A Slice of range V o l u m e
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Summer getaway, the healthy way
SUMMERTIME IS A TIME TO CELEBRATE THE BODY. SOME PEOPLE BECOME MORE ACTIVE. OTHERS FLAUNT THEIR MUSCLES OR CURVES. IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE, WE GIVE YOU SOME SUMMER GETAWAYS, AND THE HEALTHY WAYS TO ENJOY YOUR ESCAPE.
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arch is the time to start planning your summer activities. Some start booking for Boracay or Puerto Galera, but you will not find those destinations here. This issue is dedicated to a healthy summer extravaganza, and we at A Slice of Orange do not think staying up all night and getting wasted on alcohol is part of that.
But don’t worry; we will not be your summer party-poopers. Instead, here you will find how to enjoy some of the country’s most popular summer destinations—the healthy way. And while you’re at it, also read the December 2010 issue of A Slice of Orange for tips on how to travel the safe and healthy way. So let’s begin! Our first stop is …
A Slice of Orange is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.
Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD
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Zambales Zambales, located in Central Luzon, is approximately 150 kilometers from Metro Manila. Through the SCTEX, it is just an hour and a half’s road trip to Subic Bay and Olongapo City. Iba, the province’s capital, is another hour and a half’s trip away. So if you plan to drive, prepare for a long drive, and drive safely. The whole western part of the province faces the South China Sea, giving you 173 kilometers of beaches, with coral reefs, dive spots, surfing areas, hotels and day-use beach huts. The beaches are not white-sand, but the spots are not crowded, and so you can nourish your soul by communing with nature. Anawangin Cove near the coastal village of Pundaquit in the town of San Antonio is one of its most popular destinations for nature tripping. It has an ash-colored beach lined with Agoho Trees, which look like pine trees, providing an interestingly eerie yet mesmerizing view.
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Other popular destinations are Capones and Camara islands, which are visible from Pundaquit, and Potipot Island, which is off the shores of Uacon, Candelaria, which is further north of Iba. If you want to get active, try hiking to Mount Tapulao in Iba. Some trekkers though suggest to set base at Botolan instead of Iba. Mount Tapulao has a semitemperate climate, with foliage similar to that at Mount Pulag. One warning: during the summer months, the sun will be beating down on you hard; stay cool, bring lots of water, and wear sun protection. Lastly, don’t miss the Mango Festival held at Iba every April, and the Domorokdok Dance Festival held each May in Botolan. During the Mango Festival, you can buy baskets of mangoes at a portion of the price in Manila, and mangoes are rich in vitamin A and fiber. And street dancing during the Domorokdok Festival is a surefire way to reach your aerobic target heart rate. Burn, baby, burn!
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Bohol Bohol is an island province located in Central Visayas. With its 261 kilometers of coastline, it is no surprise that Bohol is fast becoming a popular summer destination. Panglao Island is a famous diving location, being consistently listed as one of the top ten diving locations in the world. The Chocolate Hills is another popular destination, and the Philippine tarsiers at the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in Tagbiliran City, Bohol’s capital, and the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella, continue to warm the hearts of visitors. If you want your heart to leap further, visit Baclayon town. Fishermen will willingly pick you up at the beach for dolphin watching. But if you want to catch the dolphins, you have to wake up early. This means getting wasted the night before is out of the question—and your liver will thank you for it. Who knows, your sobriety might even be rewarded by the rare apparition of a whale!
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If you want to be more physically active, visit the man-made Mahogany forest in Bilar. Visit Raja Sikatuna National Park, a 9,000 hectare nature reserve where you can go trekking while being entranced by lime-rock formations and wild birds. Your legs haven’t had enough exercise? Visit the Chocolate Hills at Carmen. Here you can find the Chocolate Hills Complex, and to enjoy the scenery, you’ll have to first climb a long flight of stairs on one of the hills. Instead of indulging your sweet tooth with junk, satisfy it instead with kalamay hati, a sweet, sticky paste of sticky-rice flour and coconut milk, and packed in a coconut shell. But for a more heart-healthy treat, indulge instead in the bounty of fruits Bohol has to offer. Of course, there are the staple fruits, such as atis, bananas, pomelos, mangoes, guavas, jackfruit, sineguelas, soursop (guyabano) and papaya. But for a real exotic treat, try the durian, balimbing, duyan, and marang. These low-calorie, vitamin- and fiber-rich fruits can turn your Bohol adventure also into a detox holiday.
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Camarines Sur Camarines Sur is a province in the Bicol Region, and its capital is Pili. Camarines Sur has long been on the map for trekking. The trails through the province’s two dormant volcanoes, Mount Isarog and Mount Asog, provide a heart-racing experience, both through physical exercise, and through picturesque waterfalls and wildlife beauty—rare exotic orchids and medicinal or flowering plants, wild boars, deers, squirrels, and monkeys.
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Lahuy Island, Caramoan, with its uniquely white fine sand Animasola Island, Balatan, with its captivating exotic rock formations and crystal clear waters Tayak Lagoon, Malarad Island, and its colorful coral gardens Isla de Monteverde, Denrica, Garchitorena, with its white beaches and virgin forest, home to birds, bats and iguanas Pinaglukaban Island, Denrica, Garchi- torena, and its scuba diving sites
But Camarines Sur has been recently making waves for another water haven, the Camarines Sur (CamSur) Watersports Complex (CWC). This unique watersports park is designed for wakeboarding, wakeskating and waterskiing, for beginners to professional wakeboarders and skiiers. CWC offers a 6-point cable ski system—as well as restaurants, sand bars, and spas. Plus it is equipped with spotlights for those who want their water adventures at night.
Camarines Sur is also a haven for water lovers. Take your pick:
From a relaxing commune with nature, to an adrenaline-filled rush, Camarines Sur offers it all.
Looking to enhance your corporate healthcare benefits? E-mail us at benefits@activelink-consult.com. The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2011 ActiveLink
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The Orange wants to he ar from you! Dying to ask us your health related questio ns? Itching to share your pe rsonal health tips? Want to sugg est topics for future issues? Feel free to contac t us. You can e-m ail our team at orange@activ elink-consult.c om.