Stevia, a natural alternative for the rising number of diabetics in PH

Diabetes is noted as the 4th leading cause of death in the Philippines, with an annual increase of 7.8% among Filipinos based on the 2020 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.  

If recent trends on diabetes continue, more and more Filipinos will be afflicted with Diabetes in the coming years.  With a significant number of consumers now shifting to healthier alternatives to cut on sugar, sweeteners from Stevia plant is becoming a popular sugar substitute in the market today. 

Stevia has been touted as a safe and healthy natural alternative sweetener with proven health benefits including diabetes prevention, decreased calorie intake, lower blood sugar levels, among others. Stevia is a natural alternative that can significantly cut sugar in one’s diet.

While it has zero calories, stevia is 200 times sweeter than refined sugar and does not affect blood sugar. It is a popular option for people looking to lose weight and who wants to reduce their sugar intake. Stevia can be used as food enhancers to sweeten beverages, for baking, and for cooking. 

Stevia is an herb that has been grown in tropical climates for centuries. It is a natural sweetener taken from the leaves of a bushy shrub. Currently, it is produced by lots of countries, with China as the number one exporter. Today, stevia is grown and used as food ingredient in many countries around the world. The Philippines is also catching up on the use of this natural sweetener in various food preparations.

In the Philippines, Sweet and Fit Stevia is the first stevia herbal dietary supplement produced in the country that was registered by the Food and Drug Administration.  Produced by Glorious Industrial and Development Corporation (GIDC), Sweet and Fit Stevia has no cholesterol, no calories, no carbohydrates, and zero glycemic index. Sweet and Fit Stevia is grown and harvested locally in the Philippines. 

Stevia was originally utilized for its medicinal purposes such as a treatment for burns and stomach pains, among others. The stevia leaves were also chewed on as a sweet treat. 

One of the most important characteristics of stevia is that it is not readily destroyed or deactivated by heat. This makes it suitable for cooking and a viable alternative to sugar in many applications. Stevia is the best organic-based, all-natural sweetener with properties that could be used to substitute to sugar.

Sugar is used frequently in many of the foods we eat, but it has gotten a bad reputation because of its association with causing diseases such as obesity and diabetes. That is why sugar alternatives, both organic and artificial, have gained popularity with the public’s growing interest in health and fitness.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is recommended that sugar added to food and beverages should be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories. For the average adult, this is equivalent to around 200 calories or 12 teaspoons of table sugar. 

However, the average daily consumption is around 42 teaspoons. For context, regular soft drinks contain approximately 6 to 8 teaspoons of sugar per glass. Once you get a refill, you are close to already consuming the recommended daily amount. Sweet and Fit Stevia has zero calories which means that it helps prevent weight-gain. 

For fitness buffs, Stevia has been used as a sugar substitute in workout drinks. In one of the many versatile applications of stevia, workout drinks help provide a boost of energy to increase athletic performance. Workout drinks also help increase endurance, letting your workout for longer. A healthy lifestyle consists of not just a balanced diet, but also regular exercise. Using stevia in workout drinks helps promote both.

What’s even better is that you can add Stevia to make healthy desserts which are diabetic and keto friendly. This is great for people who have a sweet tooth but can’t indulge because of health restrictions.

For more information on Sweet and Fit Stevia and its health benefits visit, www.sweetandfitstevia.com.

So Clean So Good So Safe at Sogo Hotel

 

In an effort to rebuild public’s trust and attract hotel guests who are worried about hygiene, social distancing, and safety at the top of their concerns, Hotel Sogo pioneered anti-covid technologies based on research, and benchmarking from best practices around the world.

The worldwide pandemic the country is continuously experiencing resulted in millions of lives lost and massive unemployment. The crisis has likewise destroyed the public’s trust whenever their health safety is at stake.

As quarantine policies restricting movements of the population were lifted, majority of the people as well as businesses started to go back to a sense of normalcy, the people’s continuing distrust, affects various businesses, including the hospitality industry.

To regain the public’s trust, at the top of Hotel Sogo’s priority is to reduce touch points and intensify no-contact fixtures. Based on a pre-pandemic research carried out by Hotel Sogo, data shows that guests had a minimum of 59 Touch Points (TPs) during a typical hotel stay. Due to new protocols that include contact-less fixtures, TPs have been reduced by 40.7% with the goal to achieve a reduction of 66.1% with more advanced technology centered on cellphone use.

At the onset of the pandemic on March 202, Sogo was the first hotel to use UVC (254nm) to fight Covid-19. Taking the cue from hospitals abroad, remote-controlled carts have been deployed for room disinfection. Compartments for utensils, key cards and cash were also fitted with UVC LEDs but kept away from personnel since 254 nm UVCs, while great for killing viruses may harm the skin and eyes.

Hotel Sogo also expanded UVC disinfection for its room air conditioning units. All room ACs are fitted with specially manufactured UVC LEDs. Through germicidal irradiation, the UVC light attacks the DNA/DNR of micro-organisms, killing bacteria and viruses, and preventing their spread. As it is turned on with the aircon, room air is always sterilized each time it passes through the unit, ensuring the best possible room air quality for our guests.

FAR UVC disinfection was also extended at elevator lobbies. After extensive research, Sogo has acquired and tested the FAR UVC 222 nm lamps that effectively kill viruses while being harmless to humans. Just recently (2020 Q4) produced commercially, it is quite expensive and is sold by only a few manufacturers abroad. Sogo is the first hotel to install these revolutionary excimer lamps in all its elevator lobbies.

In its lobbies and hallways, ventilation ACR Air Change Rate is doubled. The ACR or the number of times the air is replaced for all general spaces is set at ≥ 4 per hour by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers). Sogo is doubling its current ACRs for intensified inflow of covid-free fresh air to accelerate indoor air replacement.

Automatic thermal scan controlled entry doors were installed in most branches. Guests on their own, get scanned before entry and if within the safe temperature limit, main doors will open automatically without need of any contact. 

Each branch has an Anti-Covid Team that regularly swabs high touch point surfaces that pass through ATP Fluorescence Detectors to verify microbial presence and effectivity of the new protocols. Anti-microbial coatings were applied on furnishings, fixtures & touch points. Widely used in hospitals and mass transports in China, Hong Kong and Japan, these Polymer coatings are formed after spraying millions of nano-capsules with contact killing and anti-adhesion features that lasts for weeks. It effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including H1N1 and Covid. Sogo applies this over all furnishings and touch points.

lasts for weeks. It effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including H1N1 and Covid. Sogo applies this over all furnishings and touch points.

To further sanitize indoor air, Sogo installed air-purifying equipment having several levels of filters: Pre-filter, Activated Carbon, HEPA (H11), with built-in Cold Catalysts, Ion Generators and UVC lights that eliminate allergens and pollutants such as dust, pollen, odor, bacteria, viruses, and even reduces carbon dioxide levels.

Covid sniffer dogs are being utilized for regular covid screening of employees. Patterned after Dubai and Helsinki Airports where sniffer dogs screen passengers and report a > 94% accuracy rate with dogs detecting the virus days before symptoms even start. Sogo has tied up with a leading K9 company, to have specially-trained Covid sniffer dogs regularly screen its personnel for Covid.

To date, Hotel Sogo continues to invest and rely heavily on research proven technologies that alters the spread of Covid19 to assure the safety of its guests. The hotel also continues to accept frontliners and essential workers across all Hotel Sogo branches, and can also accommodate those who prefer a long-term stay for work purposes. 

Hotel Sogo is also ramping up its effort in helping the country’s indigent communities through Sogo Cares, the hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. Continuously, Sogo provides basic necessities, such as food and water to indigent communities. Recently, it donated food packs with linens and towels to some fire victims in Manila; essential needs such as bottled waters, linens, pillows, surgical masks, pillow cases, and mattresses to the Philippine General Hospital with the help of AFP and donated in different community pantries in Bulacan and Quezon City.

For more information about Hotel Sogo, check out https://www.hotelsogo.com

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