Last week, you’ve read 16 out 110 personalities sharing nutrition and fitness ideals that they live by.  In this issue, we’ve decided to include the board of directors of the Philippine Heart Association of the Philippines as we also celebrate Heart Month in February. Read on.

“I have more  veggies, fruits,  white meat like fish and chicken sans the skin; and less lean red meat, strictly in this order and in moderation. I use olive oil.  Dancing is my passion and form of exercise. I spend 3 hours in  the dance studio weekly. As a doctor, walk the talk.” --Dr. Ms. Belen Carisma, immediate past Philippine Heart Association (PHA) president

“Never  go on a prescribed diet (without a associated exercise program) as when you do the only thing you lose is water and muscle tissue. For fitness, discipline is what I recommend. The body was made to move and not sit around. For the soon to be senior citizens, I highly recommend to strengthen their CORE and practice BALANCE, so much so that instead of going to the floor in a seated position to put the laces of your shoes on, rise your foot up, towards your waist or your arms, balance and then tie lace up your shoe. Always pushing your belly button towards your spine to start engine of your body going just like a car - you need to turn key to start engine going.” --Department of Tourism Usec. Cynthia Carrion-Norton

“You will never go wrong with a well-balanced diet. Eat fish daily and exercise.” --Dr. Maria Teresa Abola, PHA president

“I join group exercises and move in unison with the rest. It is an enjoyable way to burn calories. Each session gives you a certain high!” --Dr. Eleanor Lopez, PHA vice president

“I minimize unhealthy foods, particularly those that are rich in cholesterol, sugar and salt.” --Dr. Joel Abanilla, PHA director

“Tops on my list are green leafy vegetables and garden fresh  salads. I make sure that I eat fish once a day and the amount should be more than my rice.  I rarely eat fried foods.  Every meal is accompanied by fruits.  I basketball once a week and do 20 push-ups before taking a bath.” --Dr. Eugene Reyes, PHA  Director

“My twice-a-week trip to the golf course is non-negotiable.  So it is a total of eight hours of putting and walking.  I don’t take the cart, at all. I do weights - 30 minutes every morning.” --Dr. Isabelo Ongtengco, PHA secretary

“One can eat what one wants, but one must burn what one eats.  Exercise burns what one eats. Eat (right), live (long) and be merry.” --Dr. Saturnino Javier, PHA treasurer

“An ounce of prevention is really better than a pound of cure. Having regular check-ups allow you and your dentist to prevent problems or catch problems early on so you have the best chance of fixing them." --Dr. Steve Mark Gan, president of Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center

“I do badminton doubles three hours, twice a week then do join my team (Barangay Ginebra) in shooting exercise during practice. I follow the food pyramid by (Sanirose) Orbeta when it comes to diet.” --Allan Caidic, Ginebra assistant coach

“Drink vitamins everyday, exercise – I do pilates and yoga, live for the present and stop worrying about the future too much.” --Shaina Magdayao, actress

“Know your body. Start in assessing and learning your strengths and weaknesses. Motivate yourself with your strengths and challenge yourself with your weaknesses. Don’t force yourself with anything.  Do what you healthily enjoy and take time to rest.” --Ervin B. Paunan, ALLEZ HOP! operations manager & chief physiotherapist

“No pork, no beef, and no rice…(sushi exempted). I eat Banana everyday and get a minimum of six hours sleep everyday.” --Piolo Pascual, actor

“I baby myself! I also take the proper amount of vitamins and minerals daily such as vitamin B-complex, vitamin B6, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, vitamin E and beta-carotene. Flaxseed oil and daily dosage of magnesium, sulfur and zinc are also recommended.” --Pin Antonio, Salon de Manila proprietor and renowned hair stylist

“Always be happy! Putting on a smile all the time reduces the stress and would prevent your body from producing bad hormones.” --LJ Reyes, actress

“Get six to eight hours of sleep a day to give your body enough time to rest and rejuvenate for another day’s work.  Try walking when going to a nearby place and taking the stairs instead of the elevator when going up or down a couple of floors.” --Paulo Avelino, actor

“Every morning, the first thing I do is drink two to three glasses of water to make sure I’m hydrated for the day.” --Carlo Licuanan, Tiger, Kraft Foods (Philippines), Inc. senior brand manager

“Get into any type of exercise or sports activity. Go for whatever works for you and do it on a regular basis. Me, I actually play tennis regularly. I also run and go to a yoga class.  As much as possible, no red meat and no carbs. This is just a rule I impose upon myself.” --Christine Jacob-Sandejas, TV host

"My work out regimen focuses on weight training. I have been doing this for the past nine years and I believe that this plus eating small healthy meals throughout the day is the best chance anyone has at keeping fit and trim. I don’t do a lot of cardio but prefer to lift weights because the amount of calories you burn in a cardio session is small compared to the increase in your metabolism level brought about by building and maintaining lean muscle mass." --Rachel Alejandro, singer

“I do cardio workouts three times a week for 30 minutes. Drink lots of water! It’s very good for the body, tested and proven. Stay away from fatty food, especially taba ng baboy at baka.” --Suzi Entrata-Abrera, TV host

“There must be balance in our lives, too much of anything can be detrimental. We need to make a personal decision of leading a holistic lifestyle that addresses not only the physical but the mental, but also the spiritual.   There are no quick fixes to being healthy, but it is a conscious effort on our part to motivate ourselves to be promotive, pro-active in our approach to overall wellness.” --Dr. Rolando Balburias, The Medical City Center for Wellness and Aesthetics consultant director

“I had a separated shoulder last June so I was not able to do weights or even job. But now I am resuming my cardio of 40 minutes with not much emphasis on speed but slow job three to four times a week. I do 30 to 50 push-ups alternately four to five times a week. As for food, I try to avoid carbs.” --Alex Compton, PBA player

“Over the last five years, belly dancing has been the main factor that has allowed me to keep a trim and healthy figure. Belly dancing targets specific parts of the body that accentuates the female form.” --Kim Kong, belly dancing guru

“I do brisk walking or jogging one hour a day three to four times a week for my cardiovascular fitness. For food, I eat in moderation although there’s less salt, less sugar and less oil or fats for me.” --Chito Loyzaga, former Ginebra forward

“I just limit my intake of rice. I do jogging for 10 rounds around the basketball court and do light weights, meaning 15 pounds with more repetitions or until my muscles get tired.” --Alvin Patrimonio, Purefoods team manager

“I’ve a weird diet. Two meals - heavy breakfast, no lunch, light dinner. I used to not to have breakfast but ever since school has started, I NEVER skip breakfast. Heavy breakfast to keep me up during my morning class. No lunch and light dinner to prevent myself from growing a tummy." --Dawn Balagot, model

“The most effective way to lose weight and get fit is stop eating all the unnecessary calories such as junk food. I particularly avoid sodas that claim to have zero calories because it only tricks the blood system into wanting more sugar, confusing the body to thinking its hungry.  I also make it a point to go to the gym at least three to five times a week doing 40 minutes cardio (running) and 60 minutes weight training and ab workout.” --Joyce Ramirez, talent manager

“Low carb, high fiber diet! I focus on carbs and fiber. Breakfast as a full meal but limited to one cup of carbs and one cup of fiber (fruits or vegetables) Protein, I’m free to choose the viand I like. Lunch- just half cup of complex carbs and 1 1/2 c fruits and vegetables. again, viand is anything I choose to eat. Afternoon snack is just a glass of fruit juice and a piece of cracker.  As for dinner, NO CARBS but two cups fiber or oats to fill my stomach and viand or protein of my choice.” --Dr. Mary Jane Valdecanas, owner of The Zen Institute

“I do at least 30 minutes of cardio like brisk walking and I also do some strength training. On strength training, it really varies like in bench press, I do one set but with very slow repetitions. For food, I make sure I have small portions of carbohydrates, protein and fat and I drink a lot of fluids, around 12 glasses a day.” --Eric Altamirano, Nokia RP U-18  head coach

“I play basketball every Tuesday and Thursday and get laid in between.  I also eat lots of bananas for muscle condition and (think) happy thoughts.” --Ketchup Eusebio, indie actor