Tips to Successful Slimming

The following tips may be useful to help you succeed in losing weight.

1. Weigh yourself once a week only. Your weight fluctuates from day to day and this can be misleading.

2. Eat regularly – don’t skip meals and snacks.

3. Never shop when you are hungry – otherwise you may be tempted by quick-fry fatty sugary snacks.

4. Take a list of the ingredients you need with you to the supermarket and stick to it.

5. Avoid night-time snacking and TV dinners. Eat at the table and be conscious of what you’re eating.

6. Serve meals on a small plate to make them look bigger.

7. Distract yourself when you feel like over-indulging – go for a stroll, take a bath or read a magazine.

8. Set specific goals such as losing a couple of kilos a month. When you hit a target – reward yourself with a trip to the cinema or a new book.

9. Make sure you get lots of exercise. Try to incorporate simple activities into your routine and work up to 30 minutes of daily sustained exercise.

10. Take the stairs instead of the lift, or walk part of the way to work everyday.

11. Instead of using butter or margarine, choose an alternative spread based on unsaturated vegetables oils such as olive or sunflower.

12. To stir-fry foods, use spray oil on a non-stick pan, or use a small pastry brush to add a little oil.

13. Beans and lentils are a good source of protein and fibre, especially if you are vegetarian. Eaten with rice and pasta, they make satisfying nutritious meals.

A Healthy Desktop

You can become dehydrated very quickly in a centrally air-conditioned office. Depleted fluids levels lead to fatigue, so you should reserve a space on your desk for a bottle of water. Take regular sips throughout the day aiming to drink about eight glasses.

Clear your drawers of junk foods such as sweets and chocolate bars as these are the foods you should avoid if you want to stay in good shape. Buy an air-tight box with a snap-on lid and stock your favourite healthy snacks in it. Try mixed nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), dried fruit, small sesame bars, sunflower and sesame seed or also some muesli to bridge the hunger gap if you forget to have breakfast before leaving for work.

You may also keep supplies of your favourite alternative remedies in your desk. A small bottle of essential oil of lavender helps to reduce tension headaches. Sachets of herbal teas such as chamomile, fennel and mint help with digestive problems and rosehip boosts your vitamin C levels. Herbal teas are low in caffeine and make good alternatives to endless cups of coffee.

Get into the habit of taking fruit to work with you everyday. An orange, apple and banana and a few grapes make great desk snacks.

Make your own sandwiches to bring to work if you have the time. They are a healthy and delicious breakfast meal. Try out various breads such as ciabatta, foccacia or wholemeal roll.

Yoga Playtime With Lila

I have always enjoyed my classes with Lila as she uses gentle stretches, flowing moves and massages in her class to calm, strengthen, tone and release tension in our bodies.

If you would like to try out her class, you can join us as follows:

Wednesday, 26 November 2008 at 6.30 pm
Venue: Duta Tropika Clubhouse, Sri Hartamas

Sunday, 30 November 2008 at 10.00 am
Venue: Level 5 Poolside, Menara Bukit Ceylon
Visit Yogababy's site for further details.

You can also email me at karintwh@gmail.com if you need further info.

Eat Colours For Good Health

Look out for foods that are deep blue, purple, red, green, orange and yellow – they contain carotenoids and anthocyanins, which have health-enhancing nutrients to protect against heart disease and cancer. These foods are rich in antioxidants and help prevent cell damage and reduce the risk of degenerative diseases.

Deep Green

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, spinach and kale are good sources of calcium for healthy bones and teeth.

Red

Tomatoes, cranberries and pomegranates are beneficial sources of anthocyanins and lycopene which are possible deterrents to heart disease and cancers of the prostate, cervix and gastrointestinal tract.

Orange/Yellow

Squash, carrots and sweet potatoes are great sources of antioxidants that can promote healthy lungs and fight off squamous cell carcinoma.

Deep Blue/Purple

Eggplant, blueberries, strawberries and cherries help lower your risk of heart disease by boosting the liver to absorb extra cholesterol as well as improve memory.

Get a FREE dress online

Too good to be true? So, I check out the website IrenelimFashion to see what it is all about.

Well it seems, I need to write a short review of the online fashion store in my blog. But what has a fashion store got to do with my blog which is about yoga and wellness.


Well, I went thru the dresses in the website and noted that there are T-shirts which you can wear for your yoga class unless you are one of those fashionable yogis who only wear branded yoga clothing for your practice. The T-shirts look comfortable enough for you to do your asanas and they can also be worn for outings.


Malaysia Online Fashion has lots of other clothing for office, dinner and casual wear. The pricing is very reasonable as the dresses are sourced from various suppliers including those from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China. The owner has also assured on the quality of the dresses as they are hand picked and viewed by her before they are put on the website.


Well, I hope I get a free dress as Chinese New Year is just around the corner.

How To Jog Properly

Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.

When you start jogging, you should make sure you have proper running shoes and the right kind of clothing. If it is warm you will want a T-shirt or top that doesn't stick to you and shorts that make it easy to move.

Set your route and how long you want to jog for. Make sure you warm up properly before you start jogging, this includes stretching all muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings and calves to prevent injury.

As you jog, breathe deeply and keep your head up.

• Begin jogging at a slow pace.
• Raise your knees with each step.
• Land on your heel and push off for the next step with the ball of your foot.
• Keep your arms relaxed and bent at no less than a 90-degree angle, and swing them gently by your sides with each step.
• Swing each arm in tandem with the opposing leg.
• Keep your hands cupped but loose.

Try jogging with a friend or a club, it might make it more enjoyable and help you to stick at it better. Also, make sure you cool down after running by doing some more light stretching - this is as important as warming up.

Some tips to make you a better jogger.
• Set a time limit or a distance for your jog.
• Intersperse jogging with walking if you get tired.
• Jog facing traffic.
• Wear light-colored clothing so you're more visible on the road.
• Stretch and warm up with a short walk before and after jogging to minimize the chances of injury.

Heel Trouble

High heels may be sexy, but they can pose serious health risks, according to research.

The effect on the various parts of the body –

Knee – putting extra weight on the knees can lead to pain and in some cases osteoarthritis

Pelvis – tilting the pelvis can weaken pelvic floor muscles

Ankles – wobbling on thin heels can lead to sprained ankles

Lower back – increasing the curvature of the spine can cause lower back problems

Calf – walking on tiptoes can shorten the calf muscle

Foot – putting the balance forward can overload the bones in the ball of the foot

If you can’t give up high heels, these tips help you to make a better purchase.

Make sure the toe box is the shape of your foot (and not any narrower) and is 1 cm longer then your big toe.

The more padding the better – consider inserts

A strong strap over the arch of the foot can help stop the foot slipping forward and provide better support

How low can you go? Don’t choose heels higher than an inch.

Stilettos do not provide enough support, do go for a wide or thick heel.

"Prevention is better than cure." - Desiderius Erasmus