Jeunesse: Marking a period in a woman’s life

This balmy Wednesday morning, the Garden Room of Marriott Hotel in Newport, Pasay City is blooming with all sorts of sweet treats  pretzels, cupcakes, cookies, macaroons, chocolates, candies  amid a picture-pretty pink/floral ambiance. After all, it’s Jeunesse’s sweet way of dedicating a day to women — and womanhood!

After a hearty buffet lunch capped by sinful desserts plucked from a garden of goodies, the predominantly female guests sit back and listen to nutritionist Cheshire Que give a mind-blowing talk on mindful eating and breathing (call 09177104625/09989842887, 586-3194; email cheshireque@gmail.com, visit www.cheshireque.com).

“How do you feel when you’re having your period?” Cheshire thoughtfully asks. “Don’t you feel bloated, unattractive, with your skin becoming oilier and discolored, etc.?”

The audience collectively bobs their heads up and down.

According to Cheshire, the cause of bloating is dehydration. “You have to hydrate yourself. Drink at least two to three glasses of water with each meal. Be mindful about your water intake.”

She adds, “Go easy on your sodium intake because salt retains water. And to replace iron loss, if you have heavy flow, take lean protein and green leafy vegetables like malunggay.”

Cheshire shares her anti-bloat plan which includes taking potassium-rich foods such as avocado, orange/orange juice, banana, melon, okra, chayote, potato, prunes, sweet potato, tomato, pumpkin, beets, vegetable juice.

Telling women to “glow with the flow,” she prescribes the ACE vitamins and skin-friendly foods (such as yellow and orange fruits and vegetables, spinach and green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, beans, peas, lentils, salmon, mackerel, nuts).

She goes into an absorbing discussion of probiotics and prebiotics foods. “Yogurt, Yakult, kefir are probiotics that contain good live bacteria that improve and strengthen the immune system. On the other hand, honey, onion, garlic, whole grains, including rice, are prebiotics — they don’t contain probiotics but let live bacteria thrive in the stomach.”

As we mindlessly go for a second round of our delicious lunch, Cheshire makes us mindful of what we eat. “There’s physical, emotional, and sensory hunger. The salty and sweet tend to make you crave more. The sour and bittter tend to decrease your appetite.”

She makes us aware of the importance of food variety, portion control, and meal timing.

She tells us how to add sparkle to ho-hum meals. For instance, you can make chicken breast more flavorful by adding a tablespoon of low-fat dressing and serving it with healthy brown rice. Or you can dress up a plain oatmeal by adding banana slices and a tablespoon of almonds. Or throw in a slice of low-fat cheese to liven up your whole wheat crackers.

She then tackles a rather heavy topic, literally that is: weight management, which she says should include a vigorous one-hour/week exercise or a moderate 2.5-hour/week exercise.

Then she teaches us (and all multi-tasking women) some breathing techniques to relax and de-stress. There’s the Ocean Breath to calm and build energy — let the soothing sound of the lapping ocean waves wash over your weary spirit. We next try the Alternate Nostril Breathing, which is supposed to be good if you feel angry or you’re having a bad hair day. Then there’s the Cooling Breath, “when you feel the heat is trapped inside your body when you have your period.”

At the end of her talk, Cheshire introduces us to MealEnders, “the antidote to overeating.” An easy, safe, and sustainable way to curb one’s appetite, MealEnders “are great-tasting, low-calorie, stimulant-free Signaling Lozenges that help you avoid overating and master portion control using a combination of behavioral psychology and sensory science. They work with the body’s natural hunger and fullness signaling process to clear the desire to overeat from your mind and mouth.”

Making this day even more special for women are Jeunesse’s event partners: St. Nails Nail Spa, Craft Coffee Revolution, Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass, Yoko (The Secret of Miracle White Skin), Stained Glass Craft.

And on that note, we end this special Women’s Day with Jeunesse not with a period but with an exhilarating exclamation point!