Cherry Pie Picache is an advocate for good health, but how about her heart?

June 17 ------ Unbeknown to many, versatile actress Cherry Pie Picache is an advocate of good health. Ever since her bout with COVID-19 during the pandemic, she has always taken care to make healthy choices.

At 55 years old, Picache was obviously looking more fit and was a head-turner in red when she graced the Advocacy Hour of the 55th Annual Convention and Scientific Meeting of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA)-Philippine College of Cardiology (PCC). If Batang Quaipo’s Marites is all pain and misfortune, Picache was all smiles and gregarious during her PHA guesting “as a mother, a woman, an artist, and a fellow Filipino who believes in the importance of taking care of the most important muscle in our body: the heart.

According to the PHA, a group of 2500+ cardiologists from all over the country, heart diseases remain the number one cause of death in the Philippines and even globally. Sadly, many people don’t even know they’re at risk—until it’s too late. That’s why the group has come up with the Advocacy Hour to inform people about heart illness and to encourage preventive and promotive heart care.

Picache said it is never too late to start embracing lifestyle modification at forty- or 50-something which she did through the influence of her son, Nio Tria, who has been an athlete since he was 6 years old. “Nio [now 23] is a student-athlete who’s active in tennis. He trains regularly, eats well, and takes his health seriously. And seeing that kind of discipline from him—at such a young age truly humbled me. I realized, if he can be that committed to his well-being, then I owe it to him, and to myself, to do the same,” she narrated. So little by little, she said, she made better choices by drinking more water instead of reaching for coffee number four and swapping some snacks on the set with fruits and nuts.

And while waiting for her scene, she would do light exercises like stretching backstage. “More than that—I started treating my medical checkups as sacred. Hindi pwedeng isingit lang kung kailan libre. They became part of my routine, just like putting on makeup or reading a script.” Today, the actress is proud of her small victories in her wellness journey: “I get my labs checked regularly. I keep track of my blood pressure, my sugar levels, my cholesterol. I want to know my numbers before they become a problem. And thank God, everything has been within the normal range so far.” And her small, practical tips that make a big difference? “Drink more water. Move more kahit konting lakad lang. Get enough sleep. Manage stress. Say yes to check-ups. And say yes to listening to your doctors.”

Single, ready to mingle?

But if her health is A-okay, how about the status of her heart? Ever since her breakup with actor Edu Manzano in 2023, Picache has been silent about her love life.

Picache said that while she has moved on from their split, her outlook on love has not soured. “Ako po ay 55 ngayon, marunong magluto, marunong maglaba. Napakagaling ko po mag-alaga ng puso,” she said when she was cornered by the media. She said that she is not closer her heart for a new love. In fact, she is ready to fall in love again, when the right time — and man — comes along. In the meantime, she will focus on her son, her career, and her health. “I can say I am blessed. It can be happier to have someone who can take care of your heart and someone to take care of,” she said.

Source: inquirer.net