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Expertise
Golden moments in life
July 18, 2006 • Manila
Standard Today
If there's one thing a celebrated chef, a consummate fashionista
and an interior designer and spa owner have in common, it
is their passion for refinement.
 Chef
Gene Gonzalez shows this passion in his culinary creations,
fashion stylist Jenni Epperson displays it in her stylish
sartorial selections, and interior designer and socialite
Tessa Prieto Valdes expresses it in her vibrant designs
and ensembles.
What keeps them going and operating at peak performance?
A healthy and active lifestyle which begins with their choice
of coffee in the morning.
"Sometimes it's the little thing we do for ourselves
that spell the difference in the fight against premature aging….drinking
a cup of coffee and feeling good about it as good as it gets,"
says Tessa.
"A typical days starts at noon and I go straight to
church. My afternoon vary from design meetings, job site visits,
shopping with clients, fund-raising activities, Bikram yoga
classes or painting. After that, in the evening, I do belly
dancing or flamengo classes. Most Mondays are for French lessons."
This is why drinking coffee is very important for her."
It gets my senses more alert. Since I am naturally wired,
I just need that extra boost in the morning. Sometimes when
I am in a boring meeting or a headache client, coffee can
keep me interested and focused," she says.
And no other coffee matches her passion for good taste and
active lifestyle like Nescafé Gold, which is rich in
antioxidants.
Antioxidants have proven to help neutralize the body's free
radicals as they attack cell membranes and cause what is collectively
known as oxidative stress, which has been linked to premature
aging and degenerative diseases of the cardiovascular, immune
and nervous systems as well as cancers and cataracts.
For her part, Jenni compares the "fight against evil
pollutants" to shopping, which she claims to do whenever
opportunity presents itself. She says "it's the ultimate
desire" to find pleasurable activities that aren't bad
for you.
Jenni, a fashion stylist whose work has appeared in countless
publications, call herself a "fashionate."
"My passion is fashion - dressing up women (and men)
and helping them feel beautiful and fabulous. I like empowering
my readers by giving them options on where and what to shop
at the best possible value for their dough," she says.
She is an avowed early riser, "so breakfast with my
family is something I look forward to every morning. Afterwards,
its pretty much a Russian roulette. With so many things to
do, I just dart my fingers on my organizer and off I go,"
she narrates.
That's why I can't do without at least a cup of Nescafé
Gold to prepare me for whatever the day has in store,"
she adds. "I take Nescafé Gold once or twice on
a regular day. On long shoots like when I style for television
commercials, I take a cup or two of coffee whenever I yawn.
And when I have to wait on late talents or a model, Nescafé
Gold is the only thing that keeps me walking out from the
shoot.
With his "typical day always charged with energy",
it is no wonder that Chef Gene usually takes two cups of coffee
in a day.
Gene, a recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the
Philippines award for culinary arts, successful restaurateur,
professor and member of the Chaine Des Rotisseurs and the
International Wine and Food Society, insists on quality and
excellence in everything he does.
"I am very passionate about what I cook and what I teach,"
he says.
Which is why, he claims "I like taking Nescafé
Gold while working because it gives me a breather and perks
me up."
Gonzales, whose days start at 10 a.m. and ends at 2 or 3
a.m. the next day, like his coffee to be "complex decadent,
yet mysterious and playful on the taste buds," just like
his cuisine.
And for that, Gene turns to Nescafé Gold, whose production
- from beans to cup, undergoes a strict process. It start
with the selection of only the finest Arabica beans and then
undergoes a special roasting process that only Nescafé
has mastered to perfection. The result is a soluble coffee
with a full taste and rich aroma.
"Why settle for less when life is short?" Gene
shrugs.
Why indeed?
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