Health & Fitness Talk - 5 quick tips to lose belly fats

Okay, so I've been getting too many emails enquiring about how to lose belly/tummy fats. I used to dislike answering this question, even for my clients, because I personally do not believe in spot reduction. But, I'm gonna summarize and share 5 quick tips to expedite your 'getting abs' goals a little!  So here goes!
1. Increase your Protein intake
I have to admit, I get really annoyed when people (especially female) start asking me questions like, "Wah, I don't dare to eat too much protein for fear that I will grow muscles too big!" Because, protein is the most important macronutrient when it comes to losing weight! Protein also aids in building and repairing tissues, and is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

In the first place, females will not be able to bulk up like a man because of the meagre amount of testosterones in our bodies. 

Secondly, our bodies (male and female alike) are not able to absorb the full amount of protein in every high protein food that we consume. Moreover, studies have shown that the amount and quality of protein consumed was inversely related to fat in the belly and that people who eat more and better quality protein actually have less belly fats.  So what are some examples of the high protein foods?

Eggs (unprocessed)

Prawns and fish

Salmon

Chicken Breast

Tofu (for vegetarians)

Of course, there is protein in other meat, poultry and seafood, nuts and seeds and vegetables like asparagus, spinach, broccoli, etc. Go ahead and do a quick google and I'm sure you will be able to find some of your favorites that you can eat enjoyably! :D
2. Avoid Processed food, go WHOLE

This, is something I highly emphasises especially on my clients.

If you cannot see the read deal, avoid it!

If you cannot even see the fibre of chicken, or fish or vegetables of any sort, chances are, the food has been processed (unless you homemake the food from scratch). OR, if you cannot figure out how the food is made, avoid it! Healthy food should be simply made and prepared. I’m not asking you to cut them out totally (because there are some that we cannot even avoid), but just reducing your intake on these foods. :D

Here are some examples of processed foods:

Donuts, chocolates, waffles, sweets, carbonated drinks, sweetened drinks, pizza, puffs, etc.

Processed carbs

If you are willing to take up the challenge (and have the budget to do so), go whole grains as much as you can. Well, eating healthy unfortunately, seems to be really high maintenance in Singapore because healthy food are generally more expensive. However, do not fret, Singapore is swiftly and steadily catching up to the trends of US and Australia and very soon and hopefully, we will be able to have more access to healthy food at more affordable prices! *fingers crossed so do not lose hope!
3. Go easy on the Sugar

I had a personal experience while I was preparing for the Yahoo! shoot with Cheryl Tay. I had less than a week to prep and I cut down sugar totally, not even sweet fruits like banana, papaya, watermelon, etc. I could see a huge difference in the belly area and I loved it! However, even for me, sugar is a must in my daily diet, I quickly went back to having sugar right after the shoot! :P But what I made a point doing, is that I cut down my sugar intake drastically, especially to just as early in the day as possible.
If you need to eat something sinful, do it as early in the day as possible!
I love to advise my clients this way because I'm human too, and I love to eat what I love too! :D When you do that, you usually have the next half of the day to burn it, even if it means just walking around and not working out. But, if you can, start getting used to making little changes to your daily life by ordering your drinks with less sugar, cutting down on sweetened drinks, especially carbonated ones (makes your belly bloat) and slowly cut these sweetened drinks out from your life completely. Go for green tea and drink ALOT of distilled/filtered water (less sodium). Its not that difficult, actually. All you need is the right mindset!
4. HIIT often
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of training, alternating periods of short, intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. HIIT is a form of cardiovascular (cardio) training and if done correctly, can achieve improved athletic capacity and condition (for athletes), improved glucose metabolism and improved fat burning. Then I have clients who are looking to build mass (even females) and they are afraid to lose muscle mass and look skinny when I make them do short HIIT. Well, cardio exercises/training done at a higher intensity for a shorter period of time will not only help you maintain your muscle, but may actually help you build muscle mass (building up on the fast-twitch muscle fibers). Studies have also shown that when HIIT is done correctly, your body gets into an 'afterburn' effect which is known as Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC), which simply put, is a process where your body burns more fats to fuel the restorative process (of hormone balances, phosphagen stores, carry out cellular repair and oxidize built-up lactic acid) even up to 38 hours after you finished the HIIT. 
This form of training doesn't have to be long, but to be done correctly, they have to be really INTENSE.

5. Tighten your Core
It is already a good news that you are starting to workout and doing HIIT but to maximize your workouts and trainings, I always emphasize and nag non-stop about tightening your core when I train my clients and of course, this in-built nagging is constantly in my mind during my own workouts and in my daily standing, walking and sitting down too.
This would mean, tightening your core when you are standing still, walking and sitting down (which will naturally also keep your back straightened and chest upright). 
Try it! And when it comes to working out, yoga-ing, running, jumping, dancing (whatever form of exercise you do), also try to tighten your core to make your workouts more effective! I actually found this instructions on livestrong.com and I thought it could serve as a simple guide if you do not know how to tighten your core (while working out and not). (Credits: http://www.livestrong.com/article/424203-how-to-contract-your-abs-when-exercising/)
Step 1:  Locate your transverse abdominis -- a deep abdominal muscle that helps keep the abdomen flat -- by placing your hands on your hip bones at the front of your pelvis. Once you've located the bony portion, move your fingers in toward the center one inch and down toward the pubic bone one inch. 
Step 2:  Inhale deeply, getting your diaphragm at the bottom of your belly into the action. 
Step 3:  Exhale and pull in the muscles under your fingers, thereby tightening that transverse abdominis. If it helps, visualize drawing your navel in toward your spine. When you're contracting the muscle it should feel tight and not bulge out. 
Step 4:  Practice a few deep inhalations and exhalations while keeping your hands in that same position, so you'll get used to the feeling of tightening in that transverse abdominis. When that muscle is tight, all other muscles of the abdomen should be contracted as well, since the core muscles all contract together as one unit. 
Step 5:  Begin your workout warm-up, practicing deep breathing techniques throughout, so you'll get used to breathing deeply from the diaphragm as you work out. 
Step 6:  Return your thoughts to your abdominal muscles any time you think of it. Straighten your spine, pull your shoulders back and down, and pull the abdomen in to about 30 percent of maximum tightness, aiming to maintain that tightness throughout the workout; you don't need them to be fully contracted. Place your hands back on the transverse abdominis if you're not sure whether you're contracting enough. If you use a smartphone during your workout, you might try setting an alert every two to five minutes, reminding you to contract your abdominals.
SO, I hope you can learn something new from my sharing and feel free to contact me if you need help to kickstart your fitness journey or achieve your fitness goals! :D
Always remember though,

Fitness & Beauty Talk - 5 tips to look younger

I know this is rather shameless but those who know me will agree that I do not look my age at all. And of course, #goodthingsmustshare! So I decided to reveal my secret, not like the previous post but REAL secret to looking younger. Ladies (and gentlemen), sit up straight and read well! :P

Tip 1: WORKOUT!

I can never emphasise how important it is to workout and the results actually show on your skin and your physique! I'll be doing a separate entry on how important working out is and why you should kickstart your fitness journey but in short, working out relieves stress, increases your self-confidence and improves your skin's radiance in the long run!

Tip 2: Eat clean and drink up!

Admit it, you know how true it is when they say, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!". Eating clean and healthily can give you younger-looking skin. Healthy food promote good cell growth and can eliminate harmful free radicals and toxins in your body. Just because of this simple reason, your skin will regain its natural glow and suppleness. Make sure there is a good mix of greens, protein and carbs in your meals. Of course, do not forget to drink at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water a day to stay hydrated!

Tip 3: Care for your skin!

Now this is the reality, people judge you by your first impression. Therefore, caring for your skin is very important. Make sure you cleanse your face well regularly and exfoliate 2-3 times a week. Remove your makeup thoroughly and double cleanse if you have to. Wash your face after working out and most importantly for those with dry skin like mine, keep it moisturised and massage it well! Here are some of the products I use and I don't really believe in sticking to a particular brand anymore, because I believe your skin knows better than the brands do. I have a couple of different brands for the same purpose and I use them according to how my skin feels that day. I focus on correcting my skin tone recently, apart from the hydration.

Tip 4: SUNSCREAM!

Stay away from the sun unnecessarily if you can! Unfortunately for me, I coach and train my clients in the sun sometimes so I don't have a choice but to use sunscreen. I love looking tanned and I cannot really stand my skin colour looking yellowish whenever I get fairer so it's even more crucial for me to use sunscreen. Ladies and men alike, this is a TALL ORDER: USE SUNSCREEN! Because you will only have yourself to thank when you get older! 

For those with oily skin, I suggest that you don't use anything too milky. Get a water-based or gel sunscreen which will produce a cooling effect on your skin. I think Neutrogena has rather good ones so check out Watson's or Guardians! For those with dry and combination skin like mine, it's a little more tricky because you cannot go for too moisturising ones, yet gel or water-based ones may not be moisturising enough. This is what I use! I recently got mine replaced when I visited Trinity Medical Centre so do your skin a favour and get a good sunscreen. 

Tip 5: Hang out with younger friends! (FOR REAL)

I'm serious! I hang out with a lot of younger friends and they make me feel younger at the same time! Of course, as much as laughing makes you get wrinkles (in the long run), feeling happy, smiling and laughing when you are out with your friends will release happy hormones and laughing helps increase blood flow around your face, making you look and feel younger! Go ahead and laugh till your jaw cramps and teary-eyed! :D

SOME of my younger friends (I have more), who never fail to make me feel young! 

There you go! I hope I shed some light on some of you and for those who needs an extra push to kickstart your fitness journey with me, feel free to drop me an email! 

Good night!

Health & Nutrition - Health & Beauty Tips

I hope the week is going fine for everyone. I'm back to share 5 quick health and beauty tips, as promised! Will share more along the way too.

Tip #1: Put a slice of lemon in your everyday water bottle.

Try to drink your water warm if you can. Having a tinge of sour in your water actually has a lot of wonderful benefits! Here are some.

- Improves your immune system

- Aids digestion #truestory

- Cleanses your system

- Freshens your breath

- Helps to detox your body of toxins

Tip #2: Drink green tea.

Green tea helps to boost your metabolism! Try replacing your daily coffee with green tea instead.

Tip #3: Cup of black coffee for your pre workout energy boost.

Personally, I find it difficult to quit coffee. So, I'm making full use of this caffeine-addiction to fuel my workout sessions. I used to have a cuppa mid-day but I replaced that mid-day cuppa with green tea and have simple black coffee (no sugar no cream) before my workouts. How black coffee helps?

- Accelerates fat loss 

- Improves focus and performance

- Decreases muscle pain

- Makes me perspire more

Tip #4: Try Accupressure Therapy.

I tend to have quest stomach after meals so this really helps soothe it! Use your index and middle fingers to press down on the groove between the tendons that run from the base of your palm to your wrist. Keep massaging and pressing it down for 1-3 minutes. Really helpful especially when you have to sit down for a next 4-5 hours after lunch everyday.

- Relieves queasy stomach after meals

- Detoxify your body for better health and beauty

Tip #5: Avoid alcohol.

Okay, people who have 'grown up' with me will know that I used to drink and party more, especially when I was still working for RB. Since I embarked on this fitness journey, I have managed to stay alcohol-free and I'm very happy and proud about it. My friends have all given up persuading me to even take a sip. Alcohol is toxic to your body and the thought of having it flowing in my body disgusts me (no offence). Alcohol reduces your body's ability to burn fats up to 73% and ultimately cause weight gain. 

So, I'll be back with more tips!

Here are some updates in photos from the last week and past few days.

Soupspoon with Jasmine last week

Simba the cutie!

Simba enjoying my company. HURHUR

Love how versatile this pair of Olsen oxfords is! Get yours from Love, bonito!

Close-up of Love, Bonito's Olsen oxfords.

Again here, http://www.lovebonito.com/3675-olsen-oxford-shoes.html

Outfit for Love, bonito's Tea Party last weekend

With the bosses and the rest of the girls 

Rachel & Viola - The inspiring owners of Love, bonito

Sweet Nicole, thanks so much for all the trouble!

Pretty Charmaine & April 

Designed by Julien Fournie, thanks Love, bonito!

Selling these 2 mascaras urgently so do email or comment if you would like to purchase from me! I unboxed both last friday to try and realised it doesn't work on my stubborn lashes! 

Good night everyone! I hope you enjoyed the tips! Till then! :)