Fitness Gourmet- Complete Nutrition In A Box

2009-05-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Side track a little.... let me tell you about high-protein, low carbohydrates diets work?

Many popular high-protein, low carbohydrate diets are low calorie diets. Any diet, regardless of its dietary composition, that does not provide enough energy to meet the body' energy needs will lead to weight loss.

People on high-protein, low carbohydrates diet are usually advised to eat large amounts of protein rich foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and fats, and to restrict carbohydrate rich foods such as rice, noodles, bread and most fruits and vegetables. A main assertion of such diets is all carbohydrates are bad. Eating foods made from refined carbohydrates has an effect of raising blood sugar quickly, followed by dip. Such effects can trigger hunger pangs and overeating.

However, foods such as whole grain, fruits, vegetables, and beans are good sources of un refined carbohydrates. These foods tend to contain more water and dietary fiber and providing bulk, reducing risk of overeating. A diet high in fruit, vegetables and whole grains also reduces one's risk of getting chronic diseases.

High protein, low carbohydrate diets are not recommended because:

- They exclude important groups of food and are nutritionally inadquate.

- Little is known about the safety of such diets when consumed over a long period of time, especially its effect on blood cholesterol levels, bone loss and kidney stones.

Conclusion: Have a balance diet and consume from all food groups, try also to switch to whole grains! Your bosy will say " Gracia" to you!

2009-05-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Top 5 sinful food - Part 2.

2. Fruit Juices and Fake Fruit Drinks

It's not hard to guess why these are bad choices. Fake fruits drinks are loaded with sugar. The same is true to fruits juice. Think of an orange. It comes wrapped in a neat serving size easily accommodated by the body. Plus it comes with lots of fiber. now think of a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Believe it if not, the amount of sugar in a 12 ounce glass of fresh orange juice total 36 grams of carbohydrate, most of it from fructose which is a simple sugar. This amount of carbs will push your insulin levels through the roof. There's by far too much sugar at one gulp for the body to handle. Fake fruits drinks are even worse, since they are loaded with refined sugar or chemical sweeteners and food coloring

Alternatives: Drink fresh water to quench your thirst or munch on a real food!

TOP 5 SINFUL FOOD - PART 1

2009-05-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

Been busy with the Fitness Gourmet Website..... sorry for the lack of updates!
To make up, I will be diligently posting a blog every night. For the next 5 days, I will be unveiling the top 5 sinful food and suggesting healthy alternatives to it. I hope it is interesting and informative for you to follow the blog!

1. Bacon, Deli Meats and Processed Meat

Let's talk numbers...
The average sausage contains 10grams of fats and a slice of bologna has 7 grams of fats, which is the same amount as hot dog. Research shows a diet high in animal fats is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Most processed meats contain a chemical soup of nitrates, nitrites, sugar, sodium and preservatives. Many of these are implicated as culprits in disease, particularly cancer.

Alternatives:
There are no real recommended alternatives, even though there are soy-made bacon bits, I personally will not recommend. It is important to eat wholefood and going for thinly sliced oven-baked chicken breast is a way better option. IF... you are someone that cannot live without bacon, processed meats and deli meats, do go for the low sodium version or choose a healthier meat - Turkey Breast and don't forget to go for the oven-baked ones

Managing Metabolism

2009-05-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

Its All About Managing Our Metabolism To Look Great 24-7!

1. Train major muscle groups at least 3 to 4 times per week

2. Quit yo-yo dieting. Lack of food snuffs out the pilot light that fires you metabolism, sending it into hibernation

3. Eat more high quality foods

4. Exchange simple/refined carbohydrates for complex carbohydrates

5. Keep meals small and frequent, consuming 300 to 400 calories per meal(depending on individual)

6. Ear protein and complex carbs at every meal

7. Consume EFAs(essential fatty acids), especially flaxseed oil

8. Hydrate yourself with 2 to 3 litres of water per day (varies with individual activity & perspiration levels)

9. Supplement with a good quality vitamin

10. Lift weights regularly, especially as you age

11. Eat spicy food, cinnamon and tumeric

12. Ditch your soda right away!

3 Square Meals Vs 6 smaller ones

2009-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

3 Square Meals Vs 6 smaller ones. Which is better?

I believe most of the people would be eating 3 meals(or less) per day. Only a small handful of people whom i know would make an effort to space out their meals and 'graze' throughout the day. The difference?
Those who ate smaller meals (not exceeding their total calorie requirements) appear much leaner and stayed that way longer.ie Instead of 3 x 800kcal(2400) meals, have 6x 400kcal(2400) ones.

The magic is in the THERMIC EFFECT when food is being digested by our bodies. Apparantly our digestive system uses energy(calories) to break down the food we consumed,hence the more frequent we eat,the more energy expended. Our blood sugar stays stable, metabolism stays higher througout the day. But eating multiple small meals per day is a Huge challenge itself. PLease try this, before you head for work or school, go prepared. Bring along a apple, half a wholemeal tuna sandwich,stash some high fibre muesli bar in ur handbag or car, stock up some fruits, baked nuts or non fat yogurt in your office pantry. Try halving the portion you wld normally eat at lunch or dinner, and snack smartly in between. Give it a try, im sure you'll feel the difference. BUT TAKE NOTE NOT TO EXCEED YOUR DAILY OVERALL CALORIE INTAKE STILL!!(unless your goal is to put on weight)

2009-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Standing Lateral Raise

Slouching shoulders are definitely a no-go if you like to wear sleeveless top. especially for guys who are tall n lanky, this move will 'broaden' your shoulders, giving your body a better frame.

Try this move as illustrated above by Greg to sculpt those deltoids(shoulder muscle). Standing upright with a neutral spine, initiate the lift by pulling up the elbows first(IMPT!). I've seen a lot of people who make mistakes by pulling up with the hands first, overloading on the upper trapezius (the muscles on both sides of your neck) instead. Imagine a 'long neck' by keeping the shoulder blades(scapula) down at all times. Make sure that the elbow does'nt exceed your shoulder height at the finished position. Lower and repeat. Keep trying till you get it, soon you'll be wearing sleeveless everyday:)

Thanks: Greg (above model)

Firmer biceps as easy as 1, 2, 3!

2009-04-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Firmer biceps as easy as 1, 2, 3!

A simple arm curl like the above can help tone up and strengthen the biceps.

Assume the same position as shown by Renee (my trainee), exhale when curling up the resistance band and inhale on the way down. Take note to keep those elbows close by the side of your body at all times. Do not lean backwards as your biceps starts to fatigue as it'll only increases the chance of lower back strain.

Special Thanks : Renee Ware (above model)

Strange Phenomenon In Most Gym

2009-04-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Strange Phenomenon In Most Gym

I kinda find it strange when its always a majority of females sweating away at the cardio machines, aerobics classes and the men grunting and pumping iron. Is there a gender discrimination when it comes to exercise selection? For all the females out there pls do not shy away from the weights room!

Ladies, If u happen to walk into the weights section before, you'll realise that there is the place where you'll see all the fit and tone ladies are hiding. Thats their secret to geetin those fabulous body. And for the guys, in the midst of getting bigger muscles, do your heart a favor and start including some form of aerobic/flexibilty training into your regime. You don't have to do yoga to be flexible, just get started with simple stretches of your major joints/muscles after your routine everytime. Your body will thank you in years to come.

Both gender have something to learn from each other when it comes to exercise selection, try a new discipline or something, you'll bound to discover something new about your body and thats how our body gets better each time.

Tone Up those Triceps! Bye Bye jiggly arms!

2009-04-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Tone Up those Triceps! Bye Bye jiggly arms!

Really simple, as illustrated by my proud trainee Ms krystine above.
Keep your spine in a neutral arch, abdominals tighten, exhale and extend your arms towards your hips, inhale return back to starting position. Take note not to swing your arms like a pendulum, always stay in control! Use a weight that challenges you to complete 15repetitions.

Credits: Krystine Ow(above model)

Tidbits=Evil?

2009-04-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Tidbits=Evil?

Whenever i bring my trainees to do grocery shopping at the supermarket, most of the time i'll get the question " i eat this xxx potato chips, xxx biscuits etc etc issit bad?" The answer lies in the nutrition facts and ingredients list of the product.

In general, most tidbits are highly processed, with additional sodium, trans fat,refined sugar, colorings and additives.(NOTE: Ladies, if u do not want to wake up bloated like a puffer fish pls cut back on ur sodium intake and drink plenty of water to prevent water retention)I strongly encourage everyone to start reading labels, the lesser sugar,saturated fat, trans fat and sodium the bettter. However, we can choose the lesser of the evil, most items come with 'baked' version,reduced fat/sodium etc(but calories still counts).

Pls do not purchase just by looking at its front cover, thats marketing not information! The best way to eat tidbits? Share it around!!

Exercise & Nutrition VS Slimming centres(part 3)

2009-04-20T08:12:00.000-07:00

Lots of successful before and after photos of celebrities looking fabulous is everywhere. i'll like everyone to imagine this scenario, If i were to pay you say $50,ooo for 3 months to get yourself into your best shape ever, with unlimited free patronage to the slimming salon facilities, i believe most of us would take watever it takes to reach there. agree? They are paying huge sums for celebrities to stay pretty and slim, its a strong enough driving force for most of us to take serious action and commitment if we were to be the chosen one. All of us need to identify the force that drives us to keep moving our body and eating well. Bottom line, if you are comfortable with how you feel and look now, good for you! Keep it up! However, from experience, i've seen people becoming a much much happier person when he/she got more energy to go shopping, meet new people etc. And the best part is all the nice clothes just seems to fit in nicely;)

Liposuction- Quick & Easy way out to a flatter abs?

2009-04-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Liposuction- Quick & Easy way out to a flatter abs?

Liposuction, a familiar term that many of my female clients have brought up to me before. No doubt all of them have the financial capabilties to go for such surgery but eventually none of them attempted. Today i received another of this comment, "aiya. no need to exercise la, just go liposuck everything out can already lor!" If only everything is so picture perfect. Here's why, right after the surgery, exercise is limited( to allow the wounds to heal themselves). When you can't exercise, you can't burn calories. Imagine, if you were to "suck" out 1 pound of fat from your body, your body requires 3500kcal LESS per week. Thats like 6 servings of chicken rice to put things into perspective. Probably we'll look good for a while after the surgery(minus the scar tissues), BUT if we do not combine a reduced calorie eating lifestyle and a regular worlout routine AFTER the surgery is done, guess what? Fat cells start to grow again slowly..and how many times do you wanna go under the knife? Its up to you.

Exercise & Nutrition VS Slimming centres(part 2)

2009-04-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Slimming centres are actually afraid that their customers gain lean muscle weight through exercise hence impeding the total pounds they'll lose. For any sedentary individuals who embarks on a exercise program there's a high chance of them gaining muscles to a certain extend(though lesser in female bodies). All they care about is the total weight lost and not how healthy the body composition is! Remember, its the ratio of our bodyfat Vs lean muscles that eventually determine how we look. Imagine, a pear shaped lady who manage to lose weight by a combintion of dieting and slimming therapies will only be a smaller pear in the end. Not ideal. People, please remember this,in order to change your bodyshape( from pear,apple,skinny etc) to a curvier, slender and leaner you, you need to do 3 things. 1. Resistance Training 2. Cardiovascular/ aerobics exercises 3. Clean Eating

Exercise & Nutrition VS Slimming centres(part 1)

2009-04-18T01:40:00.000-07:00

Throughout my 4.5years as a certified fitness trainer i've come across soooo many female clients that have at least tried "slimming salons" or "weight loss centres" once before embarking on a new lifestyle that embraces exercises and clean eating with me. From all the stories i heard from them(success or not), i came to a conclusion. All of the slimming centres require them to FOLLOW A STRICT MEAL PLAN and DISCOURAGES EXERCISES OF ALL SORTS. Why are this people not allowed to exercise? Isn't it suppose to help them lose weight faster?

Clean Eating Lifestyle

2009-04-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Clean Eating Lifestyle

I like to introduce the concept of clean eating today.
Clean-Eating is a way of nourishing yourself that has absolutely nothing to do with soap, as the woman in the grocery store discovered that summer day. Try as she might to find anything else, all she could see in my cart was a colorful assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and lean protein. The backbone of Clean-Eating nutrition depends heavily on such food groups, eaten at regular intervals over the course of a day. Clean-Eating requires you to give the big food companies, whose products lives in the center aisles and end caps of the grocery stores, a big thumbs down. If you have realize, most processed food, canned food and tidbits are found in the center of the supermarkets, and fresh food/products are found at the circumference of the stores.

The most important feature of Clean Eating is what it isn't, this is not a diet you follow for a few agonizing months, denying yourself certain foods. It is a lifestyle. have you ever wondered why other fad diets like those you and I already tried only worked while you were on them? It is simple mathematics really. If you usually eat proteins and fats and carbohydrates, as you should, and you remove one of those food groups from your eating plan, you will lose weight. But only while you are on the plan. Once you reintroduce food you haven't been eating during your dieting phrase, BAM! You gain weight all over again and usually a great deal more than you lost in the first place. This is the phenomenon known as "yo-yo" dieting. In the long run the only folks who profit from the "yo-yo" dieting are the companies who are selling the pre-packaged food that you must buy to make your diet work.

I hope this short introduction can give you new insights and change the way you shop for groceries in the supermarket. Change of lifestyle does not happen overnight, take small steps and you will soon get there!

COMPLETE NUTRITION FOR EVERYONE!

2009-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

Changing your diet is one of the biggest challenges when faced with improving ones health and body image. A majority of people are used to eating highly processed foods on a regular basis and breaking away from that can be difficult. The good news is, it isn’t impossible and once you make it a habit to eat the right type of food, it becomes a part of your life.

In a nutshell, healthier eating is the practice of eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.

Fitness Gourmet is an intiative by experienced personal trainer, Eugene Soon. Years of working with clients with weight, image or health problem prompted him to share his knowledge on nutrition and exercise. This blog will provide facts on health, diet and weight-lost, it is also a platform to introduce specially designed lunchboxes to Singaporeans.

How SG Fitness Gourmet works for you?
SG Fitness Gourmet designs and prepares wholesome, healthy and delicious lunchbox for you. You do not need a personal nutritionist to clean up your diet, you have us. Just place your order with us and you will sail through your new diet at ease.

Is SG Fitness Gourmet expensive?
No. We provide delicious lunchbox that ranges from SGD7 TO SGD10.

How do i know if the food is to my liking?
We provide a weekly menu which you can preview before you place your order with us, you can choose to opt out on days you do not like the food or tell us 48 hours in advance to customize your lunchbox according to your liking.

For questions on health, diet or weight issues, please submit your questions on the tagboard.

*Orders are not open at this point of time, we will update relevant details such as menu once it is ready. Do stay tune for exercise and nutrition facts as for now!