HYPOXI

I'm trying HYPOXI today for the first time, stay put for a review!

Myanmar (Burma)

Hi! Sorry for the long break in the blog. I have been in Myanmar (Burma) for two weeks and we had absolutely no connection. A fantastic trip with amazing nature and people but so under developed and so poor in many ways. I really recommend to go there but if you do, see to that you try to stay and eat in family owned and privately run placces so that you don't contribute to the Millitary Junta.

My regular posts about health and exercise will be back:)

The 4 Hour Body

Hi! Have you heard about the book "the 4 hour body"? I started reading it last week and i am completely stuck in it. I don't know if I stand by everything in the book but it is without a doubt very interesting. It is a lot of scince but Tim Ferriss writes in such a way that it becomes very entertaining. Read it!

http://www.fourhourbody.com/

My Favourite Health Mags

I read a lot of health & fitness magazines, both because it is one of my biggest interests and because they give me inspiration to exercises and workouts that I can use with clients. My absolute favourite one is:

closely followed by:

My Weekend

Hi! Have had a great weekend in Hong Kong with fantastic weather. Went out for dinner friday with a few cocktails. Up quiet early though saturday and did a Pilates class followed by a spinning class in the gym. After lunch I caught up with a friend  and took a long walk with her and her dog. Dinner yesterday was with a bunch of friends in Sichuan restaurant - yummy and very spicy! Had a session this morning with a client and after that I have just been taking it easy with my boyfriend. A walk and lunch in a cozy cafe with a book:) Will have a quiet night at home tonight with a movie and homecooked dinner. Need some new energy for the coming week which will be ver busy. Starting off with a TRX class tomorrow morning before work!

How something so quick can be so good:)

Came home quiet late yesterday so whisked together an omelett with mushrooms, onion and cheese. I served it with a salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and avocado. Very quick and very good!

TRX

Hi! Yesterday I did a TRX workout which is a circuit workout that uses industrial-strength nylon suspension cables with handles, attachable to any overhead anchoring point. Using your own body weight as resistance, TRX allows you to perform some 400 exercises, ranging from the super-easy to the super-hard. The class targets your entire body and emphasises toning and strength building that help with day-to-day activities.

I really enjoy TRX and I think it is fabulous for building up muscles and body strength. I'm thinking about taking the certification myself and use this with my clients since it is so easy to bring everywhere and it is perfect for outdoor training. Compared to Body pump this is both more efficient and more fun!

Protein for Vegetarians

My new client is a vegetarian and she said she said she has problems with eating enough protein because she wasn't sure what good protein sources are. Here are some examples of excellent Protein sources for Vegetarians:

Chickpeas & Hommous

Eggs

Dairy

Quinoa

Tofu

Soymilk

All kinds of Beans

Lentils

Now, a 5km run then lunch!

Evening Tea

Celestial Sleepytime herbal tea with Chamomile, spearmint, West Indian lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn and rosebuds. I drink this at night to relax and get in a sleepy mood for bed:)

Iron Savers

I have had a lack of Iron since I was about 14 and have learnt to recognize the signs which in my case involves that I feel lack of body energy and sometimes get a headache. Red meat is a great source of iron but since I don't eat that very often my saviours are Strawberries and dried Apricots. I love them both so it's not just good for me it is a treat as well :)

Afternoon tea

My friend had put together amazing afternoon tea yesterday. She had done both sweet and savoury scones, there were homemade jam and marmalade, cream cheese, whipped cream, chocolate truffles, and fresh figs & strawberries. Walked home after that and spent the night with a movie and a red curry I cooked. Had a long sleep in again today:) Have some work to do during the day and in the late afternoon I will take my boyfriend out for a training session. We'll do circuit training for core and upper body. Have a nice Sunday!

Finally well!

Hi! I'm finally feeling well today so I celebrated with a walk up the morning trail and some circuit training. Have missed exercising so much so felt really good. Found a little park along the trail so took the opportunity when I was there to try some things out for a workout I am planning for a new client I'm seeing on Monday. She wants to work a lot on her upper body and I think I have designed something for her now that could be good. When I came home I made a chickpea and quinoa salad for lunch. My boyfriend was a bit sceptical but he liked it :)

Off for Afternoon tea now at a friends place, see you later!

Friday and Dinner :)

I am finally starting to feel better plus it is Friday which means Weekend!!

I have missed exercise so much so can't wait for tomorrow when I finally get to do something active. Depending on the weather I'll do a hike or some Yoga & Pilates.

First afterwork and dinner to celebrate dinner. Have a friend in town from Australia so tonight we are heading for Tapas in this place: http://www.hiphongkong.com/eat/restaurants/spanish_restaurants/mesa_15

                                            

                    

Spirulina

Hi! As mentioned  previously I can write a whole post about Spirulina so here it comes! I think Spirulina is great since it is a natural supplement and I have noticed that I both have gotten more energy and my skin and hair has gotten better since I started including it in my diet.

Spirulina is one of the most nutritious foods in the world. It is 100% natural blue-green algae that were first discovered inn South American and African lakes and has since constituted a significant part of the diet in many communities.

Today Spirulina is usually sold and used in tablets or powder as a dietary supplement and has many different benefits:

Spirulina is extremely rich in vegetable protein and iron – richer than both soy and beef.  

It contains a high volume of beta-carotene (Vitamin A) which protects cells (5 times more than carrot and 40 times more than spinach).

Spirulina contains high volumes of GLA which is a rare healthy essential fatty acid that can reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease.

In addition Spirulina holds a wide range of Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin B (which is particularly lacking in a vegetarian diet), Potassium, Magnesium Sodium, Phosphorus, Calcium etc.

Spirulina is probably the only food containing Phycocyanin which both have anti-inflammatory effects and help the body’s immune system.

 

Clothes for inspiration

Hi!

I am still sick but I am definitely better than in the beginning of the week. Get so restless when I can't exercise so can't wait for when I am well enough to get back. In the meantime I have been checking out some clothes for gym and exercise to keep me inspired. I never really find anything that wows me; I think most of the collections for women are quiet boring. Stella McCartney for Addidas and LuluLemon sometimes has a few things that are a bit more exciting. For Basic wear I think Cassall (Swedish brand) have the nicest things. Below are a few Cassall things I wouldn't mind filling my wardrobe with :)

       

Vitamin C Boost

Felt really poorly today so I had to leave work early. Made a fruit salad of kiwi and orange to get a Vitamin C boost. Will have an early night and lots of water, hopefully it will make me feel better until tomorrow!

Vitamins and supplements

Hi!

Completely forgot to write anymore yesterday, had plans on taking a photo of my dinner as well but guess I just have to describe it instead. I Had Pan-fried chicken with tarragon and lemon and a green salad with that. For dessert we had fresh strawberries and a little bit of ice cream. Except for my three main meals I also had roasted almonds and an apple in between the meals. Always eat 5-6 times a day!

I had plans on walking the morning trail again tonight with a friend but I have got a cough and in order to recover I will stay home instead. I might just do a basic yoga workout depending on how I feel.

We got new Vitamins yesterday (we order them online since the Swiss brand is not available in HK) so now I am back to my normal pill cocktail in the mornings:

From the left: Spirulina (I take 2-4 tablets a day, will write a whole post about spirulina in the future), women's green multivitamin (1 tablet) Fish Oil which is Omega 3 (3 tablets) Hair skin and Nails (1 tablet) and Mood (1 tablet) the last one is good for women especially around PMS periods. 



 Remember that Vitamins are only supplements and will only work if you also eat a balanced diet. What many people don't know is that the vitamins need to be transported to the cells by for example fat or water. Vitamins A, D, E and K for example are fat-soluble vitamins meaning that they dissolve in fat before they are absorbed in the blood stream to carry out their functions. This means that if you don't eat fat you will eventually get a deficiency of these vitamins no matter how many pills you pop. Always stick to a balanced diet between Slow Carbohydrates, Good Fats, Protein and water to make sure the body get all the nutrition it needs!

Have a Healthy and Happy Day!

Time for lunch

Today's lunch box: Salad made of raw broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, barley, quinoa, sundried tomatoes and balsamico. Very healthy and very yummy! 

Healthy Breakfast

Good Morning!

First day at work after the holiday. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast: Porridge made of Rolled Oats, Barley, Sunflowerseeds, Flaxseeds and dried cranberries served with fresh milk. Two boiled eggs and a cup of green tea. I also take my vitamins in the morning: Multivitamins, Omega 3 and Spirulina.

Have a nice day!

First session after the holiday

The brunch today was lovely. Got a bit warm in the end since I was wearing a bit too covering clothes but don't mind since I'm quite happy to be back in a warm climate after two weeks in the snow. I feel really lucky that I have so much opportunities to travel and live in such an amazing place:) Ate a lot of food at the brunch especially sushi, sashimi and heaps of desserts, didn't drink anything though which I am happy about since I still had some energy left to go out for the first training session after the holiday. I walked up the Morning trail which is a trail that starts about 10 minutes from where I live and then leads up to Victoria Peak which is one of the higher peaks on Hong Kong Island and the views from up there can be stunning on a clear day. It takes about 40 minutes to walk up from my house and then when up there, I either walk or run around the peak which is about 2km or I do a strength exercise session with body weight and/or straps. Today I just walked up, did a few balance exercises and push ups. I'm still not entirely recovered from all the skiing so I wanted to start out pretty calm.

Back to work tomorrow so tonight will be a quiet night in the sofa with coldcuts, cheeses and a movie:)

Good night...

Brunch and to drink or not to drink?

Hi!

I am back home now for the first time in two weeks and it actually feels great. Two weeks of holiday is perfect since it is long enough to get the motivation back for work. I have a lot of things to deal with regarding my own little company and my regular job. Fixing with some things now but will soon take a break since I am going for brunch with some friends in a Restaurant here in Hong Kong called Top Deck. It will be absolutely lovely because the weather is sunny with about 20 degrees (Celsius) and we will sit outside. Usually brunches here involves free flowing champagne and usually I am a big fan of it, but today I think I will have to stick to the nice food and the alcohol free beverages. Feel I have been indulging enough over the holiday and I still want some productive hours in the afternoon including some exercise (which I wouldn't get if drinking since I get drunk from very little :)).

I promised I would write about my opinion of alcohol and drinking and here it comes: I write about health and happiness since I think they are very much interrelated. I think life is all about balance and that basically everything is allowed in moderation (drugs and anything illegal excluded of course). Alcohol in excess will have serious health effects but alcohol in moderation will not. I like a glass of wine now and then and I even like to have a bender (?!) on special occasions and I think we have to allow ourselves that. Forbidding ourselves to drink, eat or do something we like will just be destructive mentally and can lead to unhappiness. Always keep balance in mind; allow yourself the "forbidden" treats - in moderation!

                                No need to choose one or the other when you can do both! :)

Travelling today

Hi!

I am travelling home today so don't have much opportunity to write. You will hear from me again when I am back in Hong Kong!

Good Morning!

For all you guys out there trying to lose weight; I found this article about the 6 most common mistakes that keep you from losing those kilos.


http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/weight-loss-mistakes/index.php?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-MensHealth-_-Content-WL-_-6MistakesThatKeepYouFat

We had a bit of a late night here last night and several people are a bit hangover today :) Luckily I went to bed at midnight and didn't drink so much so I will go snowboarding today on my own. I am still a beginner at boarding so will be a good day to mess around in the easy slopes. Regarding Hangovers and Alcohol, check in later for what I think about a healthy approach to it and what you can do to avoid feeling horrible the day after.

Have a healthy and happy day!

Rest

Hi!

Taking a day off skiing today and have just had a chilled day. 9 days of skiing in a row is probably a bit too much and I should probably have had a rest day sooner. Had a sleep-in, late breakfast, a coffee in the village and then a walk around. We had lunch in a cosy little cafe and it was actually nice to have something else than Japanese food for a change. I had a rye sandwich with cream cheese, smoked salmon and lettuce. The cafe had amazing cakes so we decided to have dessert as well so my boyfriend and I shared a Banana Chocolate pie that was really yummy :) 

Rest is extremely important when you are doing exercise and here are some reasons why:

When you are resting you allow your body to adapt to the stress of exercise and the real training effect takes place. It is no myth that muscles need rest to grow. Exercise or any other physical activity causes changes in the body such as muscle tissue breakdown and the depletion of energy stores as well as fluid loss. During the rest time these stores will be replenished and the tissue will be repaired. 

Without sufficient time to repair and replenish, the body will continue to breakdown from intensive exercise. Symptoms of overtraining often occur from a lack of recovery time. Signs of overtraining include a feeling of general malaise, staleness, depression, decreased sports performance and increased risk of injury, among others.

Something else to keep in mind is that ligaments don't grow as fast as muscles and they tire faster. You need to rest to give the ligaments and tendons time to adapt to and catch up with the muscles to prevent injuries.

Seafood dinner

Just back from an amazing dinner - 6 course Japanese seafood dinner. Lots of oysters, sashimi, crab etc. I absolutely love seafood and the fact that it is super healthy makes it even better. Had a few glasses of wine with dinner and that plus all the food made me tired so I am back in the house now in my track suit pants with a cup of peppermint tea. I always drink peppermint tea when I have had a big meal since it helps with digestion. My friends and boyfriend decided to go out for another drink so they might stay out for a while.
Thinking about having the day off from skiing tomorrow to rest the legs a little bit and in that case you can expect some longer posts:)

Good night...

Fantastic day!

Hi!

Don't have so much time to write  because we are heading out for dinner but here are some photos from the amazing day!