Vyne: Plant-Based Meals

I had a lovely surprise waiting outside my office a few weeks ago from Vyne - a week's worth of plant-based goodness! 

Maca and baobab coconut yogurt - this was an awesome alternative to my usual breakfast (vegan protein powder + powdered peanut butter + banana + unsweetened almond milk). I can't believe coconut yogurt tastes way better than regular yogurt! I had 2 of my non-vegan colleagues try it and they totally agree with me! 

Grilled Corn & Black Rice Bowl

grilled sweet corn, forbidden black rice, lava bean & pumpkin seed hummus

Calories: 510, Protein: 35g, Fat: 13g, Carbs: 78g 

(You can have this cold or microwaved)

Carrot Quinoa Chili 

chili-seasoned carrots, buckwheat, parsnip apple butter, purslane, carrot dressing

Calories: 430, Protein: 9g, Fat: 14g, Carbs: 73g

(heat in oven or microwave)

Beet Falafel Bowl

beet falafel, yellow quinoa, beet greens, grilled eggplant, tahini sauce

(best enjoyed hot!)

Cauliflower Steak with Pineapple Fried Rice

roasted cauliflower steak with spiced pineapple fried rice and nettle chimichuri sauce 

Calories: 590, Protein: 13g, Fat: 48g, Carbs: 81g

 (enjoy HOT!)

Bamboo Rice Bibimbap 

szechuan broccoli, ginger kale, wakame asparagus, bamboo rice, coconut ginger sauce

Calories: 370, Protein: 11g, Fat: 18g, Carbs: 37g

(enjoy HOT!)

Your food should be this colorful! :) 

My non-vegan colleague Mark and I had two of each for lunch and decided that our favorites were the Bamboo Rice Bibimbap and Beet Falafel Bowl. I also had the Cauliflower Steak for dinner and I loved it!!! Let's not forget the Coconut Yogurt I had for breakfast- everyone should try it!!! 

So excited to share this new service to fellow New Yorkers! Vyne serves chef-crafted, plant-based meals through a delivery service to do the tedious meal prepping involved in healthy eating for you. This is perfect for those of you wanting to kickstart the new year by eating clean! They offer a variety of delicious plant-based meals catered to your dietary needs. I've been on a plant-based diet for months to combat my PCOS (more on that on another post-it's worked wonders for my symptoms!) so I was so happy when they reached out to me to have me try and share their delivery service to you guys. You can have breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks delivered together or separately (I opted for 1 breakfast and 6 lunches) so it's quick and healthy without sacrificing taste!

Vyne's culinary team is committed to creating enjoyment in healthy living with unique, tasty dishes. Plants don't have to mean protein-less. Vyne creates ever-changing menus to help you power through the day. They delivered to my office in NYC but they can also deliver your meals to your home or favorite fitness studio in the city! 

I truly loved their meals and the only comment I have is that I wish they gave more sauce for each meal. Other than that I would totally consider ordering weekly lunches from Vyne so I don't have to think about my office lunches every day. It's a lot cheaper than ordering for delivery- breakfast is $8.95, mains are $12.95 and snacks $5.95. I used to have a lunch budget of $16 so Vyne's prices just make a lot of sense to me. 

Vegan/plant-based or not, give them a try! You can order a la carte or create a meal plan.

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Cebu weekend

the beauty of symmetry 

Okay, not from the hotel but it's too good not to post- Squid Ink Risotto with Oysters & Prawns from the Tinder Box

We celebrated mum's birthday dinner at Ibiza. 

I spent Sunday morning swimming and trying to transform myself into a lobster

4 hours under the sun and no sunburn - all thanks to Nivea's Protect & Refresh Invisible Cooling Mist (SPF 50). 

Sometimes I forget about the loot brands send me, but I just had to bring these to Cebu since I discovered mum swears by the Revitalift Laser X3 products... Also been loving the EverPure sulfate-free color care system, fall repair shampoo & conditioner ever since I dyed my hair black (thankfully these new formulas don't have those cancerous ingredients)! I have yet to try the 3-in-1 Extraordinary Oil (orange bottle)- it's a blend of 6 precious flower extracts and smells amazing. It can be used before shampooing (as a hair mask), before straightening or as a finishing touch! I'm a bit late but THANK YOU, L'ORÉAL! I have the simplest beauty regimen but lately I've been trying out these really cool products with better and safer ingredients. 

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Really happy and thankful that I was able to fly to Cebu last weekend! Mum chose to celebrate there instead of Manila for a change and our little family was complete. We decided to stay at the Mövenpick Hotel since we've never been and the white interiors really drew me in (as usual). Was a bit hesitant to fly in because of the aftershocks, but I really needed the sun and sand again. Experienced 2 earthquakes during my stay--nothing too scary but it's not the same for everyone. Got to see some of the damages caused by the first earthquake (magnitude 7.2) last Tuesday and it was just so eerie. Praying for Cebu and Bohol, two of the most beautiful cities in the country. 

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sleep in style

Today, personal style, comfort and functionality come hand in hand in almost all aspects of daily life. It has become second nature to us to consider plating when it comes to eating good food; lighting and design when choosing a home; or comfort and movement when trying on that little black dress. We know how to choose quality without sacrificing style.

The same attitude should be applied when it comes to rest and relaxation, which has become a luxury amidst our busy lives. Magniflex, an Italian company dedicated to producing the best in quality, non-deformable, and highly breathable ergonomic mattresses, has made it easy for our discriminating tastes to choose the right tools to achieve the most restful sleep we most definitely deserve.

Last Sept. 19, I was invited to a slumber [dinner] party at Home Studio to view and try out the different Magniflex mattresses. 

SLEEP IN STYLE 

Magniflex mattresses and pillows offer optimum comfort with luxurious panache

Renowned for their use of only the finest, all-natural materials and for their precision in following your body’s natural contours (resulting in better slumber), Magniflex mattresses are not only beneficial to maintaining one’s posture and overall well-being, they are also aesthetically pleasing. Magniflex mattresses are customizable and can be cut to measure, to conform to your height for optimum comfort—and still fit your vintage bed frame. The mattresses also come with their own mattress covers, made with 100% natural fibers such as Wood, Bamboo, Gold, Silver, Maize, Botany Wool and Cotton, making the fabrics hypo- allergenic, breathable, beneficial to one’s health, and eco-compatible (the extraction of the fibers and its manufacturing is not harmful to the environment). The covers, which come in various stylish embroidered fabrics, are anti-bacterial and treated with special extracts such as lavender, aloe vera, and soy to promote better relaxation.

Magniflex also uses technical fabrics such as Outlast, made with the material used in spacesuits (which absorbs excess heat and releases it). Other fabrics are Coolmax and Micro-perforated 3D fabric, which help regulate body humidity and keep the body dry and fresh while sleeping. All Magniflex mattresses and covers have the Oeko Tex guarantee which ensures that a product is made with high quality products safe for both man and the environment.

Magniflex uses memofoam technology in all its materials (Memofoam Magnifoam, Geolatex, Eliosoft, Eliofoam, Latex and Spring), which conforms to your body’s contours and shape. Every mattress is made with either the 3-zone ergonomic structure in mind (which supports body weight in three fundamental areas: shoulders, body and legs) or the 7-zone ergonomic structure for differentiated support of the head, shoulders, trunk, waist, legs, knees, and ankles.

The memofoam technology helps in achieving proper sleeping habits, essential to give the immune system a boost, giving you more protection from common illnesses such as colds. It also regenerates the muscles, bodily systems, maintains metabolism (decreasing the possibilities of gaining weight) and generally favors bio-rhythms, which simply makes you feel better about yourself. Besides keeping eye bags at bay, proper sleeping habits also help lower stress, improve memory, spur creativity, and sharpen decision-making.


With the help of their mattress specialist, I was able to take the test to see which one was right for me. You can also take the test on their website (click on the How do you Sleep? button). My info and sleeping habits all pointed to the Duoform XM being the ideal mattress for me: 


I tried to lie down for a good 5 minutes and I seriously did not want to get off of it. Not posting my embarrassing photo here, sorry! ;)  All their mattresses are great since they repel dust mites, which I'm highly allergic to. 

I was also really interested with their new GEOETHIC line- a range of eco-friendly mattresses and pillows which are both ethical and fully aware of psycho-physical wellbeing. 

The Magniflex showroom is located on the 2nd floor of Home Studio, which is also a great place for your interior design needs. Mr. Grant Lim (owner of Homestudio, Inc.) gave us a tour of the new building & briefed us before dinner. 

I loooove tiles. I love design projects with bigger budgets since you can choose to use imported ones! 

Dinner was catered by Torch (which was just beside Home Studio)

They also prepared a lovely desserts table by Sophie's Mom for us!

If you're looking for a better mattress for your most restful sleep, I highly suggest paying a visit to Home Studio so you can also try out their different beds. They're so luxurious! Once you find the right one you will definitely feel that you're getting what you've paid for. Your body will thank you for it!

Magniflex is available at Homestudio, 63 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan. 
Tel. nos. (02) 7219832, (02) 7269414

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