Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Turbo Fire Results: 56 Days

Hey guys!

It's time to track my results for the second month in Turbo Fire with Chalene Johnson
This month's program was focused on cardio and muscle training. So there were days on the scale when it registered that I gained a bit. I comforted myself with the thought that it's really muscle build blah blah.

SCALE RESULTS
Starting Weight:117
Current Weight: 114

Weightloss this cycle: 3 lbs
Weightloss to Date: 12 lbs

TAPE RESULTS
I measured my arms, chest, waist, hips, abductors, butt, thighs and legs.

Starting Inches Total: 259.5
Current Inches Total: 254.75

Inches Lost in this cycle: 4.75
Inches Lost to Date: 15.75 inches


The results in weight and inches are not as spectacular as before. A little bit of a downer, yes, but I'm putting things in perspective, focusing more on my regained strength and endurance, better fitting clothes, and overall better feeling. Plus I'm actually on my "ideal body weight" range so the scale results will definitely be a bit slower now.

Now, on to the 3rd month of Turbo Fire! Going back to the HIITs!
Hopefully this will kickstart my weight loss again. Wish me luck!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Sinfully at Makati Shangri-la

Indulge in top quality chocolate confections at Makati Shangri-la’s Sinfully at Greenbelt 5.
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Chocolate: the perfect epitome of sinful goodness.

It is perfection in every bite, a sweet heaven, and the nectar of the gods. What else can be described with such adoration than chocolate? It is so irresistible in any form—be it milk, dark, white or bitter, it is a confection loved by all. 



Discovered 2000 years ago in South America, chocolate is processed so many ways, leaving it open for creative interpretation and limited only by the pastry chef’s imagination. But in the end, it’s all the same: it is the creamy and sweet chocolate that lures us to indulge in sinful pleasures each time.

Indulge in Sinful Pleasures
There may be no better place to flirt with your chocolate temptation than at Makati Shangri-La's Sinfully. The Lifestyle Network and www.cookeatnow.com were privileged to be part of their press launch.

Area Executive Pastry Chef of Makati Shangri-La Anthony Collar knows chocolate. "Chocolate is a living organism, it’s alive. It is best consumed when it has been left for an hour sitting at 21°C to 22°C (around the same temperature as an air-conditioned room). Coco butter melts at 31°, and your body is 36°," shared Chef Collar.

“Eating chocolate is just like drinking wine--it must be enjoyed and felt by our different senses. Place the chocolate in the middle of your mouth. Don't bite into it! Just before it melts, take a deep breath and fill your nostrils and lungs with its rich aroma. Be patient and let your mouth do the work, soon it will melt and fill your mouth with a sensational taste.”

A study reported by BBC indicates “melting chocolate in one's mouth produces an increase in brain activity and heart rate that is more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasted four times as long after the activity has ended.”


But Chef Collar’s creations are not only about sinful indulgence. “We also want to show that chocolate is not all bad. There are a lot of potential health benefits to eating chocolote. Cocoa and dark chocolate has a lot of antioxidants, and eating controlled amounts can help prevent heart disease. It’s just a matter of controlling your portions.”
Sinfully at Greenbelt 5

Sinfully is the Makati Shangri-la’s first offsite patisserie. It is located at the second floor of Greenbelt 5.



Sinful Attractions


A unique feature of the patisserie is the Chocolate Room. This glassed-off and temperature-controlled area, visible from the storefront, is a magnet for shoppers. From here, you can watch the pastry chefs create Sinfully’s signature pralines and cakes.


 Sinfully’s signature product, the Kiss.

This work of art is made from the finest chocolate with a glossy candy-coated veneer. The kisses come in three flavors of chocolate with star anise, raspberry, and amaretto and coffee. There is a reason why this is the signature product. My descriptions would definitely fail against actually tasting the Kiss.

Emoti-Cakes

A touch screen ordering system allows you to access the world of personalized Emoti-Cakes, inspired by the emoticons and elevated to a delicious layered chocolate cake or cheesecake covered in fondant. Momon and I were able to sample the two kinds of cakes. They were the best--as in the best--chocolate and cheesecakes we've ever tasted!

Macaroons? Macarons?

Aren't these simply divine? They look too pretty too eat, but it would be a sin not to try them. They are a mix crunchy and chewy on the outside and super lovely creminess on the inside. The flavors were superb, we had to ask the servers to leave us alone, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to stop ourselves! Flavors are available in green tea, purple yam (ube), mango, strawberry, blueberry, coffee, chocolate and so many more!

 Wow! Need I say more?


Various bread and bakery items are also available at Sinfully—like the cookies, traditional baguettes, Danish pastries and muffins, and some more adventurous jam flavors like Mango and White Chocolate. There are also made-to-order cakes which you can fashion to almost any object you wish.

Visit Sinfully by Makati Shangri-La at the 2nd floor or Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. It promises to be the ultimate definition of decadence and delight in Makati City–a rare find for those in search of sweet indulgence and true luxury.  For inquiries and orders, please call (63 2) 729 6626 or e-mail sinfully.slm@shangri-la.com.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

The Master of Modern Chinese Cuisine

It was June 2011 when Hanna assigned me to cover a cooking demonstration featuring Master Chef Sam Leong of Singapore. I must say I am not familiar with Chef Sam, but this is obviously because of my lack of knowledge about the culinary gods of Asia. Both Hanna and I were floored upon reading his profile and even more enthralled after meeting him at Shangri-la Makati. Here is the piece I wrote for www.cookeatnow.com.

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THE MASTER OF MODERN CHINESE CUISINE
The list of awards and recognition for Singapore’s Master Chef Sam Leong goes on and on.

He was Singapore’s representative to the Annual James Beard Foundation Awards, Friends of James Beard Gala Dinner, World Gourmet Summit, Annual St. Moritz Gourmet Festival, the Flavours of Asia in Napa Valley, California and many others.
He has had the privilege to be the official chef for the visits to Singapore of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, and His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej of Thailand.

He was also named the Best Asian Ethnic Chef of the Year at the World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence in 2001, 2002 and 2004, and Executive Chef of the Year and Chef of the Year in 2005. In the same year, he became the first Singaporean chef to join Singapore Airline’s International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs.
If all these awards and recognition are making you dizzy, know that Chef Sam Leong worked his way to the top the hard way. His signature technique of infusing traditional Chinese cuisine with a modern flare was not an overnight success.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Food Portion Guide

One skill you need to acquire when you're trying to lose weight is proper reading and interpreting of Nutrition Facts. Some gadgets/equipment such as digital scale, measuring cups and spoons are necessary to get as accurate a calorie-count as possible.

Of course I don't need to tell you that you can't bring all these items with you everywhere you go. So, often times, we need to just wing it! 

Luckily, Momon came across this excellent graphic on how to measure your portions to use your God-given hands as your measuring tools. Which, as it turns out, is almost always.

 

Also visit my  favorite calorie count/nutrition facts website, www.calorieking.com