Better Diabetes Management with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre

How important is peace of mind? I’m sure you’re all for it.

I’m living with diabetes, and I just found out about it very recently. I was honestly playing it off and not thinking about it until my doctor told me to get some tests done. I have had several symptoms like headaches, ants on excretions, etc. but I was in denial. Test results came and it confirmed what I was fearing the most, I had type 2 diabetes just like my mom and dad. It was a burden for me to spend a lot for maintenance medicine, just like any other diabetic out there. I had to change a lot of things like monitor my food intake, take medicine religiously, etc. I was able to have good results in the past but I bet it was just because of the diet I had to go through before having my blood glucose tests. It’s my fault. I didn’t know how hard it was to live with diabetes, and how to manage it until this happened.

Diabetes management has been very hard for people living with the condition. The grueling task of checking blood glucose levels has always been a burden, discouraging people young and old to stay away from pricking just to see how they are doing daily and nothing has been done to better it.

It’s already 2020 and I am happy to finally see medical and technological advancements in diabetes management. I’m glad to have been able to know and use the Abbott FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system. It’s a first in the Philippines and is currently the number one sensor based glucose monitoring system in the world. Before this, there was no technology available in the country to monitor your glucose aside from the routine finger pricking method which you will not be able to do in a more regular basis due to the pain and inconvenience that you have go through every single time you prick . The goal to decrease A1C, reduce hypoglycemia, limit glucose variability (to maintain it in a normal level) and monitoring it is very tricky as it doesn’t give so much information. 

Finger pricking is useless if patients do not prick regularly as they should (according to doctors’ instructions) and if the patient stops monitoring, the doctor won’t have information he/she would need. If you use a flash glucose monitoring system like FreeStyle Libre, doctors would have a better idea about your condition. When you scan using the FreeStyle Libre reader over the sensor, it shows your actual glucose level and plots it in an 8 hour history trendline. The sensor actually can provide a comprehensive glucose reading as it allows you to frequently scan – you can scan even every minute! It doesn’t get your readings from the blood but from the interstitial fluid (ISF) that surrounds the cells (below your skin). 

The system also has LibreView, a free, secure cloud based management platform which would be a convenient way for your doctor to view your glucose data. The reader conveniently shows patterns over a particular date or period of time where you have been using the sensor. It provides data you and your doctor can easily understand. It also shows time in target (if you are above, within, or below your target glucose range), and a summary of your low glucose events (shows readings lower than 70 md/dL in 4 different 6 hour periods).

I have been using it for a couple of days now and found out a few things. The sensor won’t get detached from you, unless you force it. It’s got a medical grade adhesive and is water resistant. I would advise you to wash the site of your arm using  plain soap, dry, and then clean with alcohol wipe. The reader can also do manual blood glucose level checking as it can work with FreeStyle Optium Glucose Strips.

The reader can be charged full in 2-3 hours and would last around 7 days. It also displays how many days you have left before you should replace your sensor (as each one can be only used up to 14 days). There is an Edit icon on the device which can be used to indicate if you’ve eaten (and it locks down after 15mins).

The FreeStyle Libre Reader and Sensor can be purchased online through Lazada or in selected major Mercury drugstores. It costs Php 3,500 for the reader and the sensor is Php 3,500 as well. Senior citizen and persons with disabilities (PWD) discount privileges are also available as long as there is a doctor’s prescription. I suggest you get it via Lazada because they have free delivery. Their customer service hotline is at (02)87028577 and is open weekdays from 8:30am – 5:30pm excluding public holidays. I actually called when I had a problem with my sensor and after a few troubleshooting steps, they replaced it after arranging delivery from their head office. I am satisfied they acted fast and efficiently. That’s very assuring to know, and it really means they care.

Now you too can take advantage of this technology which is now available in the Philippines. I’m a diabetic and have seen its benefits first-handedly. I get peace of mind and am assured that I can monitor my glucose levels in a more granular level with reliable and accurate data. With my lifestyle, I now know what’s happening in my body and that give me a peace of mind, it’s priceless!

Heart Evangelista's Secret to Good Skin

Donning the streets of Paris, London, New York, Milan and Manila is not for the faint of heart (see what I did there? Haha). For Heart Evangelista, looking this good is effortless sans style and glam team, to look this good, you need to have good skin and she acheives this by doing one thing, she takes good care of it from within. 

Skin should be hydrated, and to do that, she needs the help of this new variety of Vitamin C from Poten-Cee called Poten-Cee + C. This one not only has Vitaminc C in it, but a good amount of hydrolized collagen which is essential for healthy skin. She says "Times are hard and we need to protect ourselves by strengthening our immunity. Eating the right food, a good lifestyle, and supplements like Poten-Cee + C. I promised when I turned a year older to gift myself with beauty and health. Things are taking a toll on my skin but I'm glad Vitamin C of this type can help in the production of collagen. I'm covered!"

Poten-Cee variants include Forte, Sugar Coated, Sugar Free, Chewable and Non Acidic. Follow their social channels to know more about it. 

Take a pill a day folks! 😀

AICE Philippines Launches "Milk and Eggs" Ice Cream

Filipinos love sweets, no contest on that. If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen, heard, and even tasted the newest cold treat player in town AICE Ice Cream. 

After being an official sponsor at the 2018 Asian Games, they’ve really expanded in the whole Southeast Asian region. I think my first encounter with this was in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company originated in Singapore and has been a great hit in Manila. In here, it really spread by word of mouth and I’ve seen family and friends enjoy it albeit it being a new brand. My personal favorite is the Sweet Corn Ice Cream, Watermelon and Crispy Choco. Their main thrust is VARIETY, they gave us choices in a pretty laid back market imho and their formula of being not too sweet and very affordable is working so much, I’ve seen people hoarding this in my neck of the woods.

Just recently, they launched a new flavor called Milk and Eggs. It’s a concoction very rich in Milk, Eggs and Honey. Now I thought I’ve seen it all, but during the event, we had a simultaneous tasting of the product happen. This stuff is made of dreams!

The Ice Cream is enveloped inside, once you bite into the thing, you’ll hear the thin chocolate coating crack, while the cream envelopes your palate with creamy milk and honey as base. Plus, there was a huge surprise inside, a Strawberry center which nobody really expected. All my favorite ice cream flavors in that form, how can I not love the new Milk and Honey flavor! The Milk and Honey Ice Cream only costs 20 pesos. It’s even better than some old ice cream brands I’ve had in the PH, there, I said it!

While we were enjoying our Milk and Honey, the told us a little about their current operations in the country. They have been quietly doing things on the sidelines, helping lots of entrepreneurs, their distributors earn a living. They are also employing Filipinos and plan to ultimately have local production happen sometime in the near future. Aside from that, they’ve gone to different communities to help as part of their CSR efforts. They are also being met with a lot of people who share their experience with AICE Ice Cream brand on social media and thank them personally as much as they can. 

Also, they got nutritionist Ms Joan Sumpio to help us understand the health benefits of protein rich foods. Ms. Sumpio says “I’m surprised they have products that are also healthy. There is no good and bad food, but there are bad eating habits. There are 22 micronutrients to meet in our diet daily; aside from the macro we need in food. The Filipino household diet only meet 31% energy requirements. The deficiency is huge hence the increase in ailments later on in life (osteoporosis). Milk intake should always be a priority til the age of 20, adequately, otherwise we would need to introduce other sources like shakes, smoothies, flavored milk, and plan meals that will be beneficial for our health. If we can’t have that, we can have eggs in moderation. It is a source of Vitamin B12 which reduces fatigue, have immunity and be a source of Vitamin D and A. Milk and Egg are good sources of protein, only 40% of Filipino households do not meet daily requirements. Milk and eggs are essential, it is good to have one whole egg a day, plus as much egg whites as you can because amino acids repair. This would be a good source of allowable intake of calories too.”

Later in the session, they introduced to us some of their celebrity influencers. They are actress Sharlene San Pedro, Volleyball Powerhouse Mika Reyes and actress soap princess Andrea Brillantes. Sharlene and Mika was ecstatic to be part of the growing brand and they’ve been having the time of their lives tasting the different flavors AICE Ice Cream  brought to Manila. 

I got to ask also about their plans to maybe have a sugar free/low sugar variety. They were happy to inform me that there will be a sugar free and low fat version of ice creams soon in the Philippines; they already have some of them available in Indonesia, so stay tuned!

Now head on and get your AICE Ice Cream fix in different outlets and stores nationwide! If you plan to be a distributor, their social channels are open and they can cater to you. I can’t do that, I might just end up eating them all in one sitting LOL! Milk & Eggs only cost 20 pesos and if you buy the pack of 5, they'll throw in a free mask to keep you safe.

Thank you AICE Philippines! Had so much fun that day!

You Can Now Order via Jollibee App

Oh yes it is true, there exists a brand new spanking Jollibee app which you can download via App Store and Google Play. The well loved largest fast food chain in the country knows how we all need to adjust to the "new normal". Taking convenience to new heights the app can locate the nearest branch and give you access to the full menu as if you're there.

They also will have exclusive promos via coupons and deals, plus payment options through PesoPay and honor discounts for Senior Citizens and PWD. So for those who would love their Jollibee Chickenjoy, Jolly Hotdog, Jolly Spaghetti and Peach Mango Pie fix, you can all get it here.

For busy people, you can also have food delivery scheduled so you can get it fresh, hot and fast. I'm off to get my Spicy Chickenjoy so I'm gonna stop here. For you, go download the new Jollibee App on the App Store and Google Play, try it out. 

Now where can I wish to get that Champ back? Hahahah 😄 if that isn't your cup of tea, go to the web and order via JollibeeDelivery.com because they made that nice too!