Lifestyle

Brazilian actress, host, and model Daiana Menezes saw death face-to-face when she was diagnosed with breast cancer triple positive stage 2B last year. It was a dark time, but she emerged unafraid and came out stronger.

“I am no longer scared of pain and death. I can honestly say I am happy now. I learned the value of every moment in life. Life is precious, don’t waste time on negative people and situations,” she shares.

Early in 2018, Menezes felt a lump on her left breast. It was a new year, and she was hopeful that it was just a cyst. During her breast ultrasound, nothing was evident when her arm was raised in the position for self-examination. Menezes insisted on redoing the ultrasound with her arm down and something with a weird shape appeared

“They said that’s how the malignant type looks like, I was still trying to remain positive and unfortunately, I couldn’t do the biopsy right away, as I was going to sing and dance in two shows in Dubai, and I knew I couldn’t move around if I had a biopsy which was also the doctor’s advice,” relates Menezes.

She continues, “In my mind I thought, I need to work, I need to save even more now that I had an uncertain situation ongoing, I prioritized my work and had to wait for a while, finish my concerts and hostings.”

“There’s not a particular degree of difficulty that we can put in words when you get diagnosed with cancer. No matter what type, your world just seems to fall apart. My family was shocked because of my age and lifestyle, but they helped me and gave me a lot of support,” shares Menezes, who finds strength in her mother and family in Brazil, and friends in the Philippines.

Her doctors, incumbent president and chief executive of St. Luke’s Medical Center Dr. Arturo S. De La Peña, Dr. Farrah Augustin Bunch, and Dr. Homer Lim, advised Menezes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to avoid being stressed.

“The most difficult was to adapt to my new diet. And I thought I was a healthy eater. It was a total change,” she shares.

Menezes says if she could have done more before cancer, she would have prioritized herself, lived a stress-free life, not waste time worrying so much, eat a lot, and spend more time around positive people.

“Many people don’t know that about me, but I’m a giver and I forgot to love myself before I got sick. I guess those are my only regrets but I don’t like talking about it because every moment I wasted on stress was also a lesson for what I am living now,” enthuses the lead of music group 8ONE.

Her faith and family keep her strong and fighting. The 32-year-old still has many goals in life, including having a baby one day and building her own family, as well as making more music and inspiring people going through struggles.

“The greatest I learned [from this ordeal] is that time is precious. Your existence is important, don’t let anyone make you think otherwise. Believe in yourself, love yourself; that’s the only thing you can guarantee for the short time you’re given on this Earth, be thankful every day,” ends Menezes.

by Robbie Pangilinan
Croatian professional dancer and model Marija Debelic has a colorful personality. Now she has found the perfect color for her hair ash brown – only at the newest haven of pampering and styling, C Salon.

“This color is perfect for Marija’s skin tone, hairstyle and lifestyle. It reflects her personality,” says C Salon’s operational manager Maricel Beo.

The newly opened C Salon Manila, a go-to place for men and women who want to look good and feel good, stands by being “The Coloring Specialist.” It offers color services by Schwarzkopf and Milbon, international brands whose products are used by the finest salons all over the world.

“We have roots color, regular full color and organic color, highlights with two or three colors, streaks, lowlights and Balayage. Of course we also cut, style, and do makeup,” adds Maricel.

Hair treatments include Head Spa, Repair Rescue for extremely damaged hair, Color Freeze for ultimate color retention and hair gloss, Moisture Kick Treatment, Smooth Perfect Treatment, Time Restore Q10 Plus Treatment, and Scalp Genesis Self Warming Detox Prep Treatment. C Salon also has Hair Restructuring by Schwarzkopf and Milbon that includes rebond with treatment, perm, hair relax, Keratin treatment, and Brazilian blowout.

“I found another thing to love in the Philippines! I’m not a Filipina but I have lived here for five years now. At C Salon, I experience its promise of an unparalleled beauty experience,” says Marija who chose the Philippines to be her second home, over the many places she’s been to like Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, USA, United Arab Emirates, Macau, China, and Thailand.

Located at the third floor, East Wing, Beauty and Wellness Zone of Robinsons Galleria, C Salon boasts of serene and elegant interiors, a team of experienced and highly trained stylists, and a menu of well-priced products and services.

“The best news is all our clients are entitled to free membership where they enjoy huge perks such as 30% discounts on selected hair coloring and treatments, plus surprises on their birthdays,” beams Joe Gonzalez, Owner of C Salon.

Get Marija’s hair color and style only at C Salon. Call 09179772455 or 09183678893 for bookings and inquiries.

by Robbie Pangilinan - 
Croatian professional dancer, host and model Marija Debelic can rock three fashion styles that all match her personality.

“One of my styles is classy slick, second is ‘Rihanna stylish’ and third is chill and sporty. I am very simple, I don’t like printed clothes. I like black, white, gray and nude colors,” shares Marija, whose fashion icons are Rihanna, Ariana Grande, and Victoria Beckham.

Marija says fashion styles in Croatia and the Philippines are very different. She prefers the minimalist style but has also tried daring styles such as punk rock.

Marija’s favorite complement for her fashion style is not an accessory, but her confident and beautiful smile.

“A beautiful smile makes any get-up complete and perfect,” shares the 26-year-old who starred in the TV drama “Be My Lady” and in the films “Art of Ligaw” and “Beauty and the Bestie.”

Because Marija loves hosting, and is aiming to be a powerful influencer as an artist, businesswoman and later on a politician, her smile is truly an asset. Courtesy of Global Elite Dental Clinic, Marija enjoys ZOOM Whitespeed, the most advanced laser teeth whitening system.

“Zoom White-speed Teeth Whitening offers you a full range of options based on your needs and your lifestyle. Professional teeth whitening with Philips Zoom is safe, pain-free, sustainable and used by over 10 million people,” says Global Elite’s resident dentist.

Zoom’s Laser activated whitening gel’s active ingredient is Hydrogen Peroxide. As the Hydrogen Peroxide is broken down, oxygen enters the enamel and dentin, bleaching colored substances while the structure of the tooth is unchanged.

“Zoom made my teeth visibly whiter in just one day! The process is tailored to my needs. The duration of the sessions is just right for my busy lifestyle,” adds Marija.

The sudden death Monday of actor Luke Perry this week from a massive stroke has shocked family, friends and fans. The popular star of the Vancouver-shot TV show “Riverdale” and “Beverly Hills 90210” was just 52. The cause of the stroke is unknown.

We tend to think stroke is associated mainly with the elderly. Rock n’ roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, for instance, suffered a minor stroke last week and is expected to make a full recovery. He’s 83. Although stroke is certainly more common among the aged, younger people are not immune from its devastating effects as the tragic case of Luke Perry has demonstrated.

For the elderly, it is most often the result of atherosclerosis, explains Dr. Charles Tai, a neurologist at St. Paul’s Hospital. In younger people, blood vessel injuries​, heart defects, substance use and other less common causes may be the culprit.

Substance use, particularly cocaine and amphetamines, can precipitate a stroke. St. Paul’s, the go-to hospital for Downtown Eastside patients, treats more cases than other area hospitals. According to Dr. Tai, it also sees more endocarditis, an infectious complication of intravenous drug use that can induce stroke.

“We are doing a better job treating hardening of the arteries,” Dr. Tai says, “but strokes related to substance use, especially recently, are more problematic.”

Hypertension the “silent killer” that can increases stroke risk

Poorly managed hypertension, which Dr. Tai called the silent killer, is a major concern for both young and old. Typically, those with high blood pressure feel fine — until they don’t.

Sometimes a stroke can be so subtle the patient may not even be aware of it. Nevertheless, even a minor stroke can be a precursor to a more serious one down the road.

Strokes are categorized as ischemic (caused by a blocked artery) or hemorrhagic (caused by a ruptured blood vessel). About 87 per cent of strokes are ischemic. A mini-stroke, or transient ischemic attack, is a temporary blockage that can last for as little as five minutes but the symptoms are the same as those for a stroke and emergency care is required. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says more than a third of those who have a mini-stroke and do not get treatment will have a major stroke within a year.

The statistics are disturbing: An estimated 50,000 Canadians suffer stroke each year, more than 315,000 are living with its after effects (Stroke is a leading cause of disability), and each year 14,000 die from stroke and stroke-related complications.

St. Paul’s doctor sees improvements in stroke prevention/treatment

But Dr. Tai sees some gains in the prevention and treatment of stroke. “Canadians tend to be healthier,” he says. “There are better medications to treat patients, smoking is increasingly less prevalent and the public is more aware of risk factors. ​Also, there are new therapies for treating acute strokes, if patients arrive early in the emergency room.”

Young or old, it’s important to know the symptoms of stroke.The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada’s FAST mnemonic is the gold-standard acronym to identify and remember the most common symptoms.

F — Face: Facial drooping, usually to one side and hard to move.

A — Arms: Unable to lift one arm.

S — Speech: Speech is slurred or language is strange

T — Time: If any of these symptoms are evident, time is of the essence. Call 911 immediately.

By Robbie Pangilinan - 
Brazilian TV host, singer and actress Daiana Menezes leads the Philippine-based music group 8ONE as they perform at Vestiville in Kristal Park, Lommel, Belgium on June 28 to 30.

The world renowned Vestiville is the premier hip hop and urban music festival in Europe from the same people behind Amsterdam’s Vestival.

“This is our first international show and we are very excited to perform alongside world famous acts such as Cardi B, Migos, ASAP Rocky, Future, Tory Lanez, Lil Baby, Lil Pump and many many more!” beams Daiana, the face of 8ONE that brings international flavor here and to other countries.

The group, composed of rapper, singer and songwriter Tommie King, music producer singer Ryan Klos, and Daiana, only started in January and already have hit singles including “Back To TheCrib,” November,” and “Low”.

8ONE’s first two releases, “Low” and “Back to the Crib” are available on Spotify as well as other streaming platforms. Both songs have also been featured on local radio with “Back To The Crib” landing a #1 debut on the Top 8 at 8 for Wave 89.1 as well as “Low” being played on 89.9 and 99.5 as well as 105.9. “Low” ft. DJ Luane got over 150,000 Spotify streams within a month.

“8ONE songs are all about good vibes and bringing happiness and joy as you listen,” says Tommie King, who does the most writing in the group with everyone collaborating.

8ONE is mixing genres and making their songs suitable for every age group. Because the members are of different nationalities, they hope to unite the listeners as one and end discrimination of what’s cool and what isn’t.

“We look forward to continuing our impressive start,” ends Daiana, an international artist.

"Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself."

When you're one of the henchest stars in Hollywood, your cheat day is going to be pretty epic. Dwayne Johnson chronicled his most recent cheat day on Sunday in a couple of Instagram posts, recording the truly mind-blowing amount of comfort food he consumes ahead of his Monday workout.

In the first pic, Johnson enjoyed a couple of fat bacon cheeseburgers (there was some lettuce barely visible under the mountain of beef) with a generous pouring of his new tequila. "I have a big shoot in the gym tomorrow for my next @projectrock @underarmour collection," he wrote in the caption. "In a crazy science, these cheat meals tonight should actually help my physique come in with a more fuller pump and vascularity for tomorrow’s shoot. Or maybe I’m just looking for more excuses to drink my tequila and eat like shit ?".

In the second photo, his array of sweet treats couldn't be contained to just one plate. "Now subvert all this sugar glory with a great Ken Burns documentary on PROHIBITION and we have ourselves a helluva party," he said. "Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself and enjoy your cheat meals my friends."

All aboard the Sunday cheat meal train, here's a non-exhaustive list of everything The Rock eats on his day off:

Johnson might refer to the "crazy science" of cheat days as reason to indulge, but the truth isn't quite so simple. In fact, the idea that a cheat day can actually help boost your metabolism is a misconception. "Eating more to burn more isn’t quite how things work," nutritionist Chris Mohr previously told Men's Health. "Your metabolism does increase after you eat, but if you binge on 1,000 calories worth of pizza or brownies, your metabolism doesn’t ramp up to burn 1,500 calories to handle what you just consumed."

So unless you're going to be spending as much time in the gym working off your cheat day as The Rock, you might not want to try to replicate his Sunday menu, and enjoy your favorite treats in moderation. "While the single-day binge can be helpful for some people, occasionally indulging in smaller portions of your favorite foods may be more sustainable for the long haul," Mohr says.