With only a few days coming in before Christmas, we all know how hectic the following weeks would be! I've been planning since September how I would go about organizing my holidays, but somehow, I couldn't get it right down to pat. Well, at least this year. At this point, I should've bought all my holiday gifts but I'm not even close to completing my list! My last resort would be to just buy everything online. The traffic is horrendous and I'm scared to go out only to be stranded because no taxi cabs/Uber would take me due to the holiday rush. 

We all have Christmas get-together's, year-end parties and holiday celebrations to attend. Not to mention work, time with family and loved ones and everything in between to squeeze during the holidays. With all that happening at the same time, you wouldn't want to be caught sick, only to miss out on these celebrations. I was in the hospital last year and it felt terrible knowing that I've been practicing so much for our department presentation, only to end up in the hospital because my body couldn't take all the stress, fatigue and everything else that was going on aka my breakup, LOL. With that, I want to share some tips you guys might find helpful so you can boos your immune system during the holidays!

Have at least 8 hours of sleep. 

I don't know the exact number of hours sleep an adult should have but based on experience, 8 is my magic number. Sleep would be your foundation in making sure you function properly the next day. I also find it unhealthy if one oversleeps as I would get nasty headaches and be more slouchy the whole day if I sleep for more than 12 hours.

Don't skip meals. 

Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. I remember mentioning in my previous post that I collapsed during one of my classes a few weeks ago. When I went to the doctor, I was told it was over fatigue. I was extremely nervous thinking it was something serious because I literally blacked out and couldn't remember anything. While thinking about everything that happened that day, I realized I only took about 3 bites from my lunch and I didn't have anything for dinner. Explains a whole lot. So remember, never skip a meal!

Eat healthy. 

Well, the holidays isn't really the best time to go on a diet. But let's face it, the older we get, the slower our metabolism goes. Wait, or is that just me? Regardless, try to eat healthy. Not because you're on a diet but because you want to take care of your body. I had to realize this the hard way when I couldn't eat anything solid or tasty during my stay at the hospital. Eating healthy doesn't always have to be all greens. You can be creative as you want to be so long as you use the ingredients that's right for you. Also, go slow. Eating healthy isn't a process that happens overnight. Don't be too hard on yourself.

Exercise. 

I know at this point you might be telling yourself, "Ugh, this is a dumb list." Yes, we read about these things all the time but do we actually do them? NO. We've been told to eat healthy, get as much sleep and exercise, but as adults, we have so much going on and our priorities actually change. It takes a whole lot of effort to re-prioritize and shift your perspective. You don't have to do a whole 3-hour boxing session to catch up. As mentioned, go slow. You can start with daily 15-minute exercises, then progress to longer exercises soon as your body gets to adjust. Work with exercises that doesn't bore you or that fits your body type. Customize it and make it as fun as you want it to!

Take your vitamins. 

Most of the time, we think everything we're doing is enough--but really, it isn't. Getting help isn't always a bad thing. That's what your vitamins are for! Helping out your immune system is not a bad thing. Which is exactly what Fern-C does. Fern-C is a sodium ascorbate that helps boost our immune system. It's also a potent anti-oxidant that increases body resistance against infectious diseases. In short, it's your daily dose of Vitamin C. You might say that you actually get Vit C with the food that you eat everyday, but how sure are you? Being extra cautious won't harm you. In contrast with ascorbic acid, which is also another type of Vitamin C, sodium ascorbate also helps in fighting/preventing cancer, helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases and prevents possible cataract. Sodium ascorbate is also non-acidic (perfect for me since I have GERD), and is more soluble than ascorbic acid. It is more reactive compared to ascorbic acid in building connective tissues and anti-body structures which make it more effective in killing viruses and bacteria.

That being said, we always hear that 'Health is Wealth' but always do otherwise. I'm no saint when it comes to this since I'm a heavy drinker and I smoke too. Which is why I'm trying to improve the quality of my life by adhering to this list not just during the holidays, but on the daily. I'm currently doubling my vitamin dosage due to the extra work I have to do before I go on vacation, add to that the numerous events that are simultaneously happening before everyone else also take their holidays. I didn't have this kind of perspective before I was hospitalized. I would abuse my body until it finally gave up. Don't let that happen to you. Don't wait for a moment of realization before you finally decided to make a change. I was lucky the damage to my body last year wasn't excessive, I am lucky. Not everyone is. Make sure you take care of your body before it's too late.

You can follow Fern-C on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to know more! Have a change of lifestyle and make the shift before it's too late. I know I sound preachy but trust me on this one. No one likes getting sick not just during the holidays, but all the time, right?? More so during the holidays when everyone is having fun! Have a stress-free holiday with Fern-C! #FernCSubokNa  #StressFreeChristmas #HealthyHoliday

I'm still not in the blogging mood, huhu. When I was on vacation, everything was so fresh and I wanted to blog right away. Now that I'm back, I can't seem to get Cebu off my mind. I just want to go back and explore the Queen City of the South! I've been spending most of my time looking for seat sales, hehe. I hope I get my mojo back soon. So many stories and photos to share! For now, back to work, haha. I'm backlogged and another holiday is coming up. Have an awesome weekend!

WAAAAAH! I haven't blogged in over a week and I feel guilty! I was supposed to have all this set with queued posts but I was extremely busy a week before taking my vacation hence the absence of posts. Anyhoo, I've been out on vacation for a week and got back to Manila yesterday. This will only be a quick update of my whereabouts, just to let you guys know that I'm still alive! LOL. 

1 | My trip to Cebu finally pushed through! The boyfriend and I were reluctant to go through with it due to the APEC hullabaloo but luckily, we weren't affected! Our flights weren't cancelled and the traffic going back home from NAIA was a breeze! Thank you, universe. 

2 | This is my first out of town trip with this guy! Somehow I can tell, this will be the first of many breathtaking places we'll explore together. He was able to get survive my crazy moments when traveling. And I tell you, I'm extra cranky and bitchy when traveling!

3 | Our boat on the way to the Whaleshark feeding area! The commute from Mactan to Tan-Awan, Oslob was fun! Rode the bus and a habal-habal to get to our destination. 

4 | The main reason we went to Cebu; to watch the gentle giants! This was an out of this world experience. I was really scared to dive at first because I easily forget my swimming skills whenever there's a foreign entity beside me. The whale shark swam right below my feet and I can feel it but the guide told me not move because it will startle the whale shark! More about this on my next post!

5 | This is the view in front of our resort. Amenities and room-wise, this wasn't the best place at the price we agreed upon. But with this view, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

6 | The rest of our Cebu trip in a nutshell, hahaha! After Oslob, we spent most of our time looking for the best places to eat Lechon! The entire trip, I think 80% of the meals we had were Lechon! We even had Lechon at the airport. OMG so good! 

7 | After Cebu, went to Baguio with the boyfriend and his family. It was tiring as we just got back from a wonderful Cebu trip. But I also missed Baguio so much couldn't bear to waste energy sleeping!

8 | The birthday boy and his birthday cake from Vizcos! Took him out on a date after celebrating with his family. Had coffee at Cafe Will. We were supposed to go to La Casa Bianca but they close at 10PM. We finished dinner late because I went batshit crazy at the Outlet store in John Hay, hahaha. 

9 | Concluding one week of vacation with my birthday boy at The Manor in Camp John Hay. Had fun touring my favorite boy in my favorite city! PS You're probably wondering why I'm wearing a sweater and short shorts in cold freaking Baguio?? This used to be my usual get up in college! I find it comfortable until now, haha. 

With all those bullets, still couldn't summarize how happy I am this week. Yes, I may have had a few fights with the boyfriend but nothing a hug couldn't fix. I think taking trips and vacations with your loved one improves your relationsip. They get to see you ta your best...and worst! Glad to have survived this trip despite my apprehensions. I'm recharging for tomorrow's work. I can only imagine the butt load of e-mails I have to go through tomorrow, LOL. Have an awesome Sunday!