Tuesday Inspiration

A Path to a Healthier You

Sharing with you all a column I write for our company's newsletter for the Health and Wellness section. :)

------------------------------------- 

Summer’s just a stone’s throw away and many has gone into all the diet and fitness craze just to be beach-body ready come sunny season. With all the efforts placed in vying for a healthier regimen, we so often fail due to our continuous bingeing on forbidden foods and relying on fast track diets which is nothing but a temporary fix. Interestingly, most of us are guilty about this.

According to one article “Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love.” This has been a misconception the reason why it always pulls us back to our goal of sticking to a healthy habit.  We believe that in order to maintain a supermodel physique, we have to starve ourselves and just stay away from all the best tasting food in the world.

So how does one really develop good habits that can go a long way in staying healthy even if the beach season is over? And how do we stay on that same road even if we’re living in a “rush, rush” kind of world?

Here are a few tips from several health and wellness sites that can guide you on your journey to good health.

 

1.       Educate yourself on healthy versus unhealthy foods. The general rule of the thumb is to limit one’s consumption to foods that doesn’t come from nature. Go for real and natural foods for they are not packed with consuming additives and preservatives that doesn’t do your body any favors. 

 

2.       Set small but attainable goals. Running a marathon after being a lifetime couch potato may be a little lofty of a goal. Apply goals that you can stick to every day and can motivate you into achieving bigger goals. One can start by walking down a small flight of stairs, taking a 30-minute walk every day, or as simple as jumping up and down at home. Every time you do an activity that causes you to sweat is tantamount to burning a certain amount of calories.

 

3.       Improve your sleep quality. We usually underestimate the power of sleep. If you’re running low on sleep, you’ll be very tired throughout the day. Your willpower to eat well completely disappears causing you to reach out for anything unhealthy just to give you the energy you need.

 

4.       Eat to live, not live to eat. Do you find yourself eating food when you’re not even hungry? According to Michell May, MD, author of Am I Hungry, whenever you feel like eating, always look for signs of hunger. You eat to not to stuff yourself but to refuel. Our stomach is only the size of your first, and it would only take a handful of food to fill it comfortably.

 

5.       Drink plenty of water. Science can provide you with lots of good reasons to chug down on water. It prevents you from being dehydrated which can sap up your energy. It helps flush out toxins from your body and provides your brain with a lot of oxygen needed to function at optimum levels. While it may not give you a drastic effect on weight loss, substituting it for higher calorie beverages will certainly help.

 

Run-Bike-Run Holiday

 

It's a HOOOOOLLIIIIDAAAAAY!!!!

 

I honestly felt guilty about the whole cleansing/ detoxifying thing so I've decided to do some morning run today.

 

I missed working at a later hour wherein I'd still have time to workout before heading to work (my current job makes it really impossible). So I took advantage of the time I got and head out to run and bike. Good thing even after weeks of not working out, I was able to complete 5 mi of running (in total) and 8 mi of biking.

 

It always feel great to shed off some calories while getting in touch with nature. 

 

Hooray to a fruitful morning! :)

 

XOXO

Einah



Ending the Master Cleanse Diet

I know, I know... I'm just on my Day 3 and I'm so close to ending the hardest phase when I gave up. Well to tell you honestly, it's harder than I thought it would be. Being the disciplined eater that I was for almost 2 years, I thought it would be that easy. I can say it was really really tough. The first day was really easy coz I just locked myself up the room and lie down in my bed most of the time, but come Day 2 and 3, I'm having a hard time to concentrate already. So let me give you some reasons why I've finally decided to quit -

1. My job entails creative thinking and without my concentration, I won't be able to execute my tasks. I love my job and a few days of being unproductive would cause my team some trouble.
2. I feel so deprived and all I can think of was rewarding myself of sinful treats after the cleanse which I think won't do me any good at all after the cleansing. So I'd rather not starve myself to minimize my cravings more. LOL. :)
3. Having the Sea Salt Flush was too much to bear. I feel like wanting to vomit every time I take a gulp.

So I guess those are the things on top of my list. But it doesn't mean anyone wpn't be able to do it. Well Beyoncé and a lot of health freaks swore by it. As I always say, when you put your heart and mind into something, you'll never fail.

I guess TMC don't just fit in to the kind of lifestyle that I have since my work entails me to be active at all times. I can't risk everything for that YET. Well I might do another cleanse but probably a shorter one and something where I won't have to drink that "icky" sea salt water. Just the thought of it kind of gives me that disgusting feeling already. LOL.

Well that's all for the day. Let me indulge myself into more food and delectable dishes. But I'm still doing that pesco-vegetarian thing. Good thing TMC gave me a good jumpstart to healthy eating. You can indulge and give into your cravings, you just have to be more disciplined and always think of its long-term effect on your health. ;)

XOXO
Einah

The 10-day Master Cleanse Challenge

I've been meaning to try a cleansing diet ever since but I haven't gotten the time to look for one. Well I know you have all sorts of detox diet available in the market - Juju cleanse, TMC/ Lemonade Diet, etc. but I needed to find "The One" that would be worth the effort and the price. After much researching, and looking around, I've finally decided to settle with the much talk about The Master Cleanse Diet.

There are 3 phases for the program: The Ease In, The Lemonade Diet and the Ease Out. I admit I haven't followed the proper Ease-In phase since it's all about preparing your mind and body with the limitation of food intake. Though I've tried limiting what I ate for the past 3 days prior to the program, a few cravings still sets in.

So I'm on my 2nd day of the Lemonade Diet itself and I can say it's easy breezy on my part. To help myself in going through the challenging process, I tried keeping myself away from any food (or even the smell of it), and lock myself inside the room to see how my body would respond to the program. Good thing, I've ditch all the sinful and tempting food inside the fridge prior so my cravings were kind of limited already which is really helpful.

On my first day, I was able to even do 50 crunches and 2,000 jump ropes. I believe you can do light exercises just to ensure you wouldn't lose much of the muscle mass which I'm too concerned about. I'm actually planning to do an everyday fitness regimen after all the detoxifying.

I still have 8 days and I know it would be tough on the coming days ahead.. but as they say, as long as you put your mind and soul into it, you can never fail.

Well that's it for the day. To know more about The Master Cleanse, you can use this site as a guide.

http://themastercleanse.org/

And if you may ask, everything is available in any Healthy Options store. I got everything at Php 1800 that would last for 2-3 days depending on you consumption.

Feel free to message me if you plan to go through with the diet and needed some support in going through it. So until then. Wish me luck! :) 

XOXO 

Einah

PAPERMAN - Last Year's Oscar-winning Hilarious Short Film

Since Heart's Day is fast approaching, let me leave you all with a heartwarming short film from Disney. 

Spare me some 6-minute of your time and I assure you that it will all be worth it. ;)

This romantic comedy film has been nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscar's. 

May you have a week full of LOVE! :)

XOXO

Einah

A Breezy Afternoon at 14 Four Cafe

My mom has been raving about 14 Four Cafe for quite some time now. Though the cafe is just a 10-minute drive away from our house, paying them a visit was nearly impossible due to my busy schedule.

Yesterday, I was too lazy to go to the gym for boxing (must be the weather or my sluggish attitude kicking in) so I opted to ask my friend out for an afternoon treat. We took this opportunity as well to finalize some plans we have for our upcoming business partnership - which I CAN'T disclose yet. Don't want to jinx it!! ;)

My husband-turned-driver was kind enough to drop us there before his basketball game. I, or should I say - We, were surprised of how a nice place could be hidden in the midst of a quiet subdivision in Taytay.

Based from my pre-visit research, the cafe is a furniture showroom turned into a cafe on weekends. 

You can check more about them here: http://www.14fourcafe.com/

Upon entering, we asked the crew if we could do a quick tour inside and  see their creative collections before we get seated outside. She gladly granted our request and guided us in. 

It is nearly impossible not to fall in love with this place. It gives you a relaxing vibe the moment you enter their sanctuary and provides you a snuggled up feeling by the time you rest on their super comfy seats. 

It is a perfect hangout place with your barkadas. Oh and they come with free wifis too! Ain't that a steal?! :)

And we can't help to not take photos of the outside as well. 





I made prior reservations to make sure we get the best spot. 

I specifically requested for alfresco seating and made the operator swore that she wouldn't put us somewhere hot and uncomfortable since it's 3pm and the sun's out smiling. 

And as expected, she perfectly gave us a big and nice work station. :) We had the right dose of sunshine and cool breeze for an afternoon.

  
A cafe will not be on my "must-visit" place if the food was a total disaster. 

I made a brave move and tried their Vegetarian Panini and paired it up with a Strawberry Milkshake to even out the taste. And again as expected, they did not disappoint. :)

Pam, Anny's daughter ordered for some Carbonara and Strawberry Milkshake and she said that the pasta was just 'uhmm okay'.

Anny has decided to get a Brewed Iced Tea and Cinnamon Pancakes. The custard that came along with the pancakes made it really special. According to Anny, they probably used 'cake mix' instead of of the  usual 'pancake mix' that made it light, fluffy and really tasty. :)

The food is worth one's penny and we never regret ordering any of them. However, I just wished they had more variety on their snacks and especially coffees.  

And yes, I'll definitely be back here! It's just a perfect place to do some creative thinking or simply experience silence and solitude.

Good food + Great ambiance = Definitely a must-try! :)


XOXO
Einah  

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Hey there! It's been ages and I honestly don't know how to start. Please allow me to apologize first on my houdini act. Things had been crazy as hell (in a positive way I suppose) and finding time to  update my blog has been really tough. But home is where the heart is, and a part of home for me is this blog. Gaaah! Let's keep the tears from falling. I don't want my comeback to be so emotional. Haha!

Alright now! So where do I begin? Uhmmm okay.

Well, 2012 ended fantastic and the start of 2013 has been tremendous! :) I had my very first 21k run for MILO (and got a medal for finishing it for 2 hrs and 30 mins), I'll finally be moving to a company that I've been wanting to be a part of, I went back to practicing Yoga (I had a very short stint mid of last year) and......... *DRUM ROLL PLEASE* I was able to climb Mt. Apo (Yeessss!!! Philippine's highest mountain yow! Beat that!!). 

Here are a few snapshots of my half marathon run last December.

This is me with my friend Pat who had her first 5k run.

The proud "me" of course.

And a photo of us with Coach Jim Saret who started it all. :)

I actually wanted to post photos of our Mt. Apo climb but so I thought it humbly deserves a separate entry on this blog. It was a truly remarkable experience for each one of us and it would seem unjustifiable if we don't give all the respect it is due. So please allow me to leave you with some of the best shots that we have as a teaser.

DISCLAIMER: These may not be the "best" of what you've seen but it is for us. Looking at these photos would always remind us of how amazing it was GOING and BEING up there. And if you ask me "HOW?"... Let me borrow a few words from Antoine de Saint-Exupery: "The beauty of the mountain reveals only to those who climbed it." 

To know the true beauty that lies ahead.. You have to climb and see it for yourself. :)

Words are truly not enough to describe the amazing creation God has truly blessed us with. There is always something that draws us closer to nature.. something that binds us and makes us feel more at home being a part of something this wonderful. For others, they are merely trees, rocks and soil that comprises the earth. For us, it is an answer we continuously seek every time we climb mountains... For us, it is a journey... a calling.. and a passion. :)

"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place ? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know." — René Daumal

XOXO

Einah

My 1st Week with MILO Running School

Hello there! Hope you all had a great weekend! My week has been  pretty exciting because it was my 1st week with MILO Running School and the 2 classes I've attended so far had been so fun and challenging! :)

Just to give you a brief backgrounder, last June I joined a Fit-Fil (Fit Filipino) Boot Camp and was a part of the Advance Team. It was a 5-week long fitness boot camp wherein we do series of workouts such as pilates, yoga, boxing, crossfit training, a session of krav maga, running, etc. I got to meet a lot of health and fitness advocates who have truly inspired me in pursuing  my journey towards living a healthier lifestyle. Most of them were students and coaches from MILO Running School who have shared their exciting experiences and convinced me to join the next season. So come September, I gave it a shot and enrolled to see what the fuss was all about. :)

Here are my current team mates from the 42k team. 

I was just actually aiming for the 21k Team since most of my runs were only 10k and a step forward would mean just a leap to the 21k distance. However, since most of the ex-fitfil (Advance team) peeps are already with 42k, they somehow convinced me to try it out first. So again, I gave it a shot. So please wish me luck.  :-/

Here are a few photos from our last 2 sessions.

A few pre-run and post-run stretching techniques were taught before we start with the exercises. Even the stretching are pretty tough.



Doing another grueling version of the 4-minute workout with thera-bands tied on our legs. I've tried the other version before since it was taught during the Fit-Fil Bootcamp.

Every after the 4-minute workout, we were asked to run a few lapses.

With my ex-folks from Fit-Fil.

And this is the 4-minute version I'm familiar with. Even if I've been doing this exercise for several times at home, it doesn't make it any easier. :-(

I was supposed to run a half marathon last Saturday morning but due to the heavy rains, the run was cancelled since a few race routes are flooded. I hope they won't schedule it next Sat. since we have a scheduled twin day hike in preparation for our Mt. Apo hike on January.

Running seemed impossible since JR and I were so busy doing errands and taking care of a few stuff yesterday and today.

He had colleagues from China and since they'll be going back to their homeland on Monday, we've decided to bring them to Mall of Asia and take them out for dinner.

We ate at Fish and Co. since all restos are nearly crowded and we haven't tried eating there yet. I know right, poor us.

A photo with the 2 Zhang. They are not related by blood but they happen to have the same name. They are so cool! :)

Our food for the night. :)

The Seafood Platter. 

Seafood Marinara

The Fish and Chips which was a real steal since they have a 50% off Payday Promo for this. 

Hot Fudge Chocolate Cake

Fruit Salad with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Drizzle

We took JR's colleagues at Kultura since it's one of those places where a tourist can get native products that are "export" worthy. From native bags, to locally made shirts, lambanogs (local wine) and delicacies. I did some shopping for myself too and got a Lemon Grass Tea with Malunggay, Nuts, Unsweetened Banana Chips and Cheese Flavored Camote Chips. 

It was a pretty tiring day and the heavy traffic took much of our time. Good thing was I manage to get a decent 8-hour of sleep and get ready for a busy Sunday.

As you notice, I used the same bag for 2 consecutive days since I've been loving the psychedelic colors and it totally lifts my mood caused by the gloomy weather.

Finally.. after how many years, JR bought a phone for himself. His defective E71 can finally retire. He got a Blackberry Torch 9860 which I believe was the latest release for BB Torch. So far, I'm loving how fast it connects to the internet. Since he has been using a Nokia, I'm doing all the work when it comes to the transfer of all his contacts to his BB. Tough I know. :-/

And we rushed off to Jr's grandson's 1st birthday party at Jollibee Manila, which is quite of a long drive from our place.

I had to eat before we go to the party to refrain myself from eating any fast food.

I had the Chocolate Banana Muffin and Iced Caramel Macchiato Coffee.

Delish and really filling!

And here are a few photos from the party.

While we were at Toy Kingdom, Keifer has been repeatedly telling us how much he wanted the entire cars bedroom set as a Christmas Gift. 

Oh well.. JR promised him we'll get him these as long as he keeps his school grades high. Hmm.. we'll see. This kiddo knows how to bargain.



That pretty much covers my entire week. How was yours?

Well tomorrow's a Monday and it's a start of another busy week. I try to welcome it in a positive way and look forward to all the fun surprises that might come along. Starting the week right beats all kind of negativities. :)

Have a superb week ahead!  

XoXo
- Einah