Getting more into Vegetables: Bitter Gourd

Still on my quest for a healthy lifestyle, I am now trying to get myself more on vegetables. In focus: Bitter gourd! Also known as bitter melon or bitter squash, this vegetable is known by other names locally.It is widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, but with an extremely bitter taste. That explains the reason why I did not like it when my mom served bitter gourd when I was a kid.

Now that I need to have more vegetable on my diet, then bitter gourd is one of the vegetables that I should start eating again. Bitter gourd pods can be easily bought from Asian shops selling fresh produce. Some local fruit shops also sell them. I also found out that most Asian shops are also selling bitter gourd teas in either powder or tea bag choices. Bitter gourd has a few health benefits including lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels so that explains that it is also sold as a health supplement.

On with my bitter gourd adventure, I prepared sauteed bitter gourd with onions, tomatoes and eggs. I am still within my 6 eggs a week limit so I am alright. Surprisingly, I enjoyed my vegetable dish of the day! I was tempted to cook rice but resisted the urge or else I would have ended with more than one cup of rice.

Some tips in cooking bitter gourd:

1. After slicing the bitter gourd pod and removing the seeds with a spoon, wash the bitter gourd and sprinkle generous amount of salt. Let is stay for a few minutes before washing and slicing it. This will help in cutting the bitter taste.

2. Make sure that your pan is really hot and allow the vegetable to cook for some time, approximately 10 minutes or until it is a bit translucent and soft. Bitter gourd is quite dense so it is not a good idea for a quick stir fry.

3. Make sure you have the right amount of oil to coat the bitter gourd. Just enough to coat it. Add a little bit more while cooking when it the bitter gourd seems to dry out. I sometimes add just a little bit of water to help it cook more.

Bitter gourd as with other vegetables should be taken in moderation. I think this goes the same for almost everything in life. I think variety and balance is the key. I have been having sweet juices from fruit and vegetable juices so I need a bitter balance with the bitter gourd. I still have two months to go before I see my doctor so my adventure still continues.

Getting into Juicing

Just came from my doctor yesterday to see my blood test results. I was told months ago that I had to lower my cholesterol levels if not, he will have put me on medication. Yes, my cholesterol levels went down but not to the to required range. I asked my doctor to give me another chance to lower it down naturally before he puts me on medication. Now I am on a mission of changing my diet and making a healthy lifestyle change.

First effort: Juicing!

A mixture of kale, carrots, apple, orange, celery and lemon juice I make for the whole family.

I have been juicing for like a good three (3) weeks. By juicing, I mean just using the juice as a supplement while I try to monitor my diet as well. Juice fasting has become a craze but I think it is not for me. The juice as a supplement to my daily diet has given me little wonders to my well being. Few benefits of juicing includes helping us absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables and fruits.  It allows us to consume more vegetable and fruits easier.

I noticed that I feel more energetic since I started juicing. I also noticed that it also improved my appetite though I really try to be mindful of the food I take. A few tips on juicing:

1. Make sure that you clean the vegetables and fruits very well. 
2. Always try to make 80/20 percent of vegetable and fruit ratio.
3. Clean your juicer or blender after each use.
4. Drink the juice immediately but if you want to drink it later, store it in an airtight container and fill it to the brim. Add lemon or lime to help prevent the juice from oxidizing.
5. Be creative in using the juice pulp. There are lots of ideas in using the pulp. I have tried it using it to make vegetable patties. It is a healthy snack option.

As I continue on this mission towards a healthy lifestyle, I know that it will not be easy. I am taking it one day at a time. One step at a time. After two months,a good blood test results will be my ultimate reward.

El Nido Miniloc Island Resort (Part 2)

Breathtaking is simply understatement to describe the spectacular beauty and adventure that El Nido Miniloc Island Resort brings. The boat trip towards the island allowed us to appreciate the beauty of this part of the Philippines. Philippines as archipelago consists of thousands of islands and Palawan offers a good view of several of these wonderful land forms. You can make your imagination go wild with the different shapes and forms these islands take. What is more notable though are the efforts of people in Palawan to preserve this natural beauty and at the same time provide locals means of livelihood through tourism.

 Off we went to our boat transfer.

So glad to have the sun after days of clouds and intermittent rains. A tropical depression was just sitting near the country for several days and we were just happy that the sun was out to welcome our El Nido, Palawan adventure.

Majestic rock formations and inviting waters.

 The view of El Nido Miniloc Island Resort water cottages from the pier.

The welcome crew preparing for our arrival.

 Resort crew singing a local song to welcome us. Think about creative hospitality!

 Refreshing lemongrass and ginger cold drink. Sorry, we finished the peanuts and cashew nuts. Maybe it was just the excitement of finally arriving at the resort.

 The buffet! Since we arrived early, breakfast was still served. Buffet meals are served all the time and is included in the package. No need to worry about what to eat and there is a wide selection of food to choose from all the time.

Breads all you want.

 Now I am seeing this for real. A few months ago I was just looking at a similar picture through my computer. Now I am seeing, smelling, tasting,hearing and feeling it! Dreams do come true.

 The view of the lounge huts from our room.

 The view of the restaurant from our room.

 Welcome freebies!

 The vacation planner. A activity coordinator was assigned to us to discuss the activities we would like to do.It includes recommended activities, dining options for the different islands most of which are also owned by the resort. All activities include all swimming, safety and boat gears. That's worry free island hopping! We wanted to maximize our day so we went straight to our island hopping adventures in the afternoon. Our activity coordinator arrange for our trip to the Big and Small Lagoons. Our activity guide was very helpful and very passionate about what he was doing. An afternoon filled with fun and awe really capped our day!

 Going towards the Big Lagoon.

 At the Big Lagoon Entrance.

Near the Small Lagoon entrance. 

 Getting ready to kayak towards the Small Lagoon.

 Fellow guests wrapping up their kayak from the Small Lagoon.

Posing at the Small Lagoon Entrance.

This was just Day 1 of our adventure and we had tons of fun and felt so refreshed already. Nature indeed has a way of recharging our tired minds and bodies. If there was one thing I learned during that day was the realization that nature has its own rules, its own course. We just learn to appreciate it and go with its flow. With little resistance, things will just fall into place.

El Nido Miniloc Island Resort (Part 1)

The journey towards El Nido Miniloc Island Resort

Palawan is located on the western part of the Philippines. Known as “The Last Ecological Frontier of the Philippines” because of its stunning landscapes and rich bio-diversity, Palawan consists of the 1,780 islands out of the total 7,107 islands of Philippines. Think about island hopping. Big time!

While watching the last scenes of the recent installment of the movie “The Bourne Legacy”, I was in awe of the stunning scenery. That for me was a picture of a good holiday!  My guess was right, that part was shot in El Nido, Palawan. That made us even more excited to our holiday in El Nido Miniloc Island Resort. We made our booking online through the El Nido group of resorts website and a representative from Manila was quite prompt in addressing our queries.  It would be good to do some research through online bookings and do some comparisons.

We traveled to El Nido via ITI ISLAND TRANSVOYAGER, INC. (ITI) is the only airline that offers direct flight from Manila to El Nido, Palawan and vice versa. The airfare includes refreshments while waiting for your departure and upon arrival at El Nido. The passenger seat arrangement at the departure lounge area was very organized and personalized. Talk about customer service at its best. Arrival at the LIO airport was also twice as fun. We were greeted by singing locals and another round of refreshments. The boat transfers to our respective resorts marked the start of our journey to paradise.

 El Nido Resorts Waiting Lounge at the ITI Hangar

 Assigned Seats

Refreshments before the flight

 The Philippine Buffalo was ready to welcome us too.

 A taste of more stunning scenery to come.

Our short ride towards the jetty.

LIO Airport

 The jetty at LIO airport

So off we went to our little paradise for few days. The experience was amazing and we savored every moment of it. Will be posting more of our El Nido adventures soon.

Experiencing Lakes Entrance

Life has been quite challenging in the past years that I have not been able to update my blog. It is only until early this year that my husband and I were able to make a long trip to one of Victoria’s popular destination. Lakes Entrance! 

Lakes Entrance has been a popular Gippsland holiday spot for more than 100 years. It is a tourist resort and a fishing port.  Lakes Entrance is situated near a channel connecting the Gippsland Lakes to the Bass Strait in eastern Victoria, Australia. I traveled with my husband recently and stayed for two days and one night. It was not enough for us to really enjoy the beauty of Lakes Entrance but it was enough for us who just wanted a quick weekend getaway.

Travelling to Lakes Entrance

Lakes Entrance is only 3.5 hours from Melbourne, making it an easy weekend getaway. We travelled by car so we took route A1 using the Princess Highway as the major road. You can also travel by train using the Bairnsdale station. Lakes Entrance can also be reached by bus using bus routes servicing the area. Refer to Lakes Transit, Dysons Bairnsdale and Vline for timetables and maps. 

The route towards Lakes Entrance

Accommodations at Lakes Entrance

Lakes Entrance Accommodation consists of Holiday Houses, Apartments, Penthouses, Cabins or Cottages. Along the esplanade, there is an array of accommodations you can choose from according to your budget and preference. There are lots of options and there are several websites you can refer for choices. Lakes Entrance Accommodation,  Visit Melbourne and Parks Victoria are good places to start. We stayed in one of the quieter part fronting the esplanade. We just had the basics and a free breakfast. 

One of the several accommodations along the Esplanade

Exploring Lakes Entrance

Water abounds in Lakes Entrance so make sure to get your gears ready. Here is a list of activities you can do while on Lakes Entrance. Of course this list continues depending on how adventurous you can be.

1. Engage in water-based activities. If you are a great swimmer or a good surfer, then the surf beach is the place for you. They even have place where the teach adults and kids to surfs within hours. 
2. Relax and enjoy the seaside charm. If you are not the swimming type,then renting the water boats will be a good idea. However, if this is not for you, then just sitting by the beach and enjoying the sights will surely bring your imagination miles away.
3. Take the eco-cruise and enjoy the scenery of the lakes and amazing wildlife. If you want to enjoy the vast waterways and enjoy the sight of abundant wildlife, then taking the Eco Cruise is a sure hit. Lonsdale Eco Cruise even offers freshly baked scones while on the cruise. Make sure to make your bookings as they make only one trip a day.
4.  Enjoy fresh and mouth wateringseafood. More than a tourist destination, Lakes Entrance is a fishing port. Traveling to Lakes Entrance will never be complete without feasting on their fresh seafood.Several restaurants offer wide selection of seafoods. Of course, nothing beats the trusted fish and chips.

Kids enjoying team games by the surf beach

Enjoying the sun and the sand! :-)

My husband posing with the watch tower in the background.

Kiosk for booking the Eco-cruise

The Entrance where the lakes meet the ocean

One of the lovely sights during the Eco-cruise

The big fishing boats

We really had a great time in Lakes Entrance and we already went back. During the second trip, we had a bit of time and we explored the neighboring towns of Nungurner, Metung, Buchan and Bruthen. Hopefully I will be able to post new blogs of these gorgeous places soon.