How to make your face look slimmer
DID YOU KNOW?
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Besides burning 11 calories (per hour), giving you a fresher breath and exercising your facial muscles, chewing gum, will help you NOT to pick on food before and after your meal.
The action of chewing actually serves as a form of exercise for our jaws. Jaw movement promotes facial exercise which not only helps to relax the body and increase blood circulation, it also tones up facial muscles.
Chewing gum (especially sugar-free) helps to promote weight loss by distracting your mind from real food.
Try chewing whilst preparing a meal, you will be less tempted to pick and nibble. Or after, to avoid post-meal picking.
The habitual practice of chewing gum helps keep their face looking slim, toned and elongated.
Facial exercises can help to :
- Reduce stiffness from face
- Reduce formation of wrinkles
- Increases elasticity of skin
- Keep skin muscles in place
- Maintains skin tissues from premature aging
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A healthy digestion begins in the mouth.
Slow down when you're eating. It takes our body about 20 minutes to realize that it's full.
If you eat quickly, you'll eat extra calories while your body is figuring out whether it's hungry. By the time your body realizes that it's full, you've already eaten more than you needed. If you eat slowly, your brain will start sending signals to stop eating at the right time.
A good rule of thumb is as follows: if you can tell what kind of food you are eating from the texture of the food in your mouth (not the taste), then you haven't chewed it enough.
(For example, if you are chewing broccoli and you run your tongue over the stalk and can tell that it is still a stalk or over the floret and you can still tell that it is still a floret, don't swallow. You need to keep on chewing until you can't tell the stalk from the floret.)
The process of chewing is a vital component of the digestive activities that occur in the mouth, inextricably linked to good digestion, and therefore, good health.
Brazilian Waxing is ADDICTIVE!
So, I've been warned. Yesterday, I went back to Pink Parlour at Liang Court for my 2nd time to do the brazilian wax. I had another person to do the waxing this time, Alicia. It was a breeze (I was done in half an hour & did both the brazilian and underarms), probably because I knew what to expect and my body hair is much finer since the first wax. I LOVE IT!
Highly recommended to everyone, girls and guys both.
Definitely something you should doing for yourself starting 2010... or, now!
*Recently Updated*
1 new photo in Gallery
Must Bring Friends From Out Of Town To WAVEHOUSE
My girl friend Christine Reid was in town for a day (Dec 23) and we decided that the best way to spend our time together was at the beach. And what better place to bring her to than Wavehouse?
The roast duck with shitake mushrooms thin-crust pizza from Wavehouse is TDF! I LOVE IT. I am such a sucker for pizza 
Aww... how sweet of her. I love you, Christine!
We went on the FlowRider and I skipped the FlowBarrel because it was Christine's first time and we just wanted to play it safe and have a relaxing day.
We hopped on to Azzura afterwards to surprise Lydia Norman (who is now working there as a Marketing Manager) and a little heart-to-heart while sipping our margarita in the jacuzzi.
The 3 of us met in 2006 when we joined the TEENS Modeling Competition; which Christine won first place, Lydia 2nd and myself 3rd ♥
This was when I first started modeling - I was 18 and was talent-scouted at my school to join this competition!
Gooooood memories.
Bangin’ Bangkok
Made yet another spontaneous trip to Bangkok last weekend (Dec 19) for Charles Wright's birthday!
So this was how went down:
5.30pm - Decided to go to Bangkok (was watching 'All About Eve' - Classic!)
6.30pm - Got a taxi to pick up my friend, Lionel, who already got a tix for himself and drove to the airport
7.30pm - Got to the airport, went on the waiting list, waited for 30 minutes & finally got a ticket
8.40pm - On the plane to BKK
10pm (local time) - Arrived in BKK, took the taxi straight to the party at Metropolitan Hotel!
So he actually used the idea I proposed to him for a slumber themed party (can't go wrong with that) for his birthday at the Met in Bangkok. It was hella fun... (almost) everyone dressed up!
Flip Sandwich! With Nina Tinitigan (Charles' cousin; we met in Manila) and the birthday boy himself.
It was a crazy, crazy night... Went to bed at 5pm but was up by 9am...
I stayed at the Banyan Tree (right next to The Met) with a few of my friends. The next morning we all decided that it was about time to explore the real beauty of Bangkok.
3.15pm: Rushing to the Grand Palace. They close the ticket counter at 3.30pm and the palace closes at 5pm. A ticket costs 200baht.
"If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's the dazzling, spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city's most famous landmark. Built in 1782 - and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government - the Grand Palace of Bangkok is a grand old dame indeed, that continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail, all of which is a proud salute to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people." - Bangkok.com
You ever look a picture of yourself, and see a stranger in the background?
It makes you wonder how many strangers have pictures of you.
How many moments of other peoples life have we been in.
Were we a part of someone's life when their dream came true or were we there when their dream died.
Did we keep trying to get in? As if we were somehow destined to be there or did the shot take us by surprise.
Just think, you could be a big part of someone else's life, and not even know it...
Taking the tuk-tuk with my friends Ben Wei & Eduardo Saverin. Going to see the world's largest reclining Buddha!
Taking the public boat to the Temple of the Sitting Buddha (Wat Wat Trimitr Wittayaram). Tri means three, Mitr means good friend.
The story was told that this temple was built by three friends. They were merchants in the area.
Unfortunately, the temple was closed and would only be open again on Christmas day but I didn't leave without buying a little souvenir and making a small donation.
The rich and very different cultures, traditions and beliefs in SouthEast Asia never fail to amaze me. You learn something new everyday. This was by far the 2nd best most spontaneous trip of 2009 for me.
Manila comes first. The rest were just as memorable...
A quote I came up with from that weekend, that I'll live by forever:
"Live the moment. Make it worthwhile.
Take a chance. Make it count."
Quotes: The Person You Are…
Once you lose yourself, you have two choices.
Find the person you used to be, or lose that person completely.
Because sometimes you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be.
The person you wanted to be. The person you are.
Limòn Restaurant: Spanish-Thai Fusion
I was offered a complimentary food tasting at a newly opened Spanish-Thai restaurant called 'Limón' (located on 7 Purvis Street) last week, where I brought my half-Filipino (with strong Thai influences) friend, Charles.
(Yes, yes, the same Charles who went for the boyzilian. I figured he deserved a treat for manning up on the dare and taking the pain.)
I had no idea where Purvis Street was but the taxi driver knew exactly where to go, and it wasn't hard to locate at all. It's near Odeon Towers (where Supperclub is) and the nearest MRT station would be City Hall.
We arrived at this cozy restaurant, welcomed by the very friendly hostess who led us to our table. The place was warm and inviting, although I do think the bare walls could use the company of more traditional Spanish and Thai paintings and/or photographs.
To start, I had the Lychee Sangria while Charles tried their signature Limon Sangria (S$16 each). A very pleasant, light and refreshing alcoholic beverage that's fruity sweet & leaves a light, soft finish. My tastebuds were enjoying it so much, I almost finished the drink in a wink!
For appetizer, we had their delicious assorted Tapas treats that consisted of:
[Top] Gambas al ajillo S$18
Limón’s version of Spanish classic king prawns cooked with olive oil, lemongrass, garlic, black pepper, nameko mushroom, broccoli &basil leaf garnish
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[Top] Patatas bravas S$12
Spanish lightly fried piquant potato cubes in homemade tomato & paprika sauce
"MY FAVORITE!"
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[Top] Chorizo con curry verde S$15
Spanish Bilbao sausage in Thai green curry sauce
"Gotta love the green curry sauce."
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[Left to right]
Limón’s bacalao S$38
Pan-fried blue cod fillet in olive oil, garlic and black pepper green curry base sauce accompanied with broccoli, carrots and mashed potatoes. Cod fillet topped with onion leek
&
Penne con mariscos / Prawn Penne S$24
Mixed seafood sautéed in olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, lemon leaf & dry chili flakes with Limón’s creamy red curry as base sauce
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As you can see, the food looked so good and we had certainly already whet our appetite that we dove right in our main course and I even forgot to take a picture!
I've always liked green curry and the Limon Bacalao was a rich, tasty treat. Charles enjoyed his main dish, if he could, he'd even lick the remains on his plate. I'd never thought of the combination of red curry and pasta - it's an excellent match, might I add. Both the main dish were scrumptious, between the two, I would highly recommend the Prawn Penne; the creamy red curry as base sauce is to die for.
For dessert, we had:
&
I picked the Custard Flan for dessert and was enjoying it until I had a taste of the Crema catalanca con Frescas that Charles ordered...
... it was absolutely divine. Maybe next time, I'll just have what he's having 
[Dress from YesStyle]
Limón is an ideal place for a gastronomic dining experience. An interesting fusion of Spanish & Thai food - 2 of my favorite cuisines in the world (next to Filipino & Indonesian).
More about Limòn
Limòn believes in providing only the best for its patrons. From the chic and cosy interior to the table service received, all the way to the top of the chain, the Executive Chef. Introducing Alberto Torres - a new member to the Limòn family, but not unknown to the world of gourmet.
Born in Samjuan, the Philippines, Alberto offers not only his culinary goodness, but also his passion for it.
Having once been a personal chef for the Ex-President of the Philippines, and still a good friend of their daughter Kris Aquino, Alberto’s skills and professionalism are not to be taken lightly.
Instead of having the world in the palm of your hands, why not savour it on the tip of your tongue? And who better to serve it to you then Alberto Torres from Limòn.
XOXO X-MINI
XOXO X-mini™ II Capsule Speakers
I met with the Brand Manager of X-Mi at the FRESH party at Wavehouse a couple of weeks back and he was kind enough to send me this cute little white X-Mini™ II Capsule Speakers to try out! I remember seeing this toy speaker at Zouk once, when they had their recent $10 flea market (on November 8 ) and almost got a pair for myself. I really like that it's so compact and you can combine as many capsules as you want to make it louder. It's loud enough on it's own, although you may need at least 2 if you want to blast it out at the beach.
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About the Award Winning X-mini™ Capsule Speaker™
Winner of the prestigious Red Dot Design Awards (Germany) and the Infocomm
Singapore Awards, which is the top innovation award in Singapore. The X-mini™
Capsule Speaker™ is revolutionary in the world of portable audio technology,
striking the perfect balance of pocketsize portability and uncompromising sound
quality. The X-mini™ Capsule Speaker™ has a patented extendable vacuum
that mimics the resonance of a sub-woofer (Bass Xpansion System™ or BXS™)
capable of producing explosive volume and bass over ten times its physical size.
* * * * *
At SGD50 a pop, it's little pricey especially if you're going to get more than one because you may as well get a Bose portable speaker that would do the job that would require at least 2 X-Mini Capsule speakers. But your Bose speaker can't dance like my X-Mini:
I take it with me everywhere because it fits in my purse like a compact! I like it a lot.
Now, you've found the perfect Christmas present for your friends & you!
Mahubay, Mahalin Manila
To Live, To Love Manila
I made a much needed trip out of town last weekend to Manila with 2 of my good friends, Adam & Charles. It was a spontaneous trip and I booked my tickets only a week before for about SGD550 on Philippines Airlines - it was almost 3 times its usual price but the experience made it worth every penny.
On the night we arrived, after a 4-hour flight, we hyped ourselves and straight from the airport to catch Armin van Buuren spin at the World Trade Center.
Armin showed why he was named the No.1 DJ in the World (for the 3 consecutive years) and that set was probably the best House/Trance music display I've seen this year.
Armin van Buuren spinning Manila at the World Trade Center. The man's got talent and living his dream. Amazing.
A little hangover didn't stop us from doing a little retail therapy at the biggest mall in Asia the next day - MALL OF ASIA.
Girls, if you like shopping, go there. Make sure you bring lots of recycled bags because you're gonna need it for all the shopping. I bought 3 killer heels in an hour, for about 1300 pesos each. You can never get a deal like that in Singapore. I even got a manicure/pedicure for 300 pesos - That's only $10!
Yup, Mall of Asia is SO big, they even have an ice-skating rink inside.
We hopped on over to Greenbelt Mall for dinner at Fely J's restaurant. It was about 15 minutes away but we got there 45 minutes late because of heavy traffic.
Traffic was HELL. Luckily, we called the restaurant to let them know we were running late so they kept our table for us. I recommend making a reservation before heading down there because they are usually fully booked, especially during dinner time. Also, definitely try the Crispy Tilapia Fish & Sticky Mango Rice with Vanilla ice-cream... Tasty!
That's Charles' sweet mom on the left. She taught me a bit of Tagalog (it is related to Austronesian languages such as Indonesian, Malay, Javanese & Spanish).
Stuffing ourselves at Fely J's.
After dinner, we made our way to Rockwell to check out a friend's bikini stall at a bazaar they had right outside the mall. Rockwell is a very nice downtown area, it reminded me of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills a little.
We were going to out partying again that night (we only had 4 days in Manila afterall!) but finally decided to rest up for our day trip the next morning to Tagaytay. We hired a driver for about 3000 pesos (SGD90 to take us around). 90 bucks to get a driver to take you anywhere you wanted for the day? Deal.
Don't forget to eat your breakfast! I still live by my health rules everywhere I go. We ate at Pancake House (may not be the healthiest but hey, I eat oatmeal almost every other day!) and it was heaaaaaaaaven. Probably even better than IHOP?! I had the blueberry pancake with kiwi juice.
Time to walk it out! On our way up the mountain to see the beautiful view from Tagaytay. Adam & Charles were poking fun at my backpack - said I looked like I was ready to go to school. Meanies!
Tagaytay View We got lucky because it had been drizzling/raining a bit but the weather that day was PERFECT.
- Click Here For A Full View
After an hour of excessive cam-whoring, we were off to look for the pier to find a boat that would take us to Taal Volcano for a little hike. Sure you'll see a few cows, horses and goats for sale on your drive up/down the mountain but we even spotted a Starbucks! And a pretty nice looking one too (again, it reminded me of the States. Am I homesick?).
The castle and tree top houses looked UNREAL. At first I thought I was hallucinating. Would definitely like to check it out sometime. I'll see you soon, FANTASY WORLD.
Our driver took us to this pretty shady looking pier that had only one boat and a guy asking for 1700 pesos for the boat ride to Taal Volcano. That only included a return trip and no guide or whatsoever.
We had a feeling he was trying to rip us off so we left the place and after nearly 3 hours later, we realized our driver was lost again. He didn't know the area very well and had stopped more than 30 times to ask for directions but it didn't get us anywhere. We could only blame ourselves for not having a map. It was already almost 3pm and we had made dinner plans at 8pm so we decided to skip the whole volcano adventure altogether and hit the beach to catch the sunset.
Cutest stray puppy I've ever seen!
We found ourselves on a beach near Batangas (South of Manila), don't remember what it was called but the people there were really nice, friendly and not too pushy at all. We rented a bamboo house float where we enjoyed some fine brew (San Miguel, baby!) and watched the sunset...
Most Beautiful Sunset That's the bikini I got from a friend's bikini store called Soak Swimwear.
Gorgeous skies in Batangas.
The next day was Charles' grandma's 85th birthday (the main reason why he went there to visit, Adam & I just tagged along because neither of us have been to the Philippines). A few of their close friends and relatives came to the house to celebrate. It was nice to be at a traditional Filipino family gathering. It really made me appreciate the culture, tradition and...
...FOOD! Halo-halo, anyone?
We left the same evening, I was a little sad because I wasn't ready to leave! Nanai is wearing the necklace I got as her birthday gift - it was a smoky quartz stone from Brazil. Its believed to help detoxify the body, relieve fears, lift depressions and bring calmness and positive thought. ♥
Wished I could have stayed longer, I've fallen in love with the Philippines. Words can't describe. The nature, the people, the culture, shopping... There's just so much to explore out there.
I'll be back!
Chasing the sun across the globe, starting from Singapore to California, Florida, and now Kuala Lumpur.
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