4 tips for a flat tummy

A couple of things I learnt in search of the 6-pack. :-)

1) Every body is different, and there’s no one blanket solution for a flat tummy.

Healthy looks different on every body, and don’t feel discouraged if you’re not getting the same results as another person on the same regime. The trick is to experiment and find out what combination works best for you.

Most importantly, don’t make it your goal to be fit. Make it your goal to be disciplined, and being fit will follow.

2) Shift your focus from weight loss, to lowering your body fat percentage.

“That six-pack will never show if you have a layer of fat covering them. A reduction in your overall body fat percentage gives the ab definition you desire, but how low you have to go to get that musculature depends on your gender and genetics.” -Andrea Cespedes.

Check out this article by Marc Perry to give you a better understanding on the body fat percentage for visible abs in men and women:

https://www.builtlean.com/2012/09/24/body-fat-percentage-men-women/

3) You can’t just do crunches, that’s a lie.

I believe in the DCBA approach – “Diet first, cardio second, building muscle third and Abs exercises last.” -Myatt Murphy, author of The Body You Want in the Time You Have.

Personal notes:

Diet does not equal starvation. Fuel your body & start the day right right. I’ve learnt that eating right in the morning can help set the tone for the rest of your day.

My personal daily routine consists of 1 shot of my regular natural liquid supplement followed by 1 litre of alkaline water (lemon is one of the best ways of alkalinising water) first thing in the morning.

After 30 minutes, I start with 2 half boiled eggs + a serving of fruit.

For the rest of the day, I basically eat what my body feels like having, but I always try my best to start each meal with 1 serving of fruit.

I don’t really like drinking water, so I discipline myself by ensuring that I finish a minimum of 1.5 litres (I carry a bottle infused with my regular natural liquid supplement), before I drink any other form of liquid.

I eat often – small portions, every 2.5 to 3 hours. Hence, why I find it hard to label my meals. Lol. (i.e. whether I’m actually eating my 1st or second breakfast/lunch etc.).

Whole foods over processed foods. Basically eating food that still looks as it did growing in nature, or very close to it. Eg, eating actual potatoes as opposed to having potato chips.

It is also important to find out if there are any foods with which you have an intolerance for, that are causing you to bloat.

Ultimately the key to a good diet is sustainability and consistency. Before you attempt a new “diet”, ask yourself if it’s sustainable, ie. Will you be able to stick to it for long term? If the answer is no, then don’t even bother to start.

And as Bruce Lee said, “Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity.”

A great tip in choosing a regime that’s sustainable is to modify instead of overhaul.

Cardio – If you’re like me and have minimal time to exercise, opt for High-intensity interval training (HIIT). I try and clock in 15-20 minutes each session a few times a week. Combine HIIT with resistance training, you’ll get more from those 20 minutes that a full run on the treadmill.
Building muscle – “Muscle is more metabolically active than fat, which means the more you have, the faster your metabolism is and the more calories you burn all day long.” -Tom Holland.

4) Laugh it out. I’m serious. Lol. Here’s one way to start:

OOTD: Top: Emporio Armani Women Visibility Training Microfiber Bralette, Black | Bottom: Emporio Armani Women Visibility Stretch Lounge Pant with Cuffs, Black | http://www.boxers-and-briefs.net/

References:

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20385798,00.html#eat-at-this-magic-hour-0
http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/how-get-abs
https://www.builtlean.com/2013/04/01/fat-burning-zone-myth/
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/what-it-takes-to-get-a-six-pack

http://www.hannah.today/girlystuff

Look great naked (Part 1): Face mapping & how to DIY kefir at home

No, I don’t mean the taking-off-your-clothes kind of naked. Lol

I’m talking about stripping-your-skin-of-all-the-makeup kind of naked.

As a woman, I’m so used to that comforting coat of "paint" on my face, that I sometimes feel so strangely naked without makeup.

http://www.homezweethome.info/2011_08_01_archive.htm

I remember the days where I couldn’t bear to think about leaving home without makeup. Saying it was because of the work I used to do (TV hosting, commercial/print shoots etc) would be a lame excuse. *laugh* Truth is, I didn’t have the best skin, and that made me feel really inferior. Somehow, masking my bad skin with makeup gave me the confidence boost I so badly needed.

Then in the eventful year of 2010, I decided to go through a detox. I don’t remember breaking out so badly and continuously in my entire life! Not even during puberty. *laugh*

While Wall St. saw a list of mega-mergers that same year, I was experiencing the phenomenon on my face! It was so bad that I would have a ‘merger’ of 3-4 septic pimples on my chin and cheeks; so much so that a guy standing in line behind me at the airport immigration actually asked:

Baru kena accident ka?

So malu.

Anyway, to cut the long story short, I eventually discovered that our face mirrors of our internal health.

http://myflpbiz.com/esuite/home/balanstherapie/Story.htm

"Our skin can reflect what's going on inside our body," says dermatologist Anne Chapas, M.D., of Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York City. "As part of the immune system, the skin defends against environmental factors. But when your body is fighting an ailment, it can get overwhelmed and things like acne and redness can show up." [http://www.today.com/id/45361636/ns/today-today_health/t/check-mirror-sickness-shows-your-face/#.UzVGMtwuxG4]

So I decided to do a medical check up and guess what the doctor discovered?

Stones in my kidneys, problems with my liver, colon, stomach… the whole works.

Some of you may remember the surgery I underwent to remove a cancerous ovarian cyst later that year.

I didn’t know I was sooooooo sick inside my body. Clocking in 3-4 hours of daily sleep for the last decade prior to that didn’t help, but fact was, I was oblivious to my health. I took for-granted the fact that being young (at that time) meant I didn’t have to jaga my body as much. I mean, after all, I didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with my body. I obviously got it all wrong.

And, I suffered the consequences. Boo-hoo.

But ever since, I’ve been more aware and diligent about what I eat, how much water I drink, how much sleep I clock in, how much exercise I get, how positive I am, etc. Yes, the combination of ALL that makes the difference, and I notice it very significantly in my skin.

I’ll talk about my skincare regime in my next beauty blog post, but for now, I’d like to share a new personal discovery on a natural drink that was first scientifically researched over 100 years ago by Nobel Prize winner, Elie Metchnikoff .

Okay, compared to that, I’m a bit lambat la, but better late than never; and I’d love to dedicate this post to my supermum who never fails to impress me with her natural home remedies.

Mum was the one who introduced me to this simple yet powerful source of probiotics called kefir [pronounced “kuh-feer”], a.k.a. the “magic/miracle milk”.

Basically, our immune system is like the gatekeeper to good health, and probiotics help fortify these gates against diseases.

Ooooo~ Sounds so canggih right? Lol

Anyway, kefir helps to regulate our immune system and can potentially be our colon’s best friend.

It’s a yoghurt-like drink/food; although many times stronger with more enzymes and friendly bacteria as compared to yoghurt.

Who can benefit from kefir:

Babies (kefir is an excellent and nutritious food for babies)
People experiencing digestive disorders, constipation and flatulence (kefir has a cleansing effect on the whole body)
People on antibiotics
Patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer (kefir is the strongest natural antibiotics without the side effects and contributes to a healthy immune system)
Patients suffering from sleep disorders, depression and ADHD (kefir is said to have a tranquilizing effect on the nervous system)
People with unhealthy food cravings
People who want to shave unwanted weight faster (kefir helps utilize carbohydrates, fats and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy; speeds up the your body’s metabolism)
People with allergies and skin problems (kefir has antifungal properties to promote healing of various dermatological issues)

Besides regulating cholesterol/blood sugar levels and having the capabilities of stopping the growth of cancer cells, the benefits of kefir are endless. Make an effort to find out more about it, but in the meantime, here’s what mum taught me – How to DIY homemade kefir in my kitchen :-D:

1) First, you will need a live “starter” which is also called kefir “grains”.

These active grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut.

Kefir grains are naturally occurring in nature and they cannot be made. I got my kefir grains from mum, but I believe you can also buy them in local health shops and online.

Once you have the grains, you can keep reproducing them forever.

2) Place the kefir grains into a glass jar and pour fresh milk into it; then cover with a cloth (it needs to breathe to reproduce)

3) Leave at room temperature (away from direct sun) for 24-48 hours to allow the fermentation to take place

4) After 24-48 hours, use a wooden spoon and give it a good mix; then use a plastic strainer to strain the contents of the glass jar.

Technically, we should avoid using anything “metal” because it reacts with kefir, but since I don’t have a plastic strainer and wooden spoon at hand, I’m using these for illustration purposes.

5) Transfer the remaining grains from the strainer back into the glass jar and repeat process #2, #3, #4 and #5 for your next batch.

You can share your grains with your family/friends like how mum passed me some of hers to get mine started.

6) You can drink the strained kefir as it is (it’s a sour and a somewhat “smoked” version of plain yoghurt) or mix it with your favourite fruits/flavours.

I like mine with a teaspoon of Ribena and black cherry jam. Yum!

[If you’re lactose intolerant, you can try the non-milk version – water kefir.]

Hope that helps! I’ll share my simple formula to healthy skin in my next health and beauty post, so stay tuned; but in the meantime, big Panda hugs from #babybaby and I! Mwah!!!!

How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 2)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) "How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro)", and
2) How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Week 1)

So how did Week 1 go for you? *big-grin*

I have to admit, not the best week for me, but I managed to lose 1.1% of body fat and gain 0.2kg on lean mass. Yay! And I have proof!!! Mwahaha~

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. That’s not much of a difference, right? But hey, it’s only been 1 week on the program, give me some credit la. I keep telling myself – consistency, consistency; focus on consistency.

Oh and guess what?!

If you remember, in my first post of this series – How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days (Intro) – I mentioned a few things that you probably didn’t know about me…

Point #1 in that post – I don’t know how to swim.

Well, I decided to take Adib’s advice and take up swimming lessons... and I start this week! :-D

Not sure how this will go (my phobia of water is still very apparent), but it will be worth the try. Please pray for me ya! Haha.

So back to our to-do list for a beach-ready body (tick if you've done accordingly this week) – THEF:

1) Tracking

Keep track of weight/inches, food and water intake (if you’re tracking your sleep too that’s great!)
Keep bikini in sight to stay motivated

2)Habit

1 litre of water in the morning, before breakfast
Another 1 to 2 litres of water during the rest of the day (depending on how much you need. Learn how to calculate here)
No skipping breakfast
Sufficient sleep
Consistent morning routine

3) Exercise

11-minute cardio (see cardio program here) followed by…
Top-to-toe stretching and..
Toning exercise 10 reps each, with a 30-second rest interval between each exercise

4) Food

Balanced diet, eat more protein and no skipping meals (our body burns more calories digesting proteins than it does digesting carbohydrates, so technically, we’ll be burning fat while eating proteins)
Daily supplement (learn how to choose one that’s right for you here)
Weight loss snacks

This week, we are going to turn it up a notch:

1) Beef up our cardio from 11 minutes to 14 minutes.

Oh I soooo feel like eating a piece of steak now. Focus, Panda, focus. Okay, back to beefing up our cardio. We’re going to add on an additional 3 minutes of the following to our existing plan (cardio plan here):

2 minutes – Exertion/Intensity level 5
1 minute – Recovery/Intensity level 1

Don’t undermine this additional 3 minutes. If you’ve been doing last week’s suggested cardio workout, you’ll know it’s not as easy as it looks.

2) Keep doing the same toning exercises; except that we’re going to spend 15 minutes doing this every day this week (instead of alternate days).

I’d suggest doing it in the mornings before you hop into the shower – get it out of the way, at the start of the day.

Simple? :-D

Consistency, consistency; focus on consistency.

Have fun working out this week ladies. Meantime, here’s a little motivation to keep you going.