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.

 

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.

 

Ramadhan Kareem

 

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the muslims Ramadan Kareem and may peace be upon all of us. Let us use this month of Ramadan for spiritual purification through prayers, fasting and self-sacrifices.

 

 

May HE be with us every step that we take,

May HE guide us with each decision we make,

May HE help us when life gets rough,

May HE lift us when we’ve had enough,

May HE protect us when we fall,

May HE hear us when we call,

May all our doas be accepted,

May all of us always be in HIS loving hands.

 

May this holy month bring us happiness, strengthen our Imaan, erase our sins and purify our hearts. Wishing all of you Ramadan Mubarak and Selamat Berpuasa

from sunrise to sunset

I love the sunrise! I love the sunset! and everything in between – sand, scuba, snorkel, surf and sea. There you go, all the great “S”es. You may noticed that I’ve been blogging eveything about nature lately, all from my recent east-coast trip. Nature, in all its beauty, is one thing that excites me and brings out the WOW factor.

One that morning that I stepped out from my KL-K.Trengganu bus to go to Redang, I was stunned! There was a glow in the outdoor that I had never seen before. It definitely took my breathe away. And my first thought was, “Wow, and this is just from the mainland … it will be even more dramatic if I’m at the island” The colors were vivid. It was bright and full.

I do get excited about nature. I love to walk in parks. I love to sit, swim, run, cycle or just do nothing in the outdoors. It just goes to prove that the simple pleasures in life bring the most joy. And it also reinforces the bold statement of “The God’s Creation”. Maybe that’s why I feel the rush of excitement when I see the many faces of beauty in nature.

 

SUNRISE

 

SAND

 

 

SUNSET

 

 

and we even SNORKLE at night!

Well, we had with us several underwater torchlights, and were lucky enough to spot some shrimps, crabs and groupers. We even spotted a dead lady (and she’s naked) lying on the beach ..

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hahahah … gotcha! Have a good week!

coral bleaching

I’ve blogged in previous posting how beautiful and healthy the corals and marine life are in Redang. Unfortunately, not all dive sites are like that. Some of the sites surrounding Redang are closed down as the coral reefs at these locations have been adversely affected by a phenomenon called coral bleaching. True to its name, it describes the whitening of coral reefs due to increased sea water temperatures. If the water gets warmer, the tiny algae that give color and nutrients to corals, and help build their skeleton, disappear. The coral then turns white. Perhaps unsurprisingly, GLOBAL WARMING  is the culprit.

 

 

passion for diving

 

 

Diving is a wonderful way to get your mind off stressful matters at work. It brings in lots of joys and new experiences that stay with you for the rest of your life. For me, diving has always been a source of inspiration and something to look forward to at the end of a hectic work period.

I started diving with PADI eleven years ago, slowly gaining more confidence. The first lessons of Open Water Diving Course were at the pool with a bunch of beginners like myself. Slowly we learned about breathing and underwater safety. We listened to our instructors and looked up to them and soon were ready to move on and start diving in the wild in those professional wetsuits. Two years after, I took an Advanced Open Water License, giving me access to dive anywhere in the world – deep dives, wreck dives, night dives, drift dives to name afew. My diving certification didn’t end there. I was eager to learn more. In 2006, I was certified as an Emergency First Responder and subsequently, a PADI Rescue Diver.

Diving has given me the quality of pure entertainment and communication with nature on a very deep level. Although diving is still purely a hobby for me, I also have a dream of becoming a Diving Instructor one day – and living a simple life with family in a cabin by the beach ..hehheh. I only have one level to go (Dive Master) before I can even think of taking the Instructorship Course and Exam. I need to log in more dives and gain as much experience before thinking of going professional.

So, are you with me?

Those who are interested to dive, you can opt for either certification by PADI or NAUI. Here are the certification courses offered by PADI.

p/s – I will share some photos from my recent dive trip to Redang Island with my buddies tomorrow. It was  our last round of diving before the monsoon (and fasting) months set in.

organising 101

Last weekend, quite miraculously, I had nothing scheduled to pull me away from home. After a good night sleep, I had a vigorous workout with my new expatriate client in Setia Alam. Feeling energized, I decided to tackle a couple of cleaning and organizing projects in the kitchen pantry . It’s amazing how much stuff one can accumulate. After going through closets and shelves, I got busy and made some labels. I am a big fan of label makers and post-it notes to keep things neat and organized. When those projects were done, I drove into Sri Petaling town to get some more stationery. Believe it or not, days like this are fun for me.

 

p/s – Next project is the home office and the storage area!

dare to dream

 

Like others, I also received my new Balance-Pacesetters 30km certificate by mail few days back. I couldn’t really recall how I fare in that run. To my surprise, it was printed on certificate as 3:03:46. To my standard, that was already a pretty awesome timing … … just imagine if I were to continue running with that pace for another 12km, I would have made a 4:15 marathon, and that will be the day that my dream has finally comes true. (well, not really …. sub-4 is my dream, or probably my nightmare.)

 

 

Have a good weekend!

 

“Man, alone, has the power to transform his thoughts into physical reality; man, alone, can dream and make his dreams come true.” Napoleon Hill 1883-1970

the zigman challenger

I’m very proud to have Corporate Athletes’ very own The Wild Gym’s coordinator cum macambagus teammate; Ahmad Daud bin Abdul Manan @ Cheramiche as one of five Zigman Challengers by Reebok. He will take on the challenge to conquer and be titled The Zigman 2010.

Donning in the coolest zigtech shoes, he trains hard around the parks in Putrajaya to make sure that he is in top shape for the 12.3 km Shape & Men’s Health night run, coming this 31 July 2010.

He is definitely no longer your average weekend warrior. He has tonnes of confidence and self believe, to pull him through the hardest critics, plus a press conference at 6.30pm today. I’m sure that he’ll do superbly well.

If you have not voted for him, why not do it now. Do it HERE. Together with his finishing position in night run, your vote will strengthen his chances to be crowned as The Zigman 2010. Go Che Go!

p/s – You can also watch his cool video and interview here.

 

If I were a Boss ….

If I were a boss, I will make sure that all my employees will sit on exercise balls (besides having a 4-meal breaks). We all know that it is difficult (especially for me lahhh) to sit in the office for 8 hours, why not make it a little easier on ourselves by getting in a little exercise while doing so? Just by switching from a desk chair to an exercise ball, you can get a little workout in.

I recently came across an article which talks about using an exercise ball as your home or office chair. I am using an exercise ball as a chair at my home-office, and I really enjoy it. Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair.

1. Improves spine alignment. Because an exercise ball is not stable, your body needs to try to balance itself on it. Sitting on an exercise ball is an activity that requires co contraction of the inner unit of the core muscles and the spinal muscle groups. Thus, this helps to improve the spinal health, and reduce the back pains.

2. Frequent change of positions. An exercise ball causes to you to change your position often to balance. Because of the instability of the ball, the postural muscles are systemically working to ensure that an upright posture is sustained.

3. Fitness made simple. Another great thing about using this alternative to a chair, is that you can do stretches or mini-workouts whenever you want. You may want to make the effort to get up and promote some circulation to the legs. Perform some squats with the ball against a wall, followed by a back stretch, and abs stretch.

4. Improves balance. This one is very understandable. Sitting on an unstable surface all day will improve your sense of balance, as well as the reactions of your muscles. The result? An overall better balance, that can be observed out of the office. The ball helps to REMIND me to sit up straight.

5. Improves circulation. Using an exercise ball will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body, throughout the day. A desk chair on the other hand, reduces circulation to some parts of the body after prolonged use.

6. Feels more energetic. It has been proven that staying in one position, will make you more tired, while moving around and being active with give you more energy. With an exercise ball as a chair, you will feel much more energized after you finish your work.

7. Burns up calories. I find myself unconsciously rolling back and forth, or side to side, or around in small circles, while I work. This has obviously got to be good for circulation, for alertness, and even a small calorie burn. I read somewhere that it can burn up to about 350 kilocalories per day. You may not burn quite 350, but nonetheless, it will help you stay fit.

8. It’s really cheap. Exercise balls are cheap in comparison to ergonomically designed chairs and are twice as versatile because they double up as a workout bench. I am about 5 feet 4 inches, and the 65cm ball fits me well. Your thighs should be almost parallel with the ground.

9. It’s fun! Who doesn’t like the idea of bouncing around on an exercise ball all day. Exercise balls are an exciting alternative to chairs, and may just give that spark of fun to your day.

10. Fitness mindset. Mentally, I find the fitness ball at my desk help me to cultivate a “fitness-orientation” in my mindset. They all remind me that I am an active man who has worked hard to maintain vibrancy in my life — and that I want to stay that way . Fitness is 90% in the attitude.

 

Whether you spend your desk time at the office, or studying at home for that next exam or watching Biggest Loser Asia on Astro, ball chairs can help you in many ways.

Have you personally had experience with using an exercise ball as a chair?

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