Food for Her: Ajinomoto shares recipes for women's health

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International Women’s Month is celebrated every March, but every day is an opportunity to celebrate and express our love to the women in our lives. To strongly cap off the month-long celebration, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC Group) shares special recipes to better take care of women's health.

Proper nutrition plays a key role to help keep women’s overall health. Below are some recipes that women can follow to lead a healthier life:

Asparagus-Mushroom Stir-fry

Asparagus is an excellent source of iron and folate, which is needed for the production and maintenance of healthy red blood cells. It is also rich in bone-building vitamin K.

This recipe features AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, a kitchen staple that brings out the savory-deliciousness of any kind of dish. Good to note that the brand has a new 45g size available in sustainable paper packaging as an option for earth-friendly consumption. Follow the recipe for Asparagus-Mushroom Stir-fry here.

Sweet Potato “Kamote” Nachos

This dish is rich in carbohydrates from sweet potato and protein from beef, beans, and cheese. Carbohydrates are good for energy and physical functions, while protein helps repair the body after injuries.

Sweet potatoes are also perfect for breastfeeding mothers because they are packed with vitamin A, an essential nutrient for infants. It aids newborn development and protects against infections.

The recipe is made ginisarap with AJI-GINISA® Flavor Seasoning Mix that provides meaty gisa deliciousness. See the recipe for Sweet Potato “Kamote” Nachos here.

Mini Spinach and Cheese Pizza

Spinach contains calcium, iron, and vitamin A to maintain bodily functions, including bone and muscle development. Vitamin E also reduces inflammation.

This dish uses PORKSAVOR® All-In-One Seasoning Mix. It is made from real pork extract and is complete with spices and seasonings. Make the Mini Spinach and Cheese Pizza by following the recipe here.

Eat Well, Live Well

“We at Ajinomoto do our best to uphold our Eat Well, Live Well promise. At the core of our mission is to better take care of our consumers’ health. Kudos to women who do so much for their families and communities. We hope that through these recipes we help take care of them too so they can continue to be amazing and achieve their goals,” says Roann Co, APC Group General Manager for Corporate Planning and Public Relations.

For more delicious and healthy recipes, visit Ajinomoto’s Cookmunity website at cookmunitybyajinomoto.com.

CSMC advocates for feminine wellness this National Women’s Month

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Conversations about feminine wellness are still considered taboo or even shameful, especially in conservative countries like the Philippines. From menstrual problems to reproductive health and even menopause concerns, there is still a significant lack of resources for women regarding these issues.

Dr. Catherine Howard

“Women deserve access to all the information and resources they need to ensure that their feminine wellness is taken care of,” said Dr. Catherine Howard, head of Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s (CSMC) Reproductive and Sexual Health committee and the CSMC Laser Gynecologic Group. “Feminine health is nothing to be ashamed about.”

In celebration of National Women’s Month, CSMC recently hosted a webinar promoting feminine health awareness among women. Dr. Howard herself discussed some common feminine health issues experienced by women and what treatment options are available, such as FemiLift.

FemiLift is an FDA-approved non-surgical laser-assisted procedure designed to improve vaginal irregularities and rejuvenate vaginal tissues. FemiLift uses a clinically established CO2 laser technology to gently heat vaginal tissue, contracting existing fibers and stimulating production of new collagen, which helps give the vaginal tissues strength and flexibility. It is fast, painless, safe and effective.

“We see FemiLift as a solution for a wide range of feminine indications such as stress urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, laxity and even recurrent infections,” said Howard. “There are certain stages in a woman’s life where these issues are almost inevitable, like menopause or post-delivery of a baby. Some of these can be addressed using exercise, therapies, hormonal treatments, natural remedies and of course laser colpoplasty, which is FemiLift.”

Menopause is the cessation of a woman’s menstrual period some time around her 40’s to 50’s. During this time, women develop symptoms caused by hypoestrogenic changes. This is because with age, the vaginal tissues become thinner, drier, less elastic and more easily irritated.

One of these symptoms is stress urinary incontinence, a leakage of urine when there is abdominal pressure, such as laughing, coughing, sneezing or exercise. In more severe cases, some patients might even need to use sanitary pads or adult diapers to prevent leakages.

“FemiLift helps treat stress urinary incontinence by strengthening weak pelvic floor muscles, which is what women use to hold in their pee,” Howard noted. “It also revitalizes the vaginal lining, increases thickness of the vaginal walls and restores lubrication. Additionally, FemiLift helps generate new healthy tissue with higher immune resistance to infection.”

FemiLift can also be used in post-delivery rehabilitation. Before, during and after vaginal birth, women’s hormones fluctuate and their bodies go through many changes, such as weakened pelvic floor muscles and vaginal dryness. With FemiLift, the laser treatment strengthens, tones and restores vaginal tissue flexibility.

“What’s good about this is that it is just a minor procedure, like an ultrasound. You don’t need anesthesia of any sort, in ten to twenty minutes you’re done with the procedure and the entire treatment can be finished in three sessions, so once a month for three months,” Howard said.

CSMC has been offering FemiLift through its Comprehensive Women’s Care Unit since 2018, but had to halt procedures because of the pandemic. Now, FemiLift is open once more to the public for only Php 65,000 for three sessions. The effects of the procedure generally last 12 to 18 months, but Howard shared that some of her patients reported a consistently satisfactory vaginal condition despite having their last procedure in 2018 or 2019.

“People might think FemiLift is just for improved sexual activity, but in reality it’s also effective in treating very real concerns and conditions in the feminine area,” Howard stressed. “It is a medical treatment for menopausal women, women experiencing issues post-delivery and women who are at risk for recurrent infections. There are a lot of benefits from this treatment. I highly recommend it.”

For more information about the programs and services that CSMC offers, please visit https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/. CSMC is also on Facebook, like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos.

‘Malaking tulong ang loading business’: Globe empowers women to see through pandemic

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Marites Yanzon, a sari-sari store owner, opened her business six years ago using the money she borrowed from a relative to augment her family’s income and finance their day-to-day needs. Marites though continued to struggle after her savings diminished due to health emergencies in the family.

Fast forward to 2020, little did Marites know that she would play a crucial role in reviving the economy amid the quarantine restrictions imposed by the government to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Her sari-sari store business flourished despite the pandemic, thanks to her loading business which helps people cooped up in their homes stay connected with their loved ones and the rest of the world through voice and data services that telecom companies like Globe provide.

Marites is now earning as much as double from her loading business as compared to over half a decade ago. “Malaking tulong po ang loading business. Halos mas mabenta nga po ang load kaysa sa ibang paninda ko. Mas lalong lumakas ang benta ng load ngayong online class na ang mga estudyante kasi yung mga walang WiFi, sa load sila umaasa,” she said.

As the country celebrates National Women’s Month, Globe continues to empower Marites and other women micro-entrepreneurs who play a crucial role in reviving the economy through their small businesses.

“Retailers are a very important part of our value chain, they help us reach and serve the grassroots communities. This Women’s Month, we would like to thank and honor them, especially the women who keep the community stores running and in turn, are helping our economy recover,” said Bernie Llamzon, Globe Executive Vice President for Channel Management.

Globe’s loading business also helped retailers who were affected by past typhoons. In January alone, Globe, through its Community Development Program, provided at least 280 retailers in provinces devastated by Super Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses with livelihood opportunities via a retailer package which includes an LTE phone, SIM starter kit, and initial load worth P1,000.00. About 80 percent of the recipients were women.

Globe supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), specifically SDG No. 8 which calls for decent work and economic growth as well as SDG No. 9 which emphasizes the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.

To know more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.