we should all do, not just for show.

And so at that night, the home buddy that I am, I found myself standing arm in arm with a gorgeous, hunky, very organic date (my husband) in a plush Shangrila Mactan Resort, made even more magical during the lights off with the stars solely illuminating the sky.

If you have missed this momentous event, and you are feeling a slight pinch of guilt due to your indifference, do not despair as Mr. Raymund Bragg, the General Manager of Shangrila Mactan Resort promised that this is going to be a yearly event.

Going green should not be a passing fad but must be the way of life. It is not the other way, but the ONLY way, if we are to ensure the survival of our children and that of our children’s children.

Our fight against issues and factors that affects our environment is real and we ought to dig deep into the good in every one of us and work together for this common cause. As Mr Leonardo Di Caprio said in his video, “Man’s darkest moment is yet to be our finest hour”.

Life lesson from unlikely source...mumps

I am currently down with high fever and parotid glands swelling due to mumps.

Mumps is a viral disease characterized by fever, headache, muscle weakness, stiff neck, loss of appetite, swelling and tenderness of one or more of the salivary glands situated along the angle of the jaw and inside the mouth, including the parotid gland located within the cheeks just below the front of the ear. (http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/mumps/fact_sheet.htm)

Mumps is a horrible, horrible viral infection one can have. Not only do I have to contend with the warm, tender and throbbing pains on my parotids but that it also comes with various with aches all over the body. I never felt my back ache as much before and my muscles got this weariness almost similar to when you have over exercised the day before. It’s a horrible feeling at all.

My mumps couldn’t have been timelier. We had a fashion show at Fashion Avenue last night which I have to miss. My cousins had a mini reunion last night too as one arrived from Dubai , 2 arrived from Mindanao and 2 others, graduated from College. The happy reunion with several fun things we could have done was replaced by a quiet dinner at home while I am seated far enough from everyone else wearing mask. I was very hesitant comes picture taking time as I really do not want to document my bloated face. So big, I can now imagine how I might look like if I gain 100 pounds more….its certainly not a sight to behold. Ugggh!

Funny that I actually thought of wearing big baggy clothes with probably some pillows underneath and meet up with some close friends just to see if they’d recognize me. All planning and no actual rendition though as the body ache is just so persistent, I am better off vegetating in bed. Ice packs and paracetamols are my current best friends.

As a designer and head of a design team, to be on top of my game, I make it a point that I study current and up and coming fashion trends at least 15 to 30 minutes a day. Since this mumps appeared, I am just totally uninspired. Nothing ticks, nothing jumps from the various photos and write ups I’ve been reading….just nothing. I cannot even summon myself to write something about fashion (so now you have to contend with my whining). It really is a horrible feeling to be in.

Anyway, if there’s anything good that came out of the mumps, that is, I was forced to stay home.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love staying home. I love to tend to my garden, to do art activities with my boys, to cook unusual meals etc. However, lately, I’ve just been too busy at work. This past weeks, my day comprise of a quick breakfast, short interaction with the kid, rush to work. And then at the end of the day, it’s picking up kids from school, quick dinner, a few emails then sleep. Most part of my day is just in the office and my work load just keeps piling up. They don’t seem to run out at all.

Well, considering the global economic crisis where various fashion companies are affected, we have nothing short of a miracle in the office with orders coming in almost in a daily basis. While companies have complain of no orders and of losing the market to cheap China prices, we actually have buyers who are putting in much of their business with the company I work for instead of spreading their orders over a number of suppliers. It really is a good place to be in, in business.

In sales and marketing, it is considered good if you have consistent flow of work and YES, I and the company I work for is very thankful for all these blessings. But being consistently busy has its way of creeping up and taking away intangible things too.

I have noticed the overgrowth of the weeds in my garden and the decay of some plants. I have seen our bamboo decorative fences fall off one by one, next thing I knew, we now have this big heap needing real carpenters to put back. I heard my youngest complain, “You are always busy, can you just spend the whole day with me”.

Now that I am forced to stay home because of mumps, my little boy has no compunction coming in and out of my room despite repeated warning that mommy is infectious. Fortunately, being a nurse and after my own research, I learned that masks can sufficiently protect from the transfer of virus and that the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) vaccine shots that my children received can protect them too.

In life, we all should take some pockets of time to rest without waiting for the situation to force us into it. Being a health buff and believer of homeopathic therapy, I boast of not being susceptible to diseases. However, being too busy, stressed out, lacking enough rest and sleep, did lower my body’s defense system and guess what, made me vulnerable to mumps.

Nothing is beautiful about mumps, I still wouldn’t wish for any one to have it, not even to my worse enemy. But in a lot of ways, it has taught me a lot about creating a balance, of being thankful for the gift of health and of life, and to give importance to the little other personal things that matters too. Be well!

New Year Musings

The entry of the New Year---2009 is quite remarkable for me. 

First of all, it’s the first Christmas break that I didn’t stress myself too much shopping for gifts. I started doing my Christmas shopping as early as June last year. Boy, what a difference that makes comes December. I was able to spend more time just sitting back and enjoying quiet time with my family at home. It was good to miss the traffic for a while and avoid all the holiday rush.

Second, I am proud to say that I accomplished about 90% of what I wrote in my wish list of things to do. Sure, over the years, I got wiser by choosing only those achievable wishes, but that’s beside the point. 

The point is, for the first time, I was able to give myself the highest personal rating in accomplishing my “to do” list and I am ecstatic about it. 

Simple things which I deemed important but which my every day busy life has put aside, has finally gotten center stage last holiday break.

I was able to update my scrapbook (I have to print over 150 photos from my digital camera to get all the photos), gone through my closet and did a serious inventory, and last but not least, finally started this new website.

Other stuff like getting a good beauty pampering which includes a trip to my favorite saloon or finally watching the entire episode of the animation series I’ve been hoping to watch, were also some of what I achieved from my list. However, the first three (3) accomplishments I mentioned earlier were the ones I considered the greatest last December.

On updating scrapbooks---I realized that life will always dish us a mixture of good and bad experiences. It’s a cycle and it is part of living. But what makes the bad ones bearable is by acknowledging that as a cycle, it will come to pass. By looking at happy memories on our scrap books remind us that just like in the past, good times will surely come and that life is worth living. 


On going through my closet---I am a self-confessed bag lady. I mean, I have this habit of I accumulating things mostly due to sentimental reasons. My husband finds it acceptable probably even cute (or maybe not) that I keep things like my baby’s first tooth, tufts of hair from my sons’ first hair cut etc.

 However, in the matter of clothing, over the years I realized that there are just too much and too many things that I have accumulated. Prior to my cleaning, more than half of the clothes hanging in my closest has not been worn for more than 6 months, the space it’s sitting on could use some breather. 

I have finally let go of the favorite pants that are now slightly out of shape, the turquoise blue haltered blouse given by a friend that looks cute but unbefitting my personality, these, and many other caboodles.  

In a way, the whole closet cleaning became a personal fashion inventory for me. I realized that I owned quite a lot of black, white and cream colored clothes. And while I sometimes buy trendy and experimental-designed clothing, I always seemed to go for the classics.

It is quite a relief finding that after being self critical of what to keep and what not to keep, I still have a good array of decent outfits. With a critical eye, right fashion accessories, good posture and winning personality, I believe I am ready for 2009. 

I encourage all of you to do the same. New Year doesn’t necessary mean a totally whole new you or a total head to toe make over. For some, it might just mean a simple updating or of seeing the same you in a new, different light.  

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!