Aging gracefully is no longer an option. There is a revolution going on in the ways we can make 70 the new 50, perhaps even the new 40.

 

Buzzwords like botox, thermilift and liposuction are now part of the dictionary, as commonly used as makeup, lipstick and eyeliner. Still, when your phone’s font size is set on large, there is no denying that age has caught up.

 

Getting older is rife with emotional land mines. The people who deal well with aging don’t think that much about getting older. They are not focusing on what’s not working anymore, but instead on building a stronger core through proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle.

 

“What’s the best part about being older?” I was once asked in an interview. My response took a long time. Obsessed with the positive aspects of aging, I maintain an active lifestyle and balance it with an enjoyable social life. The essence is to relish every single day of my life.

 

The best parts of aging have been all the milestones, especially those with my children. Elder daughter Annika turned 18 this week and we celebrated it with an intimate family gathering.

 

Since her birthday is just around the Chinese New Year, we held a double celebration to welcome in the Year of the Fire Monkey.

 

Feng shui goddess Marites Allen noted that the Illness Star is in the center of the chart, so all signs are affected. Be conscious and keep healthy, and you should be able to counter any negativity from the Star.

 

Food intolerance test

 

Still on the topic of wellness, Melissa Lee of Hi Precision Diagnostics told me about the new Food Intolerance Test the clinic offers. Certain foods could be stopping you from achieving good health. Food intolerance is not usually life-threatening, but it can make the sufferer feel extremely unwell.

 

The symptoms of food intolerance can be delayed for many hours or even days, and for this reason it is often difficult to identify the problem.

 

Anxiety, bloating, asthma, chronic fatigue, constipation and insomnia are just some of the symptoms caused by food intolerance. A simple blood extraction sample is all that’s required.

 

From Feb. 1 to March 31, Hi Precision Diagnostics offers the Food Intolerance Test at a discounted price. Get to the bottom of your food allergies with this test.

 

Nutritional counselors will be sharing pertinent test details in Hi Precision Diagnostics Plus in Alabang, Del Monte and Rockwell during the promo period.

 

Check the promo details at www.hi-precision.com.ph.

 

The future in color

 

Among Annika’s fellow January celebrators were travel buddy Tim Yap, young nephew Carly Laurel and Ironman cousin Amanda Carpo.

 

Tim recently had his futuristic theme party that had many friends come in different versions of the future.

 

Beginning with a futuristic-style entrance into The Palace Pool Club, Tim celebrated all night with a fun, bubbly party at Revel with all groups from his exciting life.

 

Seeing the future in color, I wore an avant-garde creation by Filipino designer Rocky Gathercole. Rocky has been designing for international singers like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry.

 

Joel Cruz’s royal banquet

 

Celebrating another wonderful family milestone is “Lord of Scents” Joel Cruz. He feted the christening of his new set of twins, Prince Harry and Prince Harvey, born last Oct. 23, 2015, with a royal banquet at the Makati Shangri-La after the baptism ceremonies at the Santuario de San Antonio Social Hall in Makati last week.

 

The godparents of Joel’s twins were a long list of personalities—presidential candidates, politicians, business partners, stakeholders in the entertainment industry, the culture and the arts, his family and friends.

 

I noted that Vice President Jojo Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas were godparents, but failed to notice if they sat together.

 

Also on the godparents list were Senators Chiz Escudero, Bongbong Marcos and Alan Peter Cayetano, but again, the seating arrangements escaped me.

 

There were 14 sets of godfathers and godmothers for each twin, which may be the world record for any baptism ceremony!

 

Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez and Fr. Vic Apacible officiated the ceremony, but, really, they could have had a bit more help with the 56 godparents.

 

The formal reception at the Makati Shang Ballroom had a guest list of about 300. The food was superb, with codfish and olive tapenade as main course, and with white wine pairings from France and California.

 

In lieu of gifts for the children, Joel requested all godparents and guests to make a donation to his ancestral church in Sampaloc, the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish.

 

This early, Joel is teaching philanthropy to his children. He also supports other charities including our Red Charity Gala with his generous donation to Makati Red Cross.

 

Part of the challenge of aging gracefully is that you have to continue to find things that are important to you. That includes diverse things such as travel, spiritual pursuits, hobbies, new social groups, and lifelong learning, and can even encompass simple things like recapturing family time.

 

With focus, 50 can be the new 50, but it can be a great 50.

 

Follow @seaprincess888 on Instagram and @tessavaldes on Twitter.