If all you can think of for a date is movies & fancy dinner, I’ve got something for you.
I wrote an article on Prudential’s R U Ready FB page that lays down some activities & places you can bring your date (that doesn’t cost a bomb) and impress that other half. These are of course, from my personal experience and your mileage might vary… standard disclaimer applies. hehe.
There was at least one photo in the article that was taken from Ringo’s blog, see if you can spot them.
Now read the article titled R U Ready for an awesome date, for cheap? and please do click “like”.
Head to R U Ready page and like it too.
OK sekian terima kasih, selamat tahun baru! 
Today, lets talk about moving your body.
In this post, I will once and for all show that you too can eat (almost) all you want and live a life without being overweight. Something that I practice almost religiously these days.
I have to admit, I did not used to be like this. While my late dad was a very active person who swam & run on an almost daily basis, I was your average slob who would change the TV channel with my feet just to not move away from the couch (the remote broke).
my current weight – 59.8 KG, at 5’5
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized this wasn’t the right way to live, I wanted to be active and stay healthy, so I found a few sports I love doing, and have been staying active pretty much since.
Here are a few tips for you to get started on an active life style:
1. Find the activity you enjoy
While my late dad enjoyed jogging and swimming, they weren’t my favorite sports. After a bit of searching, I settled on futsal, badminton, and mountain biking. Futsal and badminton were fun cos they are group activities, and I found mountain biking more enjoyable than jogging due to the faster pace (see more things in the process) and that it is usually less hot with the wind blowing in your face.
2. Find activities you can do despite the weather
With mountain biking and jogging, you are at the mercy of the weather, but since futsal and badminton are indoor activities, there isn’t any such problem. You want to have at least one activity that can be done all year long. It can be gym, futsal, basketball, badminton, or even running on treadmill.
You don’t want a couple weeks of bad weather for you to lose your momentum.
3. Participate in team sports or find partner(s)
Individual sports offer flexibilities on schedules, but at the same time it also allows the less determined individuals to easily skip the routine. With team sports, you not only foster extra friendship with people you play with, but there is a certain expectation to be there and at least make the number every week. This in turn indirectly forces you to work out, brilliant isn’t it?
A partner to go to the gym or jog together works wonder too.
4. Use an application to track your progress
If you are a smart phone user, there are a number of sports tracking applications available for your usage, and most of them are free too. These applications helps track your progress via manual entry and even utilizing the phone’s GPS to track your biking/running trail. I use Endomondo on my phone and keeps track of every workout I do.
Since mid of June (when I started using Endomondo) till mid December, I’ve registered 77 workouts and spent some 35,000 calories. That’s equivalent to some 64 burgers consumed.
5. Make it your New Year resolution
With 2012 just around the corner, make a new year resolution that counts and stick to it. Your body will thank you.
Good luck and stay fit (or start changing that A between F & T to an I).
P/S: Do tune into 1 Sihat Malaysia to get more health tips on eating habits and healthy living. The program is hosted by Fahrin Ahmad and features stories from the local celebrities. Head to gayahidupsihat.my for more, this post is brought to you by Ministry of Health.
Samsung now completes the line up of their Android devices, from S2, Note, Tab 7, Tab 10.1 and now slotting between the two tablets is the Galaxy Tab 8.9
If you didn’t get what you wanted for xmas, perhaps it’s time to look at this!
This device is perfect for those who thinks the Tab 10.1 is a little too big, and the 7 just a tad too small. At 453 grams, it is also an ideal weight for some especially when you factor in using it as a reading device in bed. The 10.1 is a bit too heavy for me in this aspect.
Here’s the specification of the Galaxy Tab 8.9, and they are almost the same with the bigger brother, except for the screen size of course.
While the LCD is smaller, it spots the same 1280 x 800 resolution with the 10.1. Which means that it actually has a higher pixel density. In layman’s term, the screen is actually sharper to look at. Coupled with the fact that this device is slightly cheaper than the 10.1, I can see that a lot of people will favor the 8.9 unless you really do want to have the biggest out there.
Celcom brought in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 (Wifi + 3G version) to Malaysia and you can get it for as low as RM 1,288 (RRP RM 1,699) with Celcom Broadband packages. Check out the table below:
Check out more at http://www.celcom.com.my/smartphones/tablets.php for more. Other than the Tab 8.9, you can also opt for Tab 7 from as low as RM 668 or the Tab 10.1 for RM 1,468.
Tablets now it’s like those free t-shirts that only comes in one size. S, M, L, take your pick.
I’ll be the first to admit, this blog isn’t exactly synonymous to healthy living. Most of the food entries in this blog are chosen only based on one criteria – they are tasty. The health aspect usually takes a back seat, or at least not featured prominently.
The good thing is though, you can actually eat healthy relatively easily – and this applies to both eating out as well as having home cooked meals.
There is one very simple rule of thumb – less oil and less fat.
I’m not saying one should avoid eating those sinful oily stuff completely, but toning it down is a good idea despite your age, and especially if you aren’t living a particularly active lifestyle to begin with.
fish noodle soup at B & Best, SS 4
There are always choices when it you are eating out, and avoiding having fried items like char kuih teow or mee goreng too often is a good thing. One of my favorites is in fact, fish noodle soup places such as B & Best at SS 4, other healthier choices include lui cha (vegetarian), kampar noodle, and beef noodle. All of which involves very little usage of oil, and aren’t deep fried.
BBQ crab, lamb, and other seafood at Hing Ket, Klang
In essence, try to choose food that are prepared with as little oil/fat as possible – steam, boil, and even bbq version are usually a lot less oily. Hing Ket grilled seafood at Klang immediately comes in mind, and there are even restaurants that prepares everything by steaming, such as Restaurant K.T.L at Cheras.
everything is steamed at restaurant K.T.L.
When ordering stuff that involves frying, there’s always the option to ask for less oil. More often than not, the chef/hawker operator will comply. (same goes with when ordering drinks – kurang manis!)
Other than avoiding oil, having more fruits and vegetable too is another way to get a balance dose of nutrients for your body. Replacing snacks with fruits is perhaps one of the best choice anyone can make. I’m lucky that my company actually provides free fruits on Fridays, but ideally one should have at least a portion every day.
Home cooked food:
For those who cooks at home, it is even easier to have a healthy diet since everything is within your own control. Recipes can always be modified to use less oil by incorporating or replacing it with other methods of cooking that uses less oil. For those with the budget, there are now “air fryer” that uses very little oil for deep frying (80% less). Do check out Philips Airfryer and Tefal Actifry.
For those of us without those fancy fryer, here’s a recipe for yummy watercress soup that is simple to prepare, awesome to taste, cheap, and wholesomely healthy. I used to make this soup when I was in the States and misses mom’s meal.
do wash and and only use the tender part of watercress
Ingredients (to make 2 bowls of soup):
boil meat/chicken, then add watercress, done!
Instructions:
the finished dish – watercress soup, healthy and tasty
There you go, a healthy bowl of soup that goes perfectly with steamed rice, ready in 30 minutes, and as homey as you can get. You can perhaps pair this with some steamed fish.
Eat healthy, stay fit, and live longer, happier.
P/S: Do tune into 1 Sihat Malaysia to get more health tips on eating habits and healthy living. The program is hosted by Fahrin Ahmad and features stories from the local celebrities. Head to gayahidupsihat.my for more, this post is brought to you by Ministry of Health.
For those of you who always asks why I’m not massively overweight while maintaining a seemingly sinful life that revolves around food, well, here is one of the reasons – exercise.
I play badminton every Monday (and sometimes Sunday too), futsal every Thursday & Saturday (and sometimes Tuesday too), and occasionally ride my mountain bike if I haven’t had either of the other two forms of exercise for more than 2-3 days in a row.
While sports is all fun and great, the activities do put a bit of a toll on the body, a bit of aching, sprains, and bruises every now and then aren’t uncommon.
my regular badminton session at Seksyen 13, PJ
A little while ago I wrote about the Tiger Balm cool plaster that I used on my sprained ankle. Well, now that the ankle is 100% back to normal, I’m back on the court again… and made the mistake of not really easing myself into the games after an absence of 3 weeks. Hitting a bit too hard, and the lack of proper warm up left me with a bit of a tight right shoulder.
Which gave me an opportunity to try out the Tiger Balm warm plaster.
Tiger Balm plaster directions
Just like the cool plaster, application of the warm plaster is pretty simple:
Tiger Balm warm plaster on back shoulder
Just like the cool plaster, the warm plaster is stretchable and does not impede movement. The adhesive is secure enough that you can actually sleep in it or use it under a shirt and still it won’t come off accidentally.
The warm plaster gives a soothing warm sensation and does provide pretty good pain relief. I did feel the shoulder loosen up a little better after a while. It felt good.
Tiger Balm plasters give good pain relief and is perfect for many occasions, but if you have chronic aching that bothers you and never seem to get any better, I would think that doctor’s consultation is needed.
Each pack of Tiger Balm Plaster contains 2 units, large pack goes for RM 6.80 while the smaller one is priced at RM 5.20. You can find them at all key chain pharmacies such as Guardian or Watson and nearby pharmacies.
