salam eid-ul fitr & let’s run!

Today is the last day of fasting for the muslims. Since we have let our internal organs gone for rest for a month, let’s not shock them with a heavy breakfast on eid tomorrow. Take your own sweet time indulging in the home-cooked meals ….. moreover, having breakfast on raya day is always a family affair ….. enjoy the moments.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my muslim friends and readers, a meaningful, fitful, healthful and joyous Eid. Thank you so much to those who have given me the cards, emails, e-cards and sms-es. I am so blessed to have made many new friends since the birth of this weblog . Take a very good care of yourself and each other. Drive safely.

 

 

To those who will be celebrating raya in KL, do come over to my home on Friday or Saturday. Please give me a call first (012-200-2239) as I may be in and out the house. Also, I do hope to see you guys at CA’s  Progressive Outdoor Run, POR no. 1, on the third day of Raya i.e. 12 September 2010 (Sunday). Take it as our raya ‘open-house’ pot-luck gathering Best of all, expect ketupat and rendang as your post-run meal . As mentioned previously, since we are still in the raya mood i.e. we still need to attend open houses etc., expect the run to be about four (4) hrs long only. We should reach KL around 1230hr-1300hr, just in-time to attend any Raya Open Houses.

Please find below the details about CA’s POR no. 1:

Date : 12 September 2010 (Sunday)

Meeting place : Gunung Nuang Park Headquarters’ Carpark. Look out for Corporate Athletes bunting.

Registration (by Park Authority) : 6.30am. Warming-up to start at 6.40am.

Start : 0700hr (with 9.00am turn-back time, no matter where you are). We should be able to reach KEM PACAT in two hours if we run. To those who are brisk-walking, you should reach KEM LOLO within this time.

Finish : 1100hr at Carpark – “raya-in-the-woods” potluck. I may be bringing Morrocan Lamb Harira serve with bread (my trademark dish for every raya)

Distance : 16 km

Also, please take note that this POR is not necessarily for those competing in the race only, but is also opened to those who want to venture into trail-running. However, you need to attest that you are physically fit to take part in trail-running. Do wear proper running attire, and please bring your own HYDRATION PACK/BAG. You ned at least 1.5-2.0L of water. 

 C’mon, let’s celebrate raya in the woods!

 

Subsequent PORs are as follows. Do mark these dates on your calendar.

POR no. 02 – 16 September 2010 (Thursday – Malaysia Day) ~ 25km (please take note that the date has been changed)

POR no. 03 – 25 September 2010 (Saturday) ~ 30km

26 September 2010 (Sunday) – Newton 25km Run

POR no. 04 – 02 October 2010 (Saturday) ~ 35km (sorry folks, can’t afford to taper … hehe)

TNF – 09 October 2010

Note : The running locations will be decided later. We will start with easier trails and slowly progresses into more technical and longer trails.

 

Bukhara in Bento

I love nasi briyani, whether the normal one, the ‘gam’ version or the ‘bukhara’, but to pack them away in plastic bags is a bit too tedious and sloppy to serve. Recently, my dad bought for the entire family boxes of Briyani Bukhara from Syed Restaurant for our iftar. These are perfectly bento-sized briyani, and are kept compact and neat by using paperboards. However, do keep in mind that these briyani bento are made with adult eaters in mind, rather than kids. Anyway, they can be adapted for kids of course by perhaps reducing the quantities.

Of course, their briyani is to-die for. I admit that I am a sucker for good Nasi Briyani. Those long-grained, fluffy and fragrant Basmati rice cooked with loads of herbs and spices. In fact, this Bukhara uses the same basmati rice as the one that I had at Thalappakutu.

 

Well, can you suggest some other good places in Klang Valley to enjoy a really good plate of briyani? Insaf Restaurant? JM Beriyani? Putrajaya Beriyani Gam? Thalapkkatu? Well, probably we can go there for our carbo-loading meal …

nasi padang

Without a doubt, my favourite Indonesian food is Nasi Padang, and I do enjoy this food on my cheat day, or days where I’ve worked out long enough like after a marathon or something. Nasi Padang, just like our regular white rice, normally serves with internal organs (e.g. cow’s liver, brain, chickens’ gizzards) cooked in santan (coconut milk) laden dishes, and of course they are as unhealthy as they come. My favourite dishes are ayam kampung goreng cili (fried free-range chicken with chillies), daging goreng dendeng (very dry fried beef) and tunjang masak lemak (I think these are cows’ tendons cooked in coconut milk and turmeric). Other dishes that are good are daging rendang, ikan keli goreng, ayam masak lemak, ikan masak lemak and gulai kulit sapi. Geez … this is such a sinful list, and practically ‘infused’ with cholesterol.

Recently, when my 600-700pm PT was cancelled last minute, and while waiting for my 830pm PT @ KLCC Park to start, I decided to break fast with a friend at Puti Bungsu Batam Restaurant, a Nasi Padang eatery located along Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, close enough KLCC. Of course the rice was served steamy hot, and that is crucially important as the dishes are normally served at room temperature. Well guys, this is how I enjoyed my Nasi Padang. First, I got myself a thigh drumstick quarter fried chicken with the chillies and drenched my hot steamy rice with lots of gravy from the tunjang masak lemak. Then, I got some pieces of the awesome daging dendeng with more chillies. I scooped up the most tender portion of tunjang and again, spreaded the gravy generously. For veggies, I got some pucuk ubi kayu rebus with sambal belacan and last but not least a dollopful of sambal hijau. (well, I hope you are not reading this while fasting …. …)

 

butterflies all-over

I always love to do murals on wall (probably I should blog about it one day). The last mural that I did was at my nephew’s room. I painted an XXL-sized ‘Cars’ in his room and it took me three days to complete. I wanted to do murals in my munchkin’s room as well. She wanted an underwater theme and I had all the designs ready in mind – turtles, octopuses, colorful fish, corals etc. 

Unfortunately, murals take a very long time to produce, plus it uses a wide variety of bright colors. Sadly, with limited free time now, I have to leave the elaborate idea of murals behind. After much delay and procrastination, last Sunday, I brought munchkin to shop for wall stickers instead, and we did a wall decor project right after. Come and have a look.

Come to think of it, there are several benefits to using these stickers instead of something more permanent like a painted mural:

• They are much cheaper.
• They take only minutes to put up once you figure out where to place them.
• They can be removed just as quickly when your child outgrows them.
• They give your child’s bedroom an instant makeover with a theme they love.
• You don’t have to pay someone big bucks to come into your home and paint.
• You can even cover up small flaws on the walls with a jumbo sticker!

Wall stickers are the easiest and quickest way to transform a room. Come on, share me your wall stories!

Set yourself free this merdeka!

 

Our Independence Day is tomorrow and I am sure most of you have something planned out. I plan to take my munchkin to the 53rd Merdeka Day Celebration and Parade at the Stadium Putra, National Sports Complex, Bukit Jalil.

It is also a good day to set yourself free from any negative mindset that tends to pull you away from reaching your health and fitness goals. Bear in mind that we all have the power to be positive with our actions and our mindset, unfortunately most us use weak and negative language while speaking. How many times have you said I Should when you can say I Could, or how often do you hear someone saying I hope to lose 2 kgs this month when they could be saying I will lose 2 kgs this month.

Realize that you and no one else has the power over your thinking. We all ultimately have the same amount of power, and that is the ability to think and do what we want. It is our choice to do a triathlon, our choice to eat as much as we want, and our choice on how we want to commit to a healthier lifestyle.

A negative mindset will ALWAYS compromise your ability to deal with any situations; be it a fatloss program or completing a marathon. You have the absolute power over your mindset, so don’t let it drag you down.

 

Set yourself free, and Happy Merdeka!

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

 

Info on  Merdeka Day Celebration and Parade 2010

Date : 31st August 2010
Start : 7.30 AM
Location : Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil
Advance Booking : No

This year, the celebration will focus and honour the sacrifices made by the men and women in the security forces. There will be a special 60-minute performance by over 1500 security personnel showcasing the value of patriotism and the spirit of independence.

muscle meals

I’m packing up some muscles now. If you are like me, who regularly lift weights, the minimum amount of daily protein that you need is about 130 grams. Well, here’s what that looks like, spread over your day. Notice that I even have durian as the snack …. heheheh.

Breakfast

3 eggs (21g)

1/2 cup of oats (13g)

Snack

Lowfat yogurt (13g)

Lunch

Chicken Breast (38g)

2 slices of wholemeal bread (8g)

Snack

100g durian (3g)

Dinner

1 cup white rice (4g)

170g beef (42g)

Spinach (3g)

Total Daily Protein = 145g

organising magazines

I travel a lot in my work – long road travels, airport queues and waiting. In fact, I’m traveling to Sabah again next week for a day’s visit – just imagine the time that I have to spend on cabs, ERL, all the airport waitings and while in the air – not just once but twice in a day. Obviously, I like to use these times to get a lot of work done, especially with magazine-reading.  As blogged previously, I peruse magazines for inspiration, ideas and of course, to broaden up my knowledge. I can’t even think a day in my travel where I don’t have any mags with me. Recently, I got the keys to my ‘studio’, and found myself busy converting one of its rooms into a mini-library cum office studio. I want a dining table in there as well because I love big table to do my work, and you bet this is the place where I’ll be entertaining my guests ….. So, let’s call this The Dining Office, shall we?

 

And of course, there are more books in my home. I have  a good collection of non-fictions – mostly on adventure and travelogues. Probably we can swap, yes?

p/s - My all time favs are still Into Thin Air and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. 

Classic Potato Salad

I grew up eating a lot of potatoes in all its permutations – I don’t think I’ve ever come across a potato I didn’t like. Boiled, fried, baked, mashed – I’ve loved every version in its own way. And I don’t think my household has spent a day without potatoes in its pantry – it would feel naked and empty otherwise. My maid cooks potatoes very well too – she did dark-soy chicken with sliced potatoes, the indonesian meat cutlets or ‘begedil’, and even pecal with simple boiled potatoes.

Last few days, right after my PT session with a client at 5pm, I rushed home to prepare for my family a buka puasa dinner (in fact, weekend is the only time that I can cook for the family). My thoughts shifted to potato salad – cold, perfect-for-a-barbecue potato salad. My favorite way to do this salad is to throw everything but the kitchen sink in . True to form, I couldn’t abstain from complementing that with my signature lamb-chops and seafood carbonara (salmon, calamari & prawns) with angel-hair pasta in there for a perfect iftar feast for the family, and I think it was the right call to make.

Well, here’s the recipe for my Classic Potato Salad. Try it, it’s so easy to make. If Ian can cook, so can you … hahhaha.

Ian’s Classic Potato Salad

serves 4

 

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes (do not peel)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• chopped roughly 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard (optional)
• 4 tbsp minced fresh mint
• salt/pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. You want about an inch to two inches of water on top of the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool potatoes to room temperature.

[You can always refrigerate your potatoes and finish them later in the day or the following day.]

When at room temperature (or cold), roughly cut the potatoes. I prefer my potato salad chunky as potatoes get all mashed up during the mixing. Place into a large bowl and combine with the remaining vegetables/eggs. Mix together yogurt, mustard and mint. Mix your dressing into the salad and stir until everything is evenly coated.

 Note : You can prep your salad and dressing a day before and let sit in the refrigerator, combining an hour before serving. Salad is best at room temperature to slightly chilled.

Book Review by Berita Harian

My book ‘Fitness Food Made Simple’ was reviewed by Berita Harian in its Saturday paper over the weekend. The interview, which was done two weeks ago, took place at Coffee Bean in Sunway Pyramid i.e. during my family vacation there. Not only that, I also managed to squeeze in a photo-shooting session for a workout poster during the stay. It was all done in the ‘relaxing’ way and I enjoyed it very much. Now, I wish I could do this for the rest of my life, full time .

The journalist, Fairuz, was very enthusiastic about the book and I thanked him for that. He’s such a professional person to work with, and we had great time sharing stories. I specifically mentioned during the interview that healthy cuisine is all about moderation. Moderation should be in the ingredients, but not in the  flavor.  This book contains recipes of a wide range of dishes to suit a healthy lifestyle whilst satisfying our appetite for great-tasting dishes. Hope you enjoy the article (hey kash, I wore your autism tee!).

 

 

Mudah dan ringkas

Oleh Fairuz Zaidan

Buku masakan berasaskan kecergasan bimbing gaya hidup sihat SESUAI dengan gaya hidup moden yang serba pantas dan ringkas, idea penyediaan makanan juga harus ringkas dan praktikal untuk keperluan seharian.

Namun, apakah bentuk sajian sihat yang boleh dihasilkan dalam tempoh kurang daripada 10 minit? Semua ini tidak mustahil melalui panduan yang diperturunkan buku resipi Fitness Food Made Simple, sekali gus membantu anda menyediakan makanan berkhasiat secara mudah dan ringkas.

Penulis buku ini, Ian Yusof, berkata buku resipi kecergasan itu antara lain menyediakan panduan penyediaan makanan berkhasiat seringkas mungkin serta menekankan aspek kesihatan untuk keseimbangan tubuh badan.

Beliau berkata, adalah penting untuk meneliti kandungan pemakanan yang diambil bagi mengelak kesan jangka panjang pada tubuh badan. Ditambah lagi dengan pelbagai kandungan perisa makanan diragui, adalah lebih baik menyediakan sendiri resipi yang sihat untuk dimakan.

“Tidak semua resipi sukar untuk dibuat kerana pada zaman sekarang ini semuanya harus ringkas dan mudah. Namun, saya cuba mempelbagaikan resipi dengan mempraktikkan elemen kesihatan dalam penyediaan resipi masakan ringkas.

“Inilah yang terkandung dalam buku resipi Fitness Food Made Simple,” katanya kepada XY – Ikon Lelaki. Menyentuh mengenai idea penghasilan buku resipi itu, Ian berkata, beliau sering diminta untuk memberi pelbagai tip pemakanan sepanjang terbabit dalam dunia kecergasan. Dengan pengalaman menyediakan menu berasaskan makanan sihat, sajian berkhasiat menurutnya, amat mudah dihasilkan.

Berbeza dengan buku resipi biasa, resepi yang disyorkan dalam Fitness Food Made Simple seberapa mungkin mengelak pengambilan garam, gula dan serbuk perisa. Sebaliknya, Ian mengolah resipi baru yang lebih praktikal dan berkhasiat dari sudut kesihatan.

“Memanglah kalau berkait rapat dengan kesihatan, semuanya menjadi hambar termasuk makanan. Tetapi, apa yang saya buat ialah mempelbagaikan resipi baru yang boleh dipraktik secara mudah dan yang penting, ia tetap menyelerakan.

“Malah, sesetengah resipi itu cukup mudah dihasilkan dalam tempoh lima minit. Bukankah mudah untuk menyediakan menu sihat andai kita tahu cara yang betul,” katanya yang juga seorang jurutera sivil dan jurulatih kecergasan peribadi sambilan.

Mengulas lanjut mengenai buku resipi Fitness Food Made Simple, Ian berkata, lebih 40 resipi berkhasiat dan ringkas disediakan di mana ia dikategorikan kepada beberapa bahagian seperti menu sajian ala barat, aneka nasi dan sup, minuman, roti serta pencuci mulut.

Kata Ian, tabiat pemakanan tidak seharusnya disekat namun harus arif dalam soal penyediaan makanan untuk memastikan tahap kesihatan dijaga.

“Tidak mahulah nanti pelbagai masalah yang timbul apabila tua kerana tidak menjaga pemakanan. Sebab itu, dalam asyik kita bersenam, harus juga seimbangkan dengan pemakanan yang diambil. Bukan saja kadar gula dan garam pengambilan lemak, sumber berminyak juga harus diambil kira,” katanya.

Tunggu apa lagi, buku masakan Fitness Food Made Simple sesuai dipraktikkan sebagai gaya hidup baru untuk menjaga pemakanan. Harga pasaran buku ini ialah RM69.90 dan boleh didapati esklusif di MPH Mid Valley.

Tiada alasan lagi untuk mengelak daripada memasak sendiri di rumah!

INFO: Petua kesihatan Ramadan

Elak

• Makanan berlemak dan bergoreng.
• Makanan yang mengandungi terlalu banyak gula.
• Makan terlampau banyak terutama pada waktu sahur.

Digalakkan

• Karbohidrat kompleks ketika bersahur kerana ia kekal dalam perut lebih lama dan tidak cepat lapar.
• Pisang ialah sumber yang bagus untuk kalium, magnesium dan karbohidrat.

Minum

• Sebanyak mungkin air atau jus antara berbuka puasa dan tidur supaya badan dapat menukar tahap bendalir dalam masa yang ditetapkan.

Well readers, you can also get an autographed copy from this website by e-mailing me the details of yourself, your mailing address, your contact no. Additional postage fee of RM5.00 will be charged for express delivery within Malaysia. Thx & rgds – Partner, in food & fitness.

 

a ‘bready’ bunch

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods, dating back to the Neolithic era. Bread has a long history for a reason. It is a healthy and nutritious food that fills the stomach as well as the soul. Today, even with the competition of a growing variety of foods, bread remains important to our diet, just like “bread and butter” .

My family is truly the ‘bready’ bunch. We just love breads, especially the fresh ones. Fresh bread is prized for its taste, aroma, quality, appearance and texture. Retaining its freshness is important to keep it appetizing. Recently, we bought many wonderful fresh breads crafted by Chef Jeffry cum baker at The Gourmet Shop @ Sunway.

 

 

In our household, we only buy the wholemeal bread. In fact, our taste-buds are so used to it that we could no longer take the white bread anymore. We just love the texture and the ‘nutty’ flavor that wholemeal bread offers. They are healthier, and less-refined. I guess healthy-eating is always about that – once you get used to it, you will never want to go back to other one. Hmmmm, must try to like brown rice from now on. So guys, how well do you know your bread?

• White bread is made from flour containing only the central core of the grain (endosperm).
• Brown bread is made with endosperm and 10% bran. It can also refer to white bread with added colouring (often caramel colouring) to make it ‘brown’; commonly labeled in U.States as “Wheat” bread (as opposed to “wholewheat” bread.)
• Wholemeal bread contains the whole of the wheat grain (endosperm and bran). It is also referred to as ‘wholegrain’ bread.

I managed to find this Wholewheat Bread recipe from the net (with the healthiest list of ingredients). Will definitely try it one day. Or why don’t you try it and let me know .. hehehe

Ingredients:

2 tsp yeast
7 1/2 C whole wheat flour (divided)
3 C warm water (divided)
2 tsp salt
2 T honey
2 T oil

Directions:

1. Put honey in large bowl, add 1 C. warm water, sprinkle yeast on top, agitate a bit to dissolve. Put in warm place for 10 minutes.
2. Add other 2 C warm water, beat in 3 1/2 C flour.
3. Stir in salt and oil.
4. Add rest of flour 1/2 C or so at a time. When it gets too stiff to mix, turn out on a floured surface and mix in most of the flour by hand, saving some to use while kneading.
5. Cover dough with a damp towel and allow to rest 10 minutes.
   [While you wait, wash and oil the bowl.]
6. Knead dough 20 minutes, using up most or all the remaining flour.
7. Cover with damp towel (the dough, of course …hehhe) and allow to rest 10 minutes.
8. Knead a few times, make ball, and put in oiled bowl. Cover with that damp towel and put in a warm place to rise  ~ abt 1 1/2 hours.
9. Knead gently a few times, return to bowl, cover, put in warm place for 1 hour.
10. Divide dough in half [Each half of mine is usually 1 pound 12 oz - 800 g.]
11. Knead the dough balls a few times, cover with the damp towel and allow to rest 10 minutes.
12. Form loaves (a delightfully ambiguous term) and place in well greased (or Pammed) pans, find that damp towel again, cover, put in a warm place for 1 hour.
13. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
14. Slash tops of loaves [A straight longitudinal line the length of the loaves is OK, but so boring! Be imaginative.]
15. Bake 45-50 minutes.
16. Turn out on a rack to cool.

Have a good weekend!

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