Pinoy-Style Wellness to Barcelona

When it comes to pampering, rest and relaxation, most Filipinos are spoiled for choice.
In the Philippines, there is an abundance of beauty salons, spa and wellness centres –from the most affordable neighbourhood “masahista” to exclusive retreat destinations. As such, getting a calming massage after a hard day’s work does not require much effort or expense.

This sort of indulgence is one of the things that we give up when we migrate overseas. In Europe, for one, the services are relatively more expensive compared to the Philippines. Two, there is that unique Filipino way of pampering that seems to be lacking.
With that in mind, former financial executive Maya Khasmine Valencia decided to open her own spa that offers the unique Filipino warmth and hospitality in Barcelona. Oriental Jasmine was a dream of Valencia that only came to fruition when she lost her job. The company she was working for downsized due to the economic crisis in Spain eventually letting go of some employees. The native of General Santos saw it as an opportunity to open her spa business.
Before Oriental Jasmine, Valencia had been looking for the kind of spa treatment that she was used to back home in the Philippines. She already tried different spa and massage treatments from all over the world –from Thailand to Mexico and India. Each time, Valencia would always look for that unique Filipino touch. So much so, while still working for her former company, she was always imagining her spa and wellness centre. She drew up a business plan and saved up.
“Part of my personality is being aggressive. I don’t really care [about the obstacles]. If I want something, I will get it,” says Valencia.
In April 2013, Valencia officially opened Oriental Jasmine on Calle Muntaner, a stone’s throw away from the popular university square in the centre of Barcelona.

Introducing hilot to Europeans
Oriental Jasmine offers almost everything that a woman might need for her day of pampering. However, clients, including Europeans, come here for the Filipino traditional massage called hilot.
Valencia hired professional Filipino physiotherapists who had hilot training in the Philippines to attend to her growing customers. To make the massage experience much more authentic, the spa and wellness centre only uses virgin coconut oil and wild ginseng imported all the way from the Philippines.
According to Valencia, one of the reasons that she decided to introduce hilot to Europeans was that she wanted them to feel it’s therapeutic benefits.
“When I was growing up in General Santos, I was used to being treated with hilot whenever I was sick or having body aches,” recalls Valencia.
In the rural areas of the Philippines, hilot is the first thing that comes to mind whenever a member of the family is feeling under the weather or experiencing body pains. After all, it is cheaper to go to the manghihilot or albularyo (medicine man) than go to a doctor. Hilot can take on different forms: As a chiropractic technique to align dislocated bones or as a massage treatment to cure back pains or other common illnesses like colds. In some remote villages, hilot is still being administered to assist in childbirth.
Oriental Jasmine recommends hilot to clients who are under so much stress or complaining about an upper back pain.
“There are a lot of massages that are already being offered here in Barcelona. To make my spa different from the rest, I decided to offer our traditional healing massage,” says Valencia.
Oriental Jasmine also offers body scrubs, nail treatments, waxing and natural facial lifts.

Our hilot experience
During a recent vacation in Barcelona, my husband and I decided to try Oriental Jasmine’s signature hilot treatment. We’ve been walking around the city for three days and our tired and exhausted bodies were screaming for a good massage. Used to the Swedish massage, the hubby was a bit hesitant at first, worried that hilot would be as painful as the Thai massage he had a few weeks back. But I was able to convince him to try it.
Oriental Jasmine is furnished with spacious interiors as well as tasteful decorations that include white sofas with Moroccan throw pillows for customers who want to try the nail care services, for example. The dimlylit massage area features a Buddha statue lying on a wooden table. Huge lamps hang by the door of the massage rooms.
Girlfriends can share bonding moments at the nail spa area. The masseuse generously slathered warm virgin coconut oil on my feet. I was told that a bottle of which is permanently sitting on a basin of hot water in the spa’s kitchen so that the oil will not coagulate. Then she worked her way to my legs and my aching back. Soon, I was feeling my muscles loosening up, the pain in my back going away. In the Philippines, we would usually associate back pain with lamig or muscle spasm. We turn to hilot for relief.
After a while, I felt myself slipping into dreamland. I woke up to a light tap on my back signaling that my one-hour massage was over. I forced myself to get up, feeling so much more relaxed. Then, Valencia offered me a cup of hot tea that helped warm my body.
I waited for my husband at the lobby, wondering how his massage went. Ten minutes later, he emerged from the massage room, freshly showered and looking relaxed. I am positive that he too had a good hilot experience.
This article was first published in the 4th edition of The Filipino Expat Magazine. 

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Andro-G

Andro-G: may kakayahang mag protekta ng iyong atay!
Kadalasang ginagamit panlunas sa sipon at lagnat, ang Andrographis paniculata (Andro-G) ay pinaniniwalaang may liver protective properties.
Ang halamang ito ay tinaguriang kasing bisa ng silymarin — isang unique flavonoid complex na hango sa milk thistle plant — sa paglunas o pagpigil sa mga sakit sa atay. May mga tanyag na grupo ng mga American doctors ng 20th century ang gumamit nito laban sa mga liver problems, at bilang panlunas sa mga kidney disorders, varicose veins, at menstrual problems.
Ang Andrographis paniculata (Andro-G) ay malawakang itinatanim sa Southern and Southeastern Asia kung saan tradisyunal itong ginagamit na panlunas sa mga infections at iba pang mga sakit. Ang mapait na halamang ito ay kilala sa north-eastern India bilang Ayurveda herb. Ang Ayurveda ay salitang Sanskrit na nangangahulugang “kaalaman sa buhay.” Ang Ayurveda medicine ay system of medicine na nag-ugat sa India.
Ang Ayurveda practices ay inilalakip sa kasanayang may hangaring pagkamit ng pangkabuuang kalusugan at maging sa pagtamo ng medical purpose.
Dahil sa taglay nitong kakayahang magpalakas ng immune system, ang Andrographis paniculata ay pinaniniwalaang may kakayahang sumupil sa mga karamdamang tulad ng ubo, pamamaga ng tonsil, pagtatae, sakit ng tiyan, bulate, sakit sa atay, sore throat, bronchitis, allergies, kidney problems, infections, at malaria.
Paano ba gumagana ang Andro-G?
Ang Andro-G ay maaring magpalakas ng immune system. Ang mapait na herb na ito ay nag-uudyok ng pagbuo ng protein sa atay, na mag resulta sa pagsaayos ng mga damaged cells. Nagpapasigla ito ng mga cells na maglikha ng healthy cellular communication (signal transduction), proseso na pinaniniwalaang pumipigil sa pag develop ng sakit na cancer at mga viral infections.
Nagtataglay ng antioxidant, ang Andro-G ay tumutulong magtanggal ng mga toxins sa katawan. Ang Andrographis paniculata ay pumupuksa ng mga free radicals na sumisira sa mga cells. Ang Andro-G ay nagtataglay ng mahahalagang mga sangkap na ito: Potassium — isang napakahalagang mineral para ka mabuhay.
Ang potassium ay pumuprotekta sa iyong blood vessels laban sa oxidative damage at pumipigil na h’wag kumapal ang iyong mga vessel walls. Kailangan ito para tiyakin na ang iyong heart, kidneys, at iba pang organs ay normal na gumagana.
Ang kababaan sa potassium ay maaring mag resulta sa heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, cancer, digestive disorders, and infertility.
Calcium — mineral na kailangan ng iyong katawan upang mapanatiling malakas ang iyong mga buto. Kailangan ito para mapalusog ang iyong puso, maging maayos ang iyong muscle functions, blood pressure, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling at paglikha ng mahalagang hormones sa katawan. Ang calcium ay mabisa rin laban sa sobrang pagtaba; hypertension; cancers of the colon, rectum, and prostate; and kidney stones.
Vitamin B3 (niacin) —tumutulong sa iyong katawan upang i-convert ang iyong mga kanakain sa energy at magamit ang fats and protein.
Tumutulong upang ang iyong nervous system ay gumana ng maayos, ang niacin ay nagpapalusog din ng iyong atay, balat, buhok, at mga mata.
Bukod sa pag regulate ng iyong cholesterol levels at pagpapa- improve ng iyong circulation, ang water soluble vitamin na ito ay tumutulong din sa iyong katawan upang makabuo ng mga sex and stress-related hormones.
Vitamin C — kailangan ito for normal growth and repair of tissues sa buong parte ng iyong katawan. Tumutulong din sa pagpuksa ng mga free radicals. Iron — mahalagang sangkap ito na nagta-transfer ng oxygen galing sa iyong lungs tungo sa mga tissues ng iyong katawan. Nagdi- deliver din ito ng oxygen sa mga muscles at sumusuporta sa metabolism.
Ang iron ay kailangan din para sa iyong paglaki, normal na kagalawan ng iyong mga cells, at paglikha ng mga hormones at mga connective tissue.

 

 

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A Winner Is Not One Who Never Fails, But One.

In 1962, four nervous young musicians played their first record audition for the excutives of the Decca recording Company.
The executives were not impressed. While turning down this group of musicians, one executive said, “We don’t like their sound. Group of guitars are on the way out.” The group was called The Beatles.
In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency told modelling hopeful Norma Jen Baker, “You’d better learn secretarial work or else get married.”
She wen on and became Marilyn Monroe.
In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, Fired a singer after one performance. He told him, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere …son. You ought to go back to drivin’ a truc.” He went on to become Elvis Presley.
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it did not ring off the hook with calls from potential backers. After making a domonstration call, President Rutherford Hayes said, “That’s an amazing invention, but who would ever want to see one of them?”
When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 expirements before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how it felf to fail so many times. He said, “I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step-process.”
In the 1940s, another young inventor named Chester Carlson took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country. They all turned hime down.
In 1947, after 7 long years of rejections, he finally got a tiny company in Rochester, NY, the Haloid Company, to purchase the rights to his invention – an electronic paper-copying process. Haloid became Xerox Corporation.
A little girl – the 20th of 22 children, was born prematurely and her survival was doubtful. When she was 4 years old, she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which felt her with a paralysed left leg. At age 9, she removed the mental leg brace she had been dependent on and began to walk without it. By 13 she had developed a rythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running.
One day she actually won a every race she entered Eventually this little girl Wilma Rudolph, went on to win three Olynmpic Gold Medals.
A school teacher scolded a boy for not paying attention to his mathematics and for not being able to solve simple problems. She told him that you would not become anybody in life. The boy was Albert Einstein.

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5 Surprising Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

 

If you’re looking for a quick and simple way to make your meals healthier, one way to do that is by adding fruit and vegetables. Dr. Ann Kulze says fruits and vegetables are necessary to help maintain a healthy body. “Fruits and vegetables are the universal ‘life-preserver’ foods. I consider them the magic bullet foods when it comes to lifelong success with body weight. The bottom line is: the more the better. Any improvement you can make by including more fruits and vegetables in your day is well worth it,” said Kulze. One tip: Be careful when it comes to canned or frozen fruits and vegetables. Prepackaged meals often contain added salt and sugar. Here are some of the surprising health benefits of fruits and vegetables.

1. Cardiovascular health

Eat fruits and vegetables for healthy heart. | iStock.com

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables can lower your risk for heart disease. Potassium, which can be found in bananas, may help the body maintain a healthy blood pressure. In addition, the dietary fiber found in vegetables can assist with lowering blood cholesterol levels as well as the risk of heart disease. The higher your average daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, the lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. When compared with those who ate less than 1.5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, those who ate an average of eight or more servings a day were 30% less likely to be heart attack or stroke victims. Vegetables such as broccoli, mustard greens, and cabbage, and fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, and lemons are the vegetables and fruits most likely to help boost cardiovascular health.

2. Lower cancer risk

Fruits and vegetables can lower your cancer risk. | iStock.com

Studies have shown fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of some cancers. Vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, and cabbage, and most fruit may add an additional layer of cancer-fighting protection. Research conducted by the Health Professionals Follow-up study infers that the lycopene found in tomatoes could help protect men against developing prostate cancer.

3. Improved vision

An eye exam can indicate underlying health issues. | iStock.com

Do you want to keep your peepers healthy? You may be able to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration when you pile on the fruits and veggies. A study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology found that lutein and zeaxanthin could be responsible for the positive effects on eye health.

4. Reduced diabetes risk

Eating your greens can lower your diabetes risk. | iStock.com

If you love green, leafy vegetables, you’re in luck. Research shows that eating a lot of green leafy vegetables and fruit has been correlated with a reduced diabetes risk. It’s worth a shot to adjust your diet accordingly, considering more than 29 million people in the United States are battling the disease. Furthermore, adding berries to your diet could also lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

5. Better digestive health

Consuming your fair share of fruits and vegetables will keep you regular. | iStock.com

The fiber content of fruits and vegetables helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. A diet rich in fiber (but don’t forget to drink plenty of water) is a great way to stave off constipation and keep you healthy and comfortable.

 

 

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The pain of missing family when you live abroad

I first moved abroad when I was 18 years old, 17 years ago. I was doing a degree in Business Administration. I vividly remember a very emotional farewell at the airport, as one of my college friend and I headed off on this new adventure.

I remember I was sad to say goodbye but mostly so excited to be heading off into the unknown.

Since then I have had more airport farewells than I care to think about, and the pain of missing family has increased and intensified every time.

When you live abroad and far from your family everything becomes a far bigger deal. You miss out on family gatherings and when someone is ill or is going through a rough patch Skype just doesn’t cut it.

I don’t think the pain of missing family when I’m abroad will ever go away, it fades to a dull ache most of the time, but then intensifies into an almost physical pain when I’m missing out on get-togethers or when one of them is going through something hard.

So would I recommend moving abroad?

There is so much to be gained from living in different cultures, environments, climates and speaking a different language. And that is something I will always recommend. Living in a sunny climate doesn’t hurt either. 

But the price you pay is the pain of missing family, and there ain’t no way around that I’m afraid!

To my lovely family,

I’m sorry I up and left, I’m sorry our daughter are not there to play with their cousins and to spend time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I’m sorry I’m not there for random meet-ups, just because we can. I’m sorry I’m not there to commiserate and to celebrate. But know this, I think about you all the time, and I miss you and the times we used to have together.

I love you and look forward to seeing you later this year on our holiday. Until then, Skype?

 

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Fisal Bin Johar_Success_Story

Fisal Bin Johar

“The greatest challenge that needs to be faced in whatever situation is our very own negative attitude. When you strive to improve yourself, you will be challenged by the most influential part of yourself - YOUR ATTITUDE” an advice from CD Fisal Johar.
According to him, there is no specific recipe to be successful in DXN direct sales, having continual effort without giving up, possessing will power and fixing clear goals will ensure that you get what you want. Those who are successful in the direct sales have all started from the bottom, they have succeeded because they have all gone through the process of learning, listening and following steps that will bring them to continual success and they have the will power to change their lives to become better and happier.
“Do not sacrifice the things that are really important to you when you are defending something that is less important”
DXN Direct Sales really proves in giving a lucrative pay. If you do it diligently and able to withstand any challenges, you will definitely excel. Make early and careful plans before embarking on your effort. Always work within the limits set. Continue to learn and strive to be an compassionate listener and follow all the training activities and programmes organised by the Company and leaders. Do not doubt your own potential... Do not wait till it is perfect… Do it now… all the 4M activities and prayers are important. Do pray for others too... surely success would be yours to own. If you carry out your activities well, God will help you find you way…
I am thankful to God for the existence of DXN Marketing, founded by Dato’ Dr. Lim Siow Jin. He has made it a career for us with lots of potential to be successful. There are the family Health Opportunity and Charitable Opportunity to help people to be healthy and free from financial problems.
Thank you Dato’ Dr. Lim Siow Jin and fellow Colleagues of DXN in the whole of Malaysia, my Sponsor CD Amran Bin Hj Tik who has introduced this wonderful DXN Business opportunity to me. And thank you, my children, Dad and Mum, Mum in- law and all family members who have been praying hard for my success. Not forgetting, all my business partners and DXN families all over the world who are directly or indirectly wishing me success.
Thank you. 

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Norafinidi Bin Hamzah & Norliza Bt Hj Daud_Success_Story

Norafinidi Bin Hamzah & Norliza Bt Hj Daud

We can always duplicate the knowledge gained and continue to work hard
Everyone has a dream in life and the same applies to me. I came from an average family. Looking at my schoolmates who went to school by motorbikes and cars, with good clothing and enough pocket money made me felt financially incomparable. I wished that one day I would be rich and own a big house, a luxury car and have a happy family.
Earning a moderate income as a teacher, I knew my dreams would not be achieved. I thank God Almighty as he has opened the horizons for me to be involved in DXN business. Not forgetting my upline, the late MR. RAMLAN BIN HASHIM and all DXN entrepreneurs who have given me this wonderful opportunity and guidance all this while. My special appreciation to Dato’ Dr. Lim Siow Jin who has produced such an excellent range of products and formed a well established company. Within 2 years, I started to earn quite good income and owned a luxury car with a house that I have desired all this while. Besides that, I also have a mini garden and small fish pond with waterfall in my house to beautify the surroundings. I managed to live happily with my loving wife, and my eight children.
Here I wish to share my secret hoping that this will benefit someone. Always ask to yourself, “What will happen tomorrow, should I still remain the same?”. Do something now: .
1. Get to know all the products and conduct the '4M' activities.
2. We must always set the objective in our mindset in order to achieve the dream we want
3. We must always build the confidence to ensure that this dream becomes possible
4. We must always stimulate, persuade and pressure ourselves to do all we can to ensure that our dreams come true
We can always duplicate the knowledge gained and continue to work hard. Always worship to god so that we will not give up easily when facing whatsoever obstacles. Continue your battle!… 'See you at the top!' 

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