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

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.

’supplement’ yourself well

Today we live in a busy, stressful world – we eat on the run, breathe in polluted air, drink chlorinated water and come in contact with various chemicals. All these deplete our bodies of many essential nutrients. We need to stay at an optimum level of health and fitness. If we are healthy with plenty of energy, we sleep well, live in unpolluted, natural environment, eat a variety of fresh food and have good digestion, we probably need little supplements. Sadly, I don’t, and my life, like yours, are very hectic.

There is probably a lot about health supplements that you have yet discovered. Even myself has used dozens of brand. I can bet that choosing a nutritional health supplement is a decision that we take for granted. What I used to do before, was to walk into a pharmacy or a drugstore and pick up a bottle that says “multivitamin.” It is worth noting that all mutivits are not created equal. The source from where the minerals and vitamins being extracted are different.  Now, in making sure that I get the best quality supplements, I make sure that they are all organically sourced. Why do you need Beta-Carotene from carrots that are grown with full of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

These are some of the stuffs that I’m taking during this fasting month (in fact, I’ve been taking it since a year ago), and they are performing very well indeed. It provides me with the energy throughout the day. I am even enjoying energy levels that allow me to train clients 2-3 hours at a time, while fasting. Alhamdullilah.

Choosing a good health supplement should be an informed and wise decision. Make sure to continue that commitment to yourself by doing a little ’homework’ and making sure that you choose a good quality supplement.

If you need to get more information on the stuffs that I am taking, please call my certified wellness planner, Syuk, at 012-209-7132. He will share with you tonnes of really good infos. Just tell him that you are a Corporate Athlete, and you’ll be treated like a Drama King and Queen .

According to research, one-third of all cancer cases are due to genetic factors, the other two-thirds to environmental factors of which the majority are linked to diet. Nutritional health supplements are undoubtedly most needed today more than ever. Go and get yourself a good quality one!

 

 

Therapeutic Ocean

Corporate Athletes is now promoting the health benefits of feeding fish through its concept called Therapeutic Oceans…hheheh …memandaiii jer.

Really, do you think that fish feeding (and island life) have therapeutic effects on people, such as relieving stress and subsequently lowers blood pressure? In fact, some medical doctors have begun to voice their opinions about the benefits of fish feeding especially in those that have a personal koi-fish pond in their home. They have gained these opinions by witnessing improvements in such medical conditions as high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and some heart conditions in patients known to have their own personal Koi pond. Doctors have even found that many stroke and heart attack sufferers recover sooner when they have an area they can access frequently for relaxation, such as with a Koi pond. In fact, many of these Koi pond owners share that they feel “rejuvenated” after feeding the fish and spending quiet time near their Koi pond.

From my recent trip to Redang, I took the time to feed many wonderful and colorful fish of the house-reef near the water’s edge. It definitely provides a visually and mentally soothing effect. Come and have a look!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 So guys, go the islands and enjoy the Therapeutic Ocean!

Have a good weekend, folks.

mommy, the real thing please!

Bottle feeding has become the social norm. Many women choose not to breastfeed because they say it hurts, their baby is not eating enough or it is just too much work. While formula feeding seems to be easier, faster and more flexible, wifey is a real serious ‘advocate’ for breast-feeding. She truly believes in breastfeeding, and will do whatever it takes to make sure that our children are fully breast-fed. Unfortunately, when baby Aaryan was born last week, it wasn’t a smooth-sailing for wifey - she witnessed very little supply, minor pains and lumps in her breast. But after a visit to the doctor, some massages and warm-towel, she could now breastfeed our baby Aaryan exclusively. Alhamdullilah.

My eldest Ariana was breastfed until she turned three, and we realized that she does not easily fall sick, or even when she does, it takes barely a day for her to recover. Her body is also very heavy, despite having a small frame.

Breastmilk is the best! – not only because it is healthier for the baby but also because it has benefits for the mother as well. Studies have shown that nursing mothers enjoy a reduced risk for both breast and ovarian cancer, also osteoporosis.

Breastmilk contains over four-hundred nutrients that cannot be recreated in a laboratory. These nutrients are essential to the healthy production and growth of babies. In fact, God has created in such a way that the caloric density, protein, carbohydrates, and fat in breastmilk changes with the growth of the baby in order to meet the nutritional needs of the baby. Mashallah. Breastmilk is also uncontaminated by bacteria and is easier for the infant’s stomach to digest.

It has been said that infants who have been breast fed for at least eight months have reduced risks for childhood cancers, diarrheal diseases, respiratory illness, ear infections, bacterial infections, diabetes, infant botulism, ulceratius colitis, obesity, SIDS and cavities.

When breastfeeding it is important to know the followings;

• the infant should not be fed with any other fluids other than breastmilk, not even water.
• no pacifiers (or other liquids) for at least 3 weeks, or until the baby has a good handle on breastfeeding. Other fluids, objects like pacifiers, and even just one bottle of formula can lead to the “distraction” of the infant from breastfeeding, making it harder for the mother and the infant to breastfeed.
• newborns should be fed every three hours
• the size, shape, color, placement of breast does not influence the ability of the breast to create the appropriate amount of breastmilk for the infant’s stomach

I am right now an expert in recognizing the baby’s early hunger cues  . Here are some helpful breastfeeding tips:

Early Signs of Hunger:

• soft sounds calling to mother
• rooting
• sucking on hands or lip
• hand to mouth
• head bobbing

Later Signs of Hunger:

• Legs moving in bicycle motion
• Tense with clenched fists

Very Late Signs of Hunger:

• Crying

 

So, if you are able to (other than medical reasons), PLEASE breastfeed! It is better for you and your baby!

Another community service reminder by Corporate Athletes ….

Decide. Commit. Succeed.

Since the inception of Corporate Athletes, it always carry the tagline “DECIDE. COMMIT. SUCCEED.”

I strongly believe that the decision and commitment to become fit and healthy, needs to come within oneself. It’s not the trainer’s duty to force you to decide and commit to their programs. The success of a given training program can only be achieved once the client themselves decide to take up the challenge, and commit to it.

While it is so much easier to say than done, there are small percentages of my clients who just barely have the right commitment level to ensure success in their training program. As a trainer, I never push or force people to join the program although there are times where I just want them to do it for the betterment of their physical and mental well-being. Forcing by a second party will never work in fitness training, unless it is the money that the trainer is looking for. Corporate Athletes is all about lifestyle.

To make it beneficial and successful, it only works if the person has made the decision to become active and healthy by himself/herself and self-commit to it.Here are some tips on starting out and committing to a fitness routine:

• Set aside affixed time daily for your exercise e.g. lunchtime, before work, after work etc. I do my gym and fitness routine before work or during lunch breaks at least thrice a week.
• Link your exercise sessions to your daily activities e.g. jog before dinner, gym before heading home etc. This will make exercise a regular activity to you.
• Get an exercise partner and stick to a mutually agreed exercise schedule. Whoever fails to turn up for an exercise session buys lunch   As for me, I do have friends that share same passion for outdoor sports where we regularly organise our own training sessions. Look out for our upcoming Progressive Outdoor Runs (POR), scheduled to commence on the third day of Raya.
• Make exercise convenient e.g. use office gym, go to the park near your home, use stairs instead of elevator etc.
• ‘Spice’ up your exercise program. Exercise can be anything from swimming, dancing, mopping floors, climbing the stairs etc. and not just weights and running.
• If you miss an exercise session, make up for it – you owe yourself a session and needs to be paid back.
• Sign-up for charity walks or runs. Obviously, if you are in the Klang Valley, there are many organised runs; be it a 10k, 21k and Full Marathons.

As a trainer, I can give you the best of my experience, knowledge and encouragement but in the end, it is you, my client, who must decide and commit to living the life that I know is possible for you. I am living an active and healthy life. Are you?

There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.

bad grilling!

Nutritionist Cheryl Forberg reminds us to avoid overcooking. Cooking meats at high temperatures causes formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), she says, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). HCAs are formed in muscle meats at high temperatures. PAHs result from fat dripping onto hot coals during grilling or barbecuing, which creates smoke that then collects on the meat. Both of these chemicals are suspected to be carcinogenic in humans.

So, guys, these are the ways to avoid them;

• Stick with cooking methods that don’t char your food. Roasting or baking can add a layer of rich flavor without charring.
• When you do use a grill, drain and blot away any excess oil if marinating the meat. Place your food on foil to prevent fat from dripping on the coals
• When eating grilled food, cut off any portion of food that gets blackened.

I share many recipes in my Fitness Food Made Simple book where no grillings are needed. Try out the delicious Baked Salmon Teriyaki, Honey Lemon Roast Chicken or Baked Cornflakes Chicken strips. They are equally delicious!

Send me an email to get a copy today!

school nutrition

 

I visited munchkin’s future school last week to re-confirm her place for Year 1. Located near a clean and good neighborhood, I’m happy that there’s sufficient security for the school. After a meeting with the headmistress, wifey and I decided to check out the canteen. In fact, munchkin’s fitness-chefy father wanted to see what the canteen was offering to the school-kids. To his disbelief, he saw these …  

 

This is serious, people. Let us put meals cooked from fresh-food back into the school canteen. We need to replace the processed school food with meals that are not only cooked from fresh ingredients, but also the one that meets the nutrition standards, and looks appealling to the kids.

We need to teach our kids to spend money for better quality of  food. If RM1 per child is spent on the processed food in a school lunch and another RM1 for the iced Milo which is filled with more sugar than the malt itself, better let them buy a RM2.00 fried rice with bottled water from home. Better still, if they can pack or tapao food and drinks from home. Munchkin is having that even at her pre-school now.

No one is looking at the actual meal on the plate of these school children. School meal standards need to restrict processed foods and make freshly cooked meals the backbones of the service. Easier say than done huh? But hey, it has to start somewhere. We just need to educate ourselves, our children, our Government and our school system.

These are some food suggestion for the school canteen;

• Congee or Chicken Porridge,
• Fried Rice with real vegetables, egg and meat (oil should not be recycled and need to use it sparingly … believe me, if you know how to cook fried rice, you actually need a very little oil) 
• Tauhu Sumbat
• Freshly-made popiahs
• Laksa
• Fried Beehoon with lots of vegetables
• Plain Rice with healthy spread of dishes
• Mushroom soups etc
• Sticks of cut fruits
• Chicken soup serve with bread
• sandwiches 

These are cheap food e.g. only if you know how to select the right ingredients - who needs to use cream when you can blend all the cheap vegetables like carrots, potatoes, celery to make it creamier. In fact, rather then selling three cheap nuggets for RM1, why not serve them half of a steamed corn for the same price. I think the net profit comes to about the same.    

There should be some Government regulations to ensure that the only food available in school is healthy food and balanced meals. I know it’s still a long way to go, but when the selling stops, the buying will too. VICE VERSA. I’ve seen enough damages to the childrens’ bodies. In fact, I know someones’ 15-year  old son with diabetic complication, a 12-year old girl with kidney failure, a 28-year old father who already started on the dialysis treatment and a 25-year old who died of a heart-attack!

Let us learn how to cook, and put healthy food back into our mouths. Live well, love life.

Another community service reminder by Corporate Athletes.

king’s salad

 

Do you like ulam (fresh edible leaves)? I am a huge fan of ulam, and will have it practically with everything. I eat my sandwiches with ulam, I eat my rice with ulam and  I even eat capati with ulam etc. I don’t have any problems in getting supply of it as we have  a ‘free-flowing’ ulams at our office pantry. Thanks to our dear 58-year old officemate Kak FI who brings her lovely and healthy ulam raja from home. She says that ulam raja is her awet muda. Looking at her youthful look, she has to be right!  

Ulam Raja, literally meaning “the King’s salad” was brought by the Spaniards from Latin America to the rest of Southeast Asia. Ulam raja or its scientific name Cosmos Caudatus is good for health and contains anti-aging properties or awet muda, and that it also improves blood circulation, strengthens the bones and promotes fresh breath.

So people, get some of this King’s salad for yourself and your family. It’s full of goodness!

p/s – For people with kidney failure, too much ulam can be dangerous due to its high content of potassium. I blogged about it last time. You can read about it here.

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