Tags: Deesse Diet Fitness Health Kath Buendia Keto Lifestyle KetoLivingPH KetoPescaPH KetoVeganPH KetoVegetarianPH Meal Delivery Plant Based Food Weight Loss wellness
Girl boss Kath Buendia shares her advocacy on health and wellness and her “keto” success.
‘Alpha female’ is a label thrown around casually, sometimes with a few misconceptions associated with it. Contrary to how some would perceive this kind as a self-serving lone wolf, an alpha female, to me, is someone who embraces responsibility and collaboration, believes in all possibilities, and whose energy and influence inspire others to be the best version of themselves.
I consider myself lucky and blessed to know a number of empowered women who I can turn to for inspiration. It truly helps to have these positive influences around to keep me hopeful and motivated to follow through with my plans and dreams—more so during times of fear and drear.
One of the she-roes I’ve been given the privilege of knowing is Kath Buendia, a food and wellness entrepreneur. She owns and manages four brands of keto meal delivery services and has recently launched Dèesse, a wellness and beauty boutique. All her businesses are popular among wellness aficionados and health-conscious consumers, more essentially when the weight and impact of the pandemic took a toll on the general well-being.
Photo: @kathbuendia on Instagram
Personal encounter
There couldn’t have been a better time for me to cross paths with this beauty. I started 2021 feeling fed up with stress and mindless eating after a year in lockdown and decided to change my diet and reboot my system. Kath introduced me to plant-based keto meals, and it was life-changing.
Besides the weight loss and renewed strength and vitality, I value the genuine care and support I received from Kath as I inched my way along a new fitness path. She is one of my chief encouragers—educating me on how I can better nourish my body and stay healthy.
In the course of our conversations, I got to know Kath better as an entrepreneur and realized she is the kind of girl boss anyone would be fortunate to work with. This go-getter has a hand in most facets of her business, including taking multiple creative, admin and customer support roles and personally coaching hundreds of clients on how to achieve optimum results with their meal programs. Throughout challenges and uncertainties, particularly in the last year, she always looked at the silver lining and never wavered.
Photo: @kathbuendia on Instagram
Her “keto” success
“I’ve always wanted to have a business that would help people gain confidence,” Kath shares. “That’s probably why all my ventures are about health, beauty, and wellness. I want people to feel good about themselves. To me, right now, it’s no longer just about the business but helping people and touching their lives.”
In 2017, Kath and her partner launched their first keto meal subscription brand Ketoliving.ph, with the goal of sharing their knowledge and experience to help those who struggle with health and weight issues. They did a lot of comprehensive research and worked with experts and nutritionists to ensure their diet programs will deliver results. They also put focus on taste, variety, and quality and offered different menus inspired by classic and popular dishes from around the world. Soon after, they expanded their meal delivery line to include three more brands that cater to different lifestyles, needs, and preferences.
“Ketovegetarianph is for those who want to transition to plant-based eating but are not ready to give up dairy just yet. It’s really beginner-friendly and easy. Ketovegan.ph is perfect for anyone with lactose intolerance or underlying health issues. It’s the cleanest form of keto, and we have several clients who have successfully reversed diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, etc. This program is also ideal for those who have hit a weight loss plateau.”
“Ketopesca.ph is for seafood lovers and athletes. The meals contain high protein count. I think it’s safe to say that we are one of the first to do this here in the Philippines, and we have been receiving great feedback.”
“We want to make it easy for clients to transition to the ketogenic diet, since most of us have been accustomed to sugar and high-carb food. You don’t have to worry about what to eat because all the meals are already prepared for you and measured according to daily macros requirements.” In addition, all meal subscribers are given access to a community chat where Kath and her partner share tips and guides, as well as answer keto-related questions from grocery items to supplements and best practices.
Thrive and survive
When asked what she finds most fulfilling in advocating healthy keto diet, she says, “It’s really the success stories that move me. It doesn’t matter if you lose just 1lb or 50lbs. I love hearing stories about how our keto programs helped people survive cancer, reverse diabetes, or even get pregnant after years of trying. It’s the lives we have touched that keep us all motivated to continue what we’re doing.”
The food and beverage industry is among the hardest hit by the global crisis, and Kath’s team had their fair share of challenges and triumphs.
Kath taking photos of their menu specials.
“The biggest lesson I picked up from this crisis is we have to learn to adapt. Life can really throw many unexpected challenges our way, so we have to be dynamic. We have to continue innovating to keep up with the times.”
“When the pandemic began, we had to adapt right away to keep business afloat. We didn’t have time to rest. We thought about pausing for a bit, but there was a demand for meal delivery services. Our customers wanted to continue with their meal plans, so we worked doubly hard to sustain operations and production and make everything safe for our team and customers. It was a rollercoaster ride, but I am proud and happy that we surpassed the challenges.”
“Looking back, I’m glad we stuck it out because we were able to help a lot of people. Our staff got to keep their jobs, and we were able to accommodate our clients and help them with their health and fitness journeys.”
Photos courtesy of Kath Buendia.
Follow ketolivingph, ketovegetarianph, ketovegan.ph and ketopesca.ph on Facebook and Instagram to find out more about keto diet and weight loss.
Visit deessenailsdriplash.ph or check out deesse_nailsdriplash on Instagram for information about their wellness services and beauty treatments. Contact 0918 888 8888 to book an appointment.
