5 Tips to Boost Your Immunity During the Holidays

The cold morning breeze, the Christmas carols, the sparkling and colorful lights at night remind us that the most awaited season of the year is here. The season of sharing and giving has finally arrived!

Christmas is a very joyful season, a celebration we all look forward to. Personally, Christmas is about making up for lost time with friends and loved-ones. To others, Christmas means giving and completing items from their Christmas wishlists. While others associate Christmas as an opportunity to relax and unwind from heavy work demands. 

Blissful and festive as it is, the so-called holiday rush can be stressful. Attending parties, reunions and merry-makings here and there is exhilarating but can be tiring. Many people in popular establishments mean crowded places and heavy traffic; which adds to the normal holiday traffic because of shopping mall sales and extended mall hours. Making your way through the crowd just to find that perfect gift can be exhausting. Brainstorming for your Christmas gift list can be draining and completing your noche buena items can cause increased stress levels because of long lines at groceries and department stores.

Increased stress levels weaken our immune system and make us more susceptible to illnesses. While they say that stress is inevitable, there are some ways to keep our bodies strong and healthy this season:

1) Begin the day with a positive mindset.

As the old cliche says, mind over matter; our brain is very powerful that whatever it conceives, there's a big chance it will happen. Say you wake up and think of how bad this day is because of the deadlines you have to meet, most probably, you will really end up having one.

Waking up to a new day is one of the best blessings to be thankful for. How lucky are we to be given another day to enjoy, learn and make a new start. So why destroy a brand new day with a negative thought in mind? We all have our fair share of struggles so never let them affect your day and life. Remember that there's a solution to every problem and every time you think of stressful things, you are not just ruining your day but you are also harming your health. So the moment you wake up, be thankful and think of positive thoughts to attract them.

Sta. Ana, Cagayan: Of Long Road Trips, Rough Sails and Sun Kisses

Howdy! I'm back from my hiatus and for my comeback, I am sharing my adventures in the beautiful region of Cagayan Valley. Let's kick off with our second day in Sta. Ana. *insert drum roll here*

The town of Sta. Ana in Cagayan lies in the north-easternmost part of the Philippines that can be reached via 15-16 hours land travel (in our case, we traveled for almost 24 hours). We began to explore its beauty early morning of Day 2. After breakfast, we went to San Vicente Port. Since we already had our briefing the day before, we just accomplished the passenger's manifest. If you were unable to bring your lunch like us, you can order at the PASAMOBA Office and they would have it ready for you at Punta Verde. And now, let the adventure begin... Warning: Another picture-heavy post. 

Dos Hermanas Island as seen from Cape Engaño Lighthouse

San Vicente Port

We availed of the Special Trip tour worth 3,500 pesos, which took us to Anguib Beach, Cape Engaño Lighthouse, Punta Verde (falls) and Crocodile Island.

Dubbed as the Boracay of the North because of its fine white sand and crystal clear waters, Anguib (pronounced as A-ngib) Beach is the first in our itinerary. This is a favorite destination and a must in your Sta. Ana bucket list. But unlike Boracay, it's unspoiled, pristine and without the madding crowd. Cottages are the only establishments here, rental costs 500 pesos.

Crystal clear waters and powdery white sand

Entrance fee in Anguib Beach costs 100 pesos per person, but we were also told during briefing that there is another entrance which costs 20 pesos per guest but the sand is not as fine and powdery compared to the other. We decided to pay 100 pesos for the complete Anguib experience but we did not rent a cottage because we did not intend to stay for so long. 

Welcome to Anguib!