5 Tips to stay in shape during CNY

So here's the long-awaited post to prep for your upcoming CNY feasting! :D
1. Go for the steamboat

Photo credits: shape.com.sg

Instead of keeping quiet while your friends and family are thinking of whether to head for CNY meals, or suggesting heavy dining places, be the hero and suggest STEAMBOAT! By choosing steamboat, you will be able to control the amount of proteins and carbs (which I'll be covering in the next point). Pick the items with as little seasoning as possible and non-fried. Lastly, avoid drinking the soup! :D
2. Proteins over carbs

Always always go for the proteins instead of carbs. Firstly, they don't bloat your stomach as much as carbs. Secondly, they are quality nutrients and helps your body to recover and build lean muscles when you fulfil the next point that I'll be covering. So, whack the proteins and of course, go for the leanest of the lot and avoid the fried ones!
3. HIIT the 15!

I remembered wanting to workout during the first day of CNY last year and we din have the time to head to the gym because we needed to help my mum prepare for the dinner. So I got Jason to head down to the void deck and do a workout with me (since it was drizzling). Well, all you need is 15 mins or even less for a quick HIIT workout. Ran out of ideas for your workout, you've got the best companion ever on your mobile phones, the Nike+ Training Club app!

Go download it if you haven't and add me as friend (Limaran Agustina), let me know what workout you did during CNY! You can always search for workouts below 15mins so #noexcuses! :D
4. Crispy M FTW

My close friends and family will already know that I don't like to eat Ba Kwa so I guess this isn't much of a concern for me. But if your favourite CNY goodie is the Ba Kwa, instead of reaching for them all the time, why not try the recently-launched Crispy M from Fragrance! I swear by it since the first time I tried it! Its not really Ba Kwa though there is some similar taste, but its a good replacement and less fattening and yummy (at least for me)! 
5. Sharing is caring

If you love your friends and family, you will care and share the calories too right? Instead of finishing a serving at one time, share that piece of kueh lapis with your friends and/or family! Split the love and still enjoy the goodies! :P Have a blessed reunion and Lunar New Year everyone and I hope you will be able to stay in shape this year onwards! Huat ah! :D

Beauty Talk – The Urban Clinic

I have been blessed with relatively good skin, I must say. At least from the outside, there isn’t much to complain about my skin. However, if you look closely at my skin, I have very sensitive skin and my skin is really thin. Therefore, there is a limit to the amount and type of treatment I can put my skin through. As I have mentioned before about how my skin gets into breakouts and hives during specific treatments, this is usually a main concern for me.

I was invited to The Urban Clinic for a consultation with Dr Yanni Xu at the end of October last year and she very patiently listened to all my concerns about my skin. As compared to Jason’s skin, my skin is on the dry side and highly sensitive so it shows very much when I get a blood rush after a long day of work, or post workout.

The Urban Clinic

TUC is located at Raffles City Shopping Centre, just outside the clinic is the taxi stand. Jason and I love how the clinic doesn’t feel and look like a clinic with its modern and edgy interior.



Super cool entrance and always greeted by the friendly staff.



This is one of my favorite area because it’s almost like I’m preparing to go on a Moulin Rouge stage, HAHA. This is where the assistant will remove my sunscreen before taking 3D photos for the consultation.

Dr Yanni Xu

This gorgeous lady is Dr Yanni Xu and aside from her qualifications and awards lays lies a doctor who is passionate and down to earth. She is patient and sincere, almost like a sister that I never had. Most of all, she has flawless skin, which I thought was an important asset as a role model to her patients. I was really inspired to achieve the same flawless skin that I always thought I’d never achieve.

Before every scheduled consultation with Dr Yanni, her assistants will use a super cool 3D camera to document and analyse my face. During the first consultation, Dr Yanni Xu prescribed a fully-customised set of treatments to target the specific problem areas, which for me were was the bumps on my forehead.

Well, the above photo (taken in mid Oct last year) was already a filtered image so you can only imagine how bad it looks in person. I cannot recall since when, but the bumps had been bothering me for a very long time. The redness made the bumps look worse post workout or at the end of the day after work.

Excel V Laser

Among other treatments that was prescribed to me by Dr Yanni Xu, which includes Lasemd (you can check out Jason’s blog entry for more info), Excel V is my favorite!

TUC is one of 10 clinics in South East Asia to have the Excel V laser. This superior USA technology is the newest and best for treating “red” skin conditions such as acne and rosacea, which is perfect for me since my skin gets red easily.

The coolview handpiece handpience on Excel V is a green laser and improves by closing the abnormal blood vessels that cause redness, inflammation and flushing. Laser genesis is another function of the Excel V laser that stimulates collagen whilst gently removing pigmentation and redness from skin. This mild laser in combination with patented “Ara peel”’ technology produces immediate radiance and anti-aging of skin. Over 2 treatments, my skin tone looks more radiant, glows and most importantly, the redness and bumps on my forehead has lessened sooo much!

Me looking mighty happy after Excel V laser because there is very very minimal downtime. There is no numb cream needed, very minimal discomfort and laser only takes around 15 – 20 minutes!

I have gotten many comments saying that my skin looks more glowy and radiant now and here’s a last photo to share my progress!

Left photo was taken after a workout, photo on the right was taken after a full day of work and workout in the midday (with face washed once post workout). This is what I meant by the redness post workout and after a long day. However, there is only redness on my cheeks in the photo on the right, very minimal on my forehead now! The bumps are also a lot less visible which is very very ideal! :P Coupled with the basic products from TUC, I’m very pleased with the results as of now and will continue to go for treatments with Dr Yanni too!

TUC also provides other treatments and you can find out more over at the website.

252, North Bridge Road

#01-15

Raffles City Mall

Singapore 179103

(next to the taxi stand facing Chijmes)

Phone: +65 62540407, +65 62540419

Email: info@tuc.com.sg

Fitness Talk – Best-ever combination of fitness tracker & music

Jabra very kindly sent me a set of the Jabra Elite Sport that I have been eyeing since I came across an introductory video of it and I was very excited to try it out for myself! The reason behind my excitement was the mere fact that it’s a combination of a fitness tracker and music player in one device. Hold your horses as I share more features about the Jabra Elite Sport that I love!

Compact carry-case charging

I could not decide which is my favourite feature but I love the fact that I can charge an additional 6 hours when I keep my cordless earbuds in the compact carry-case.

The carry-case not only looks very cool, it’s very handy and multi-functional!

So the cordless earbuds can run up to 3 hours of calls (yes, I can answer phone calls while working out or running!) and music when fully charged. Furthermore, when I keep my earbuds in the carry-case after use, it charges an additional 6 hours. For

someone on the go like me, I really love this feature!

Snug fit and sweat proof

I took it out for an impromptu run though I’ve not ran for years because I’ve been itching to test the Jabra Elite Sport and I didn’t have the time to travel to the gym before my party the other day.

It fits snugly in my ears and needed no adjustment throughout my run. Its also sweat proof so it doesn’t leave any unwanted smell, which can be a turn off. I’ve thrown away gadgets I use during my workouts just because they stink after using them for a while.

I brought them out for a few sessions in the gym too and they’re perfect because the earbuds are equipped with 2 microphones each – one for talking, and the other captures and cancels background noise, ensuring superior music and call quality. I truly appreciate this feature during my workouts in the gym because I hate to be disturbed when I workout on my own.

Heart rate monitor and intelligent in-ear coaching

Okay, this last feature that I’m gonna share about is super cool because not only can it tell my heart rate and the distance I have covered while running, there is also in-ear coaching. It’s so awesome that it reads out the training effect of my workouts, distance covered and if this particular workout is improving my fitness level (in general). I really think this is very intelligently created!

There is also an app (Jabra Sport) which will tally whatever the in-ear coaching feature tells you. Here goes.

This was not the best run (well I would have failed 2.4km In the NAPFA test) but it was intense based on my heart rate lol. Whatever the case, it shows details of my run and if the run was improving my overall fitness level.

The app also features some circuit sets that you can use if you cannot think of what to do in the gym or out. OR, I can also create my own circuits and adjust the working sets, timings and rest times. Of course, there is the in-ear coaching which will be prompting you on when to start the sets and rest. Superb! The app is also constantly updated to enhance its features and functions!

I cannot rave enough about the Jabra Sport Elite because I thought this is the best device designed till date. At least from the features I have shared, the Jabra Sport Elite is definitely worth every penny! Wireless, snug fit, long-lasting, music and fitness tracker in one!

Get your own set of Jabra Elite Sport from their website and quote “LIMARANELITE5” for an additional 5% off! I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do! :D