A healthy start to December: Getting Narra To Eat Green Leafy Veggies

Narra's first encounter with kale.

                           

I'm not waiting until January to start fresh. Today, December 1st, I re-launched my Cohen eating plan and stocked up on lots of greens and lean meats. While at the grocery, I was excited to discover that kale was available at S&R. I just read a magazine feature on this super-nutritious vegetable. I wanted to try the kid-friendly recipe for kale crisps which promised to be as fun and tasty as potato chips.

The Redbook Magazine article with this kale recipe.

                                        

Sunday morning, after Narra had her breakfast, while she was still in her sleepwear, I roped her into our kitchen adventure. I got her to rip the curly leaves off the stems, then had her spray some extra virgin olive oil on them, then we used our hands to spread the oil around to cover each curly leaf.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil sprayed on kale leaves.

                                         

Then we arranged the leaves on baking sheets, a task Narra enjoyed thoroughly. I may not do a lot of cooking, but I know Narra will grow up with a lot of memories of us doing stuff together in the kitchen.

My excited toddler fiddling with her veggies!

                                   

We popped the kale in the oven and it was done in just 5 minutes! We sprinkled salt on top and voila - crisps!

P80 pesos worth of kale leaves crisping in the oven.

                                    

We dug into our bowls the same way we attack pop corn :-) It was crispy and salty and had a distinctive crunch. It was still slightly bitter-like, in a raw-cabbage way, just enough to remind one that it is a veggie and not anything close to Cheetos. 

Our healthier alternative to potato chips :-D

                             

As an experiment in getting Narra to eat veggies, it's a resounding success! She munched on her bowl of kale with gusto! Yay! Kale would be rather hard to eat otherwise, in its raw state it can be tough to chew on, and the taste could be off-putting. But Narra are a good serving! And we bonded in the process.

Willingly eating her greens! Woohoo!

                                        

Out and About While On The Cohen Program: At Da.U.De Tea Lounge

I am not just surviving on my Cohen Eating Plan, I am enjoying it.  Sure, there are many restrictions, but instead of feeling deprived, I feel quite the opposite: I feel privileged whenever I get to go out to order something out of a menu, something allowed, something I can consume without having to measure precisely.  I find myself appreciating stuff I used to take for granted.  So much of the food I eat these days is home-cooked, that "dining" out is really a treat. Not that I don't enjoy the food I'm eating - because I do. I have no complaints about eating good stuff - like lean meats and fish, and fresh fruits and greens... but I do miss going through the motions of stepping into an establishment, soaking in the ambience, perusing a menu, and anticipating the arrival of my order. I also miss socializing with good friends in pretty places. So imagine my joy when my friend Ana suggested we meet up for a catch-up chat at Da.U.De Tea Salon in Fort Bonifacio.   It's that kind of place that excites the senses and touches the soul, and let's one get away with an indulgent experience without the guilt-inducing glut.  I only had tea, nothing more. But in this kind of establishment, that's the best thing.  After all, it is a tea salon.

I first found out about Da.U.De when we received one of their box-sets as a gift for Christmas.  The set contained an elegant tea steeper and 2 canisters of loose leaf tea (the more popular Green Tea; and the exotic blend called "Pu-erh" - which smells and tastes the way it sounds).  I found that tea set intriguing and impressive - the name Da.U.De struck a chord and stayed in my head.  One day early this year, we drove by 26th street at the Fort, and saw the newly opened tea salon in passing.  I made a mental note to check it out sometime soon. So when Ana scheduled our meet-up this February, I was so excited to visit the tea salon that I checked out their website in advance so I could plan my visit - being on the Cohen Eating Plan has taught me to prepare ahead.  I always leave my house with a clear game plan.

I planned my schedule so that I'd eat at home right before heading to the Fort, that way I could focus on the flavors of the tea and the flow of conversation. And here's the great thing about going to Da.U.De, the act of drinking tea is an indulgent experience!  Choosing from their dizzying selection made me feel like a kid in a candy store.  There were jars of loose leaf tea waiting to be sniffed... I loved going through the motions of flicking the lids off the jars, feeling the rubber rim snapping off the glass, hearing the soft shuffle of tea leaves as I give the containers a gentle shake.  I inspected each candidate visually, I looked at the hues, and shapes, and finally, breathed in to get a dose of flavor based on each blend's unique scent. It was a tough call, choosing a winner out of all the contestants begging for my patronage.  But I had a Cohen-based criteria for narrowing my options: no flavored teas - just black tea or pure herbal ones (and even with such criteria, there was still a lot to choose from).  I ended up indulging in 2 kinds of Cohen-compliant tea, ordering a cold beverage first, and a hot one, next.

The tea arrived in such lovely packaging, I felt giddy-good.  The cold tea came in robust paper tumblers   with bold prints in eye-catching black and white.  The lids had sleek silver rims, and crisp white tops - and the straws - oh my, these uber-cute, solid-sturdy, oversized, firm paper straws in sliver stripes and black dots - I loved them!  They were F.U.N.   And the hot tea came in a tea accessory described in Da.U.De's website as the "Tea Maker" or this "fabulous lightweight tea steeper" that works like a nifty gadget, it "features an auto shut-off valve that is activated whenever the tea maker is lifted away from your cup".  It was not the usual teapot, that's for sure.  It was fun to use, and fabulous to watch. 

So I went out, and all I had was tea - and it was wonderful!  It's a far cry from the usual experience at other restaurants where having tea means getting a cup of hot water with a tea bag on the side. Nope. At Da.U.De, having tea is an event!  Getting to savor the taste and flavor of artfully crafted tea happens after  one goes through a most appetizing selection process - that of partaking of the visual and olfactory buffet offered by the array of tea on display.  With so many things forbidden on the Cohen Eating Plan I find myself looking for ways to elevate my enjoyment of the things that are allowed.  Tea is one of them. And at Da.U.De, one gets the most indulgent tea-drinking experience, in an elegant setting no less.  I felt no deprivations, only privilege.  

Da.U.De's Website:
http://we.lovedaude.com

Their Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/daudetea

At A Grand Fiesta While On A Strict Diet & My Story of Faith

Sunday: In front of the family's carrosa bearing the Sto. Niño de Vida Eterna
owned by our nephew Arlo Carsi Cruz Aniag, and his parents Beto and Rina. 

If you asked around, you will hear many stories of little miracles taking place with help from the Sto. Niño, especially when it comes to his fiesta.  Last year, my sister in law Rina, was in pain, and couldn't walk much. But she was going to be the coming year's Hermana Mayor, and had a duty to join the procession.  She managed to walk all over town - her debilitating pain disappeared as though by magic.   This year, she invited us to join the procession, it seemed like it was going to rain, and for a tense few minutes, it started to drizzle...but the sky held together, and the dark clouds disappeared.  I had my own little miracle too.  A very little one, almost not worth mentioning, but it's important to me!  It has to do with my Filipiniana terno, made for me some 15 years ago - a tailor-made, body-hugging red number.  Last minute, I tried it on for size, and to my utter astonishment, it fit me! It's a miracle! 

I'd given up on fitting into that red terno long ago.  I had packed it up for good in a storage box up in the attic at my parents' house.  I was going to wait 15 more years before retrieving it, so I could pass it on to my daughter Narra when she turns 18.  I figured, it would be cool to give her a heritage piece, a vintage terno she can wear to formal Filipiniana affairs.   I last wore that terno in 2003.  Now, some ten years and two kids later, I had the gall to try it on again - that's one thing I love about being on the Cohen Eating Plan, it gives one renewed confidence to revisit old favorites...I have special clothes I couldn't bear to throw or give away - they are stored in the attic in that special place I save for history - which now, with the Cohen Program - has become a space for attires to consider in the near future!!!  As though time warped, I see past, present, and future, collapsing now that the Cohen Program gives my body's growth a chance to follow a non-linear path. Prior to this diet, my body's evolution was set on a discouragingly predictable course: each year meant another inch added to my waistline!  Not this year though. I've lost 4 inches in 4 weeks.  In many ways, I see in a fiesta, the same principle of time collapsing ...  yes, this fiesta is about tradition, and heritage - but it is also a lot about what's current, about trends today, and those to come. In some ways it's about anticipating the future - whether in fashion, floral arrangements, and event styling.  

The hermanas mayores Rina and Bianca Aniag in dramatic Filipiniana gowns.

This year, my sister-in-law wanted a Venetian-themed fiesta, and her Filipiniana terno on Saturday was hot pink and festooned with ostrich feathers. The rest of the gowned ladies in the processional entourage used vibrant hues of deep reds, rich purples, royal blues, shimmery ochre, and emerald green.  I thought Filipiniana meant jusi and piña, and other muted hues similar to parchment paper in old archives.  I was wrong. The prevalent interpretation of Filipiniana at the fiesta was as colorful as glossy pages of the spring issue of a high fashion magazine.  The fiesta felt old and young at the same time; historic but also faddish; solemn and deeply devotional on one level, but also subversively licentious and carnivalesque. That Saturday, I wore a new gown, purple in hue, with a sparkling beaded strap - for the Venetian-themed masquerade-like Testimonial Dinner.  I saw how colorful the palette was, for women's wear, and I knew the traditional piña gown I planned on wearing for the next day, Sunday - the main fiesta day - was possibly going to be out of place. I called my mom in the middle of the night - my ever supportive mom - whose life is modeled after our Lady, Ina ng Laging Saklolo; I asked her to climb up the attic, get my red terno, so I could pass by for it the next day. Sure, it's an old piece, but a bold choice of color back then, but oh, so appropriate now! I prayed it would fit me. Last minute, we passed by my dress on the way to Malolos. I fit it...one button closed, then another, down to my post-pregnancy belly. Moment of truth. Will it fit my waist? It did! Because miracles happen. Because I had faith. In God, in the Sto. Niño, in the Cohen Program!

Saturday procession before the Venetian-themed Testimonial Dinner.
Behind me (left), Rina in her feathered hot-pink terno.

The thing about faith is, it gets stronger if you nurture it.  My faith in the Cohen Program was growing every day, and fitting into old clothes has strengthened my resolve even more. It wasn't too hard to resist all the appetizing food at the fiesta.  There were the usual favorites: Lechon (whole roast pig; and whole roast calf), Kare-Kare, Chicken Galantina, Lengua, Lumpiang Sariwa, Grilled Tuna, Sisig...among others - and sweets! - Leche Flan, Buco Pandan, Fruit Salad, and Sago't Gulaman.  There were festive street food offerings along the procession's path: popcorn sold outside the church; freshly roasted salted peanuts, still hot in their little brown paper bags; cornick! - done Malolos style... I looked at them all and savored the memories they evoked, and admired the way they looked.  Did I regret not eating the food on offer? Nope. Not only because I had faith in the Cohen Program, but also because I had faith in the efficacy of sacrifice as a means to gain divine favor.  Like many other practitioners of folk piety, I joined the rest of Pinoys with their own personal panata (sacred vow).  I offered my little acts of sacrifice - going through the trouble of finding an attire that seemed suitable, even if it meant going out of the way; walking in the heat for hours, in heels, and formal wear, while hungry; and joyfully abstaining from partaking of the sumptuous feast spread before me. 

Fiesta food in abundance - food I did not eat.

I brought my own Cohen-compliant grilled chicken salad and arranged it on a plate - and because it was a fiesta - I made sure to bring festive condiments to match: a bottle of balsamic vinegar, my olive oil spray, and a salt mill - just so I'd have pre-meal rituals to perform, in flavoring my food, while my fellow diners were lining up at the buffet.  I enjoyed my dinner, and crunchy apple for desert - and drank in the atmosphere.  It made me think of the relevance of a fiesta. Observers of a different persuasion may see a lot to criticize.  How can the faithful find God in all this pageantry amidst real poverty? In thinking about this question, I remember an old friend telling me about the etymology of the word "enthusiasm", coming from "En" and "Theos" or, translated, means "in God".  This friend said to be enthusiastic is to be infused with the breath of God.  And there in Malolos, in the unwavering patience of the ever-growing crowd - in their willingness to stand for hours to watch more than 230 carossas snake their way through narrow streets, I saw an unmistakable enthusiasm, so fervent, gripping, and palpable - it made me rethink Marxist notions of the role of religion in keeping the poor in perpetual poverty.  The stories of the most opulently decorated carossas are not always about the landed class and old rich cementing their stature; many (if not a majority) of the grandest carossas are from deeply grateful families with stories of rising from poverty and achieving prosperity.

My Grilled chicken breast with salad (dressed with balsamico and olive oil)
right across from me is the chopping table for the lechon :-D

Motivations for participating in the feast are varied: mostly for thanksgiving, and supplication for prayers to be granted; but also for atonement for sins. There is a desire to restore balance: hermanos gives back to the community after having received so many blessings. Whatever their personal motivations, the enthusiasm is overflowing.  It is seen in the beautifully decorated carrosas, the spirited dancing, frequent fireworks, festive lights and continuous music.  Those with money, spend for food, flowers, fireworks, and fashion - those without money, offer their presence, voice, movement, or skills...and everyone, rich and poor alike, come together for collective prayer.  All these acts of devotion (church-sanctioned or otherwise) change the energy of the city, shaking the vibes of even the saddest corners of the town.  Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, festivals are also held to restore balance - in Bali, to name just one example, the island resets during Nyepi, and establishments close, and everyone takes a break from serving tourists, as the locals focus on performing rituals in honor of the spirits.  In Malolos, too, one gets the feeling of the city re-charging. Old houses have their windows open, with their residents out on the  balconies. Santo Niño images hidden indoors in private altars, are taken out to the streets to be recharged with the energy of fervent and publicly displayed collective belief.  Fiesta time is an opportunity for renewal of the public and private kind.

Oliver and I, on stage, watching the grand procession of more than 230
uniquely decorated carros  pass before us. We were hungry, but happy.

This too, is how I view my Cohen Program - it is like my own personal fiesta - a means to restore balance, and change the energy of my body, and shake up the saddest corners of my being.  I am only a month into the program, and already, I find myself enthused, as I haven't been in a long time.  The fact that I was able to fit into an old terno from long ago isn't the only miracle... there is an even bigger one.  To be enthused is to be infused with the breath of God. And wearing my red gown, at this fiesta, was not really about clothes - it was about restored faith... (and this time I am not referring to my belief in the science of Dr. Cohen)... I am rediscovering my beauty from within, and I am truly believing again, that I am made in the image and likeness of God, and I am rediscovering dormant aspects of my spirituality.  To have fatty parts is to be human. To have faith and enthusiasm, is divine.  I thought going to a grand fiesta while on a strict diet was going to be hell. But in the end, it turned out to be a heavenly experience. The spirited participation of everyone present, myself included, permeated my skin, and I feel fired up inside. I want to do so many things right now - to work, to move, to write, to learn, to love, to live!  It's a miracle. Thank you Santo Niño! Viva!!!  

My Diet-Friendly Apple Tartlets and the Joys of Snacking While Working

My apple tartlets, out of the muffin pan, and
off to the fridge.

I have a deadline to meet, and a paper to finish for an important conference.  I'm two weeks into my Cohen Program, and I was wondering how I can survive long hours of sitting, reading, and writing, without resorting to my usual practice of munching as I mull over my ideas and compose my thoughts.   I decided to surf the net for a recipe for a snack I could work on, while I worked on my paper.  And I found this recipe for making apple tartlets out of the usual cracker and fruit allowance. I was excited to embark on a Cohen kitchen adventure.  So here's how it went...

The main ingredients: Jacob's crackers and apples.

I started by reading a book.  I sat quietly for a bit until I stumbled into a very exciting idea that was useful for the main argument of my paper.  I was excited!  I scribbled notes, and put the book down. I had to stand up and do something with my hands while I tried to find ways to articulate in words the connection I was making in my head, between the idea I read, and my own topic.  I stood up, and started slicing apples into wedges, peeling off the skin, cutting and dicing, and putting them in a pot of water. I added some splenda, and a stick of cinnamon, and turned on the stove.  I went back to my seat. Wrote a sentence, one all important sentence that contained a major argument. As the apples stewed in the pot, I let my argument simmer for a bit.  I continued reading, quietly, until I stumbled into another exciting passage.  I scribbled down a quote. I got excited again. Stood up, and started pounding some crackers, 2 pieces of Jacob's Hi-Cal Original at a time.  I moistened the crumbs with some diet soda so they would adhere,  I sprayed some Pam on my muffin pan, and spooned the crumb-mixture evenly.  I popped them in the oven to let them bake for a bit.  I sat down, and scribbled a sentence. A second all-important sentence in my developing outline.  The scent of apples and cinnamon created such an invitingly warm atmosphere in the kitchen.  I was happy to be stationed on the dining table, with all my books and papers before me. I started to read, again.

Freshly baked apple tartlets right out of the pan!

I stumbled into another great idea from yet another book, and had to stand up again, to compose my thoughts, and carefully word yet another argument.   I busied my hands with draining the stewed apples from the pot, and spooning them into the cups of the muffin pan, then popping them into the oven.  As my apple tartlets baked, I spoke to myself, trying out different ways to phrase, as precisely as I can, the idea I can see clearly in my head but couldn't quite convey in words just yet.  I was muttering as I worked my way from the stove, to the sink, to the kitchen counter, cleaning up the mess I made as I attempted to de-clutter my brain and focus my thoughts.  I sat down, got a clean sheet of paper, and looked at all the notes I've scribbled... I began writing a fresh, new outline.  And there it was. An outline. A skeletal structure to be fleshed out in detail in the hours and days to come.  It's best to take a break, to let my ideas bake.  I packed up my pad, and closed my books, and prepared my placemat for a sacred ritual - it was time for my rewarding snack.  

My rewarding coffee break.

I heated some water, and scooped some freshly ground coffee into my Bodum single-serve/in-cup French coffee press (my new best friend!!).   As my coffee steeped, I carefully lifted two, piping hot apple tartlets out of the muffin pan, and lay them tenderly on my plate.  The rest, I transfered into a Lock and Lock container so I could store them for my writing sessions tomorrow.  Then, I finally sat down, took a tiny desert fork, and cut into my warm tartlet, and had a very rewarding moment.  It felt like cutting into a piece of apple pie.  The act of slicing, and scooping up, and smelling the scent of apples and cinnamon - it was divine!   And I was happy to eat only two tiny tartlets, flavored subtly. It reminds me of the new lifestyle I wish to embrace - the Cohen way...  the joys of snacking need not involve huge quantities of food and copious amounts of sugar.  I cut the tartlets into quarters, and had 8, fully-savored mouthfuls of stewed apples on a warm crust.  Partnered with coffee, it was sheer bliss.

I had a great afternoon.  I got my work done, and managed to incorporate food in my thinking process in a healthier way.  To top it off, my daughter Narra, saw me working and baking, and she copied me. She sat down and scribbled with her pen and crayons, and shadowed me in the kitchen...and when the snack was done, she asked me for a piece - ha!!! My picky little eater has been asking me for food since I started the Cohen program and paid attention to my own food, more than to hers.  It's been hard concentrating on writing papers when the kids were running around the house, but with my apple tartlet project anchoring me to the kitchen, I found the focus my work badly required and deserved.  I think the discipline required by the Cohen program has unlocked my hidden reserves of will power - allowing me to become disciplined in other aspects of my life, such as my academic writing.

I'm looking forward to writing again tomorrow.  I decided not to write throughout the night, the way I used to. I need to sleep (part of the Cohen prescription). And midnight work often involves midnight snacks, and I'm not going to set myself up for failure by staying up late, and working up an appetite. Nope. Discipline. I will sleep at night, and work in the morning. And I know some nice apple tartlets are waiting for me when I earn my morning coffee break.

A Fresh Start For 2013: Embarking on my Cohen Program

Weighing portions of Cohen-approved food, according to my eating plan.

On New Year's Eve, I took part in an ancient tradition and embraced the cliche: I made a New Year's Resolution.  It is believed that early Christians embraced the first day of the New Year as an occasion for reflecting on past mistakes and resolving to improve oneself, saying their prayers at a midnight mass.  The Romans before them, began each year by making promises to the god Janus (after whom the month January is named).  And before them, the Babylonians too, promised their gods to pay their debts from the previous year. So as 2012 came to a close, I too, looked skyward, and whispered a prayer as I watched the fireworks display on New Year's Eve.  I prayed for fitness and health, and a fabulous figure to match.  Yes, it's really such a cliche.  I join the hordes of fat-fighters all over the world who make "losing weight" a perennial entry on the Top 10 Resolutions List.  Somehow though, my resolution didn't feel like an empty wish whispered to the wind.  I felt the firmness of my resolve.

As the popular saying goes "nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa" (roughly translated: Mercy resides in God, deeds reside in people). My prayer for divine assistance had to be coupled with actions. And I tell you, I took action indeed!  It took a few weeks to orchestrate my New Year's Eve moment.  It started in early December with a trip to Cohen's Lifestle Centre in Makati where I attended an Information Session on their Weight-loss and Wellness Program.  I signed up, paid, and returned for my Blood Test, the results of which were sent to the US for analysis.  I had to wait until after Christmas to receive my Personal Eating Plan.  It took a couple of days to shop for essentials: Extra-virgin olive oil spray; Jacob's crackers; multivitamins; and approved proteins, fruits, and veggies.  I spent an evening happily weighing portions precisely down to the last gram, as prescribed.  I bought organic greens, and choice lean meats, and my mouth was watering as I prepared my food for the next few days.

Our current best friends in the kitchen: the tabletop grill, salad spinner,  
and for Oliver: the juicer and blender for his fresh fruit shakes.

On December 31st, I woke up excited to start my Cohen Eating Plan. I had a mushroom omelette for breakfast, a calamari salad for lunch, and I packed my grilled chicken breast with grilled veggies for our New Year's Eve dinner.  I ate my meal happily, while the rest of the family feasted on paella and lengua, gambas and calamari, beef stew and bbq... I munched on my approved amount of crackers as my loved ones enjoyed their slices of ham, and cheese, and pasta.  And when desert was served, I munched on apple slices as everyone had a slice of cake.  It felt GREAT to be in control! I was surrounded by sweets and savory treats and I did not cave in! I was triumphant over temptation! 

I am more hopeful now, and empowered as I never have been before, to face my weight issues squarely and deal with the problem with finality.  There are several reasons why I am motivated more than ever: 1) Oliver and I just had our annual executive medical check-ups. The results were rather sobering. I had fatty infiltration in my liver, linked directly to my being overweight. The medical recommendation: weight reduction.  2) There are also indications that my hormones have gone haywire. I've been bleeding excessively, enough to make me run to the doctor a few times on suspicions of miscarriage, but repeated ultrasounds have ruled that out, and a pap smear also ruled out infections.  A more plausible cause: hormonal imbalance.  This is what made the Cohen Program attractive to me - it is not just another diet, but promises to re-set hormones.  Signing up for the Cohen Program, in itself, is another source of motivation because... 3) It doesn't come cheap.  But I guess it's also because of the monetary investment in the program that one feels more committed to make it work.  Another cliche comes to mind, the idiom: "you get what you pay for".  I am truly hoping that in this case, something higher in price is proportionally of higher quality (because this is not always the case, necessarily).  There are less-restrictive Cohen programs online that cost a mere fraction of what I signed up for, but I decided to go ahead and do the full formal program (thanks to Oliver's support) which offers continuing blood work and analysis, monthly weigh-ins, and consultations for the next six months.  I want to find a way to peek into my blood chemistry to get some assurance that I am truly addressing my issues from within.  I don't just want weight loss - I want to reboot my entire system, and reset my metabolism, restore hormone balance and really, really start fresh.

My lunch of grilled chicken breast fillet with garden salad.

And somehow, even though I'm only a few days into the program, there are clear signs of good things to come.  Even if I am the only one in the household enrolled in the program, everyone else seems to partake of my resolution in their own ways.  Oliver took me grocery shopping and together we bought lean cuts of meat and fresh vegetables. He coordinated his food with mine, although he didn't do the measuring, and didn't hold back on condiments.  He had a nice lean, flavorful steak for dinner, while I had my steak ground up so I could apportion it to exact weight specifications easily.  I formed it into a patty (with no binders, just salt and pepper to season) and had it grilled.  Last night, we both had grilled chicken breast - his had more flavor, mine was simply seasoned.  He accompanied his meal with brown rice, and soup and salad (with dressing), while I just had plain greens with a few sprays of olive oil and vinegar (no rice nor soup).  It felt good to have him "accompany" me, even if he wasn't on the program.

Narra and Guijo too, are catching on.  They see me preparing my food, and they ask for bits of whatever I am eating.  I snack on apple slices, and they ask for some.  I carefully weigh my food, though, so I don't share my plate.  I give them their own separate servings - and this act of separating my food from my children's is helping me a great deal!  It means learning to resist to finish their leftovers.  I've also reprogrammed myself not to reach for food on display, specially now that our house is full of holiday treats - gifts of chocolate, cookies, cake, and candies.  Oliver suggested we purge the house of forbidden food to create a controlled environment at home, but I refused the offer.  I told him the world will be full of tempting treats, and I must learn to embrace my new principles with conviction from within - that my ultimate goal is self-control / self-improvement / self-mastery.   Narra and Guijo used to love to "feed" me.  They'd affectionately pop a piece of grape, or pop corn, or jelly bean into my mouth.  But they don't do so anymore.  It took only a day for them (and everyone else around me) to catch on.  

Beyond our household, I heard that over at my parents' house, my sister has followed my lead and has also started eating healthier.  She called me last night to report that she prepared her own steamed tilapia (and that's a miracle in itself - tilapia and my sister don't usually go together).  She, in turn, has inspired my dad, who wants to jump on the fat-fighting- bandwagon too.   I first heard about the Cohen program from my cousin Debbie, and later from a friend, Kit, and they inspired me to go for it (thanks girls!). Now, it's my turn to go through the process, and I'm so psyched up!! 

So I had a great New Year's Eve, because I made a Resolution I am excited to live by.  Here's to a fresh start in 2013!!!

Here's the Website of Cohen's Lifestyle Centre Philippines (for the full, formal Cohen Program):

http://www.cohenlifestyle.com.ph/

Here's the Website for the On-line, less restrictive, and cheaper version of the Cohen Program:

http://www.belletoday.com.ph/