Learning Ballet Again

Lately, I've been trying to get myself back to dancing again, as in really dance. I try to include dance whenever I practice pole on my own. In classes,  I tend to focus more on tricks, spins, getting stronger, trying to not fall or get injured, or trying to convince myself to not wuss out of a trick or combo.  There are times where I find music that I would like to dance to, although lately, I kind of feel I'm running out of steps and transitions.

Going back to ballet after how many years and having no less than Lisa Macuja herself refresh my ballet memory.

I really took the opportunity to say yes when I was invited to try out Ballet for Fitness class to be conducted by no less than Lisa Macuja, the country's prima ballerina. This one-time pop-up class was held at Yoga+ Express in McKinley Hill.. I did take a short 30-minute class before in her newly-opened school in Fisher Mall. This class, however, would be longer (yet still beginner-friendly) and have more moves to learn.

Ballet-ready!

Ballet for Fitness is a class developed for people who would want to learn ballet as a form of exercise. just like how we learn Zumba or ballroom dancing. Although pro ballerinas start their ballet journeys at the tender ages of 6 or 8, it's definitely never too late to dance, even ballet! Ballet is actually one of the hardest (if not, the hardest) dances. Ballet teachers would even say that if you can do ballet, it's easy to dance any other dance.

For ladies' ballet, comfortable exercise clothes are recommended, such as leggings or yoga pants and a comfortable top you can dance in. I had ballet shoes with me since I like the cushioning during floorwork but barefoot is also fine.

Since we didn't have ballet barres so we did the moves sitting down as well as some center work (standing at the center of the room). We were reminded of  the proper ballet form also includes proper posture, shoulders and hips forming one rectangle, or as some dancers would call, within the box.  To visually illustrate the box, check out the form of one of my dance idols, Misty Copeland:

#Repost @egaldance ・・・ 🎉 Mark your calendars 🎉 Our first collection will be released exclusively to our Égal VIPs on November 28th! Sign up at www.egaldance.com (link in bio) to become an Égal Dance VIP and receive exclusive access to the pre-launch sale on Cyber Monday! #activewithegal #egalgirl #egalxbalance #mistycopeland #egaldance photo @henryleutwyler

A photo posted by Misty Copeland (@mistyonpointe) on Nov 11, 2016 at 9:57am PST

Come to think of it, this is actually very good posture. It even makes you look taller and more confident.  With this established, we did arm exercises, or what is known in ballet as port de bras. In moving the arms, we were also taught how to execute the movement well with our lines, our thumbs hidden touching the line on our middle finger, and elbows slightly bent, like hugging a beach ball.

We did plies (bending the knees) and tendus (exteding the leg out) sitting down and already, I felt the activation of my quads and adductors, reminding me to work on active flexibility.

Lisa explains the proper hand position, where we hide the thumbs to maintain a dancer's line. In Russia, young dancers in training hold coins to remind them of the proper hand shape and position. 

So much things to remember even while seated

Resting adductors. Ballet is an ultimate leg workout.
(notice I kept my toes still pointed, My pole dance teachers would be proud)

Standing up, we applied what we learned seated while standing up as well as combining techniques. We also learned other new techniques like the jete (brushing the leg out, remaining the pointes) and releve, which really tested my balance (and reminded me to keep working both sides), and a surprise, the saute in classical ballet, which is a jump. In this jump, we learn to land safely by landing with soft knees and no sound. This technique is useful in our jump-forwards in yoga, in burpees, or coming out of flips.

I was more sore in this class than our last class in Fisher Mall, probably because we did more things and exercises. As my legs were pretty warm, I used this time for a split practice after class.

As a pole dancer, a refresher ballet class such as this can help increase my dance vocabulary and help me work on my floorwork more so I can combine several combos with some dance floorwork to come up with choreography, meaning better Wednesday choreo videos. Hopefully, learning these dance moves can also improve my muscle memory, so that staying within my box would be natural as well as keeping my hands in the proper position and my knees locked for pretty, long lines. 

Do you have to be a dancer to take this class? No. You can even come to class with zero fitness experience. All you have to do is just show up. These low-impact, flowy classes can exercise both the body and the mind, making dance a fun way to stay fit as well as to keep the brain healthy preventing dementia and Alzheimer's disease. We all start at level 0 and build up as we get stronger and more coordinated. Just have fun, and make it about the journey. 

Are you curious about Ballet for Fitness classes? Then head over to The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet Manila at the 4th Floor of Fisher Mall, Quezon Avenue. Quezon City. Try a class and see if you like it!






Image Credits:
Class Photos by Luther Abcede
Misty Copeland Photo: http://instagram.com/mistyonpointe 

Healthier Dining Options

Even though I don't follow a specific diet, I'm such a picky eater.  My friends already know this, when it comes to eating out, I veto out so many choices. In fact, during shoots or work, I usually just prefer bringing my own meals so I can control my portions and the food I eat and I won't have to bother others to figure out what food I would be eating.

So what do I eat? Basically, I eat whole, good food - food that's not processed or loaded with so much chemicals the nutritional value of the actual food is practically nonsense. Now that I'm more discerning of what goes into my system, our fridge has to be updated. There's fruit (bananas are a staple), lean meats and good seafood because I love seafood. eggs, real cheese (ABSOLUTELY NO FAKE CHEESE!), brown/black rice, quinoa, oatmeal, nuts, and soy and/or low fat milk among others. The first thing I got out of my grocery list was hotdog and vienna sausage, most especially the red ones which have so many ingredients I could not pronounce and I'm sure the body doesn't need (guys, do a favor to your children and do not feed them hotdog). Did you know hotdog causes cancer? I also do not buy instant mixes and cook my pancakes and waffles from scratch. There's a big difference with using real eggs, real buttermilk, real flour, and not having the weird hard-to-pronounce stuff in your pancake mix box. Unless we are recovering from a big calamity, eat real and not fake food. Also, if you notice, I like food that's fun, flavorful, pretty, and yummy. I make sure I enjoy what I eat.

In times when I go eat out and if there's no food in the house, here are my choices as to where I eat. Yes! We can still eat clean and have healthy food choices even while eating out. Eating out isn't just fast food joints (which is the empire of fake food full of sodium and more chemicals and recycled cooking oil). We can still get our health fix outside the house and dine normal food with friends and family! Just look at these amazing choices

Japanese Food

Fresh Sashimi from Diamond Hotel Buffet

Japanese food is yummy as it is gorgeous. The Japanese treat their food as an art form - it's like everything served to you is worthy of an IG photo. I get Japanese hot tea to warm my belly and miso soup.  In buffets, I prefer sashimi over sushi because the rice just fills you up. I'm not really fond of ramen because I find ramen too salty. I get cold soba noodles instead with pickled ginger on the side. I like tempura as well, It's a great way to introduce veggies to children as well (especially sweet potato). I try not too have a lot of tempura though, because it is still deep-fried in oil.


Vietnamese Food 

Seafood Pho at Pho 2000 in Vietnam

When I went to Vietnam last 2011, I hardly had any photos or even blogged about the trip, probably because I enjoyed the food so much. It's hard to describe Vietnamese food, and the only thing to describe it is awesome. There's so much flavor I could write an entire blog post about it. Also, vegetables! I do not understand the hate for vegetables because they're so fresh, nutritious, and they're good for you. I love fresh spring rolls and pho. The guys over at Pho Hoa always know what I order already. If I want a break from pho, I usually get vermicelli bowls.

Ca Phe Saigon's spring rolls.

Here in Manila, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant is Ca Phe Saigon in Marikina - it's almost like the real thing! I have a regular suki already in Mercato Centrale in Glorietta that sells Vietnamese food such as banh mi, fresh spring rolls, and Vietnamese noodle bowls. They also sell real Vietnamese coffee. Just ask for less condensed milk if you want it less fattening. Back to that trip in Vietnam, on our last night, my companions decided to take a break from pho and ordered pizza. I did not even acknowledge the presence of pizza and ordered chicken pho from the Pho 24 restaurant downstairs.


Thai Food

Simply Thai's Pad Thai in an Egg Net

This cuisine also is all about flavor! I have so many Thai food favorites I like dining in a restaurant like this with friends so I get to taste everything. There's the fresh spring rolls, the pomelo salad, crispy catfish salad, green chicken curry, satay with peanut sauce, pad thai, I opt for vegetarian or seafood pad thai instead of having some pork in it and I don't order rice. Most especially during the summer, I can't miss sticky rice with mango so I share it with friends to get the craving satisfied instead of finishing up one entire order (there's still sugar and rice in it!)


Singaporean

Sambal Shrimp and Sambal Kangkong in Vivo City Food Court in Singapore

For Singaporean food, give me sambal anything, I'll eat it - sambal kangkong, string beans, shrimp, squid, or sting ray. I also like chicken rice (steamed, please!) but I only consume half of the rice  and give the other half to the friend who wants it. I load my chicken with ginger and chili for more flavor. I love ginger! Not only does it give the spice that I want, it's also good for digestion issues and nausea.


Filipino Food

Locavore Sizzling Sinigang

It's hard to find healthy choices for Filipino food because our diet is rich in sodium and we need to consume lots of white rice to offset the flavor. I myself am not too fond of a lot of Filipino dishes because I find them too heavy on the belly. I usually make healthified versions of Filipino food at home, where I can control the amount of sugar and salt in it as well as the amount of oil. I also use leaner cuts of meat and cook in coconut oil instead of regular cooking oil. When I'm out though, I request for brown rice if available and order vegetables and seafood. I like gising-gising to go with chicken adobo. I would choose grilled seafood over crispy pata or dinuguan (which I do not eat in the first place). I like sinigang and kare-kare but in kare-kare, I just eat the vegetables and skip the bagoong. The peanut sauce already has enough flavor anyway. I try to not have much of the kakanin and stick to fresh fruit instead.  I also try to control my portions and not reach for seconds. Having brown rice is not an excuse to eat a mountain of food my body might not be able to handle.

Italian Food

Nonna's Pasta and Pizza in Nuvali serves everything fresh - even their pasta! 

What I like with Italian food is how simple the dishes are, yet they do not scrimp on flavor. Of course, I order pizza and pasta in every Italian restaurant but I always choose oil-based or tomato-based sauces instead of heavy, creamy ones. I try to get toppings such as artichokes, mushrooms, olives, and bell pepper in my pizza, and of course, mozzarella cheese. I like Italian restaurants which have everything fresh and made from scratch - even the pizza dough, tomato sauce, and pasta. That way, you know that there's less fake food in what you're eating. I like Nonna's in Nuvali, Bistro Ravioli, Amici, and Gino's Brick oven Pizza, which serve fresh, flavorful food.


American Food

Grilled Salmon, and a side salad with mashed peas, Food from The Daily Grub

Since I'm not too fond of American food, I usually stop at the soup and salad portion of the menu. I just order clear or vegetable soup and salad, usually choosing something with an oil or vinaigrette based dressing rather than creamy. I get a little portion of steak, but not the entire slab. I opt usually for fresh lemonade (nothing powdered!)  instead of sodas and a few spoonfuls of dessert.


Mediterranean Food

Mediterranean lunch at Sufi Turkish and Mediterranean Cuisine in Arab St. in Singapore

I ate in a little Mediterranean Restaurant in California in my last visit there, and although it was more than 10 years ago, the flavors stuck in my head. As you can see in this post, although I eat real food, real food does not mean sad food. I like food with color and flavor. I like happy food, and Mediterranean food has so much happy, healthy choices that will leave you smiling. I love their salads and feta cheese and of course, their kebabs. My usual choices are chicken or seafood served with grilled veggies with a squeeze of lemon for flavor.  Here in Manila, I go to Cafe Mediterranean, and some of my favorites are their kebab platter (I usually get chicken, tuna, or beef, depending on how much I worked out). I also like getting a sampler platter of hummus, tsatziki, and tabbouleh served with whole wheat pita bread. One recommendation for vegetarians is their lentil burger.

When I started taking away bad things and started eating better, I thought I'd be doomed for life eating at home and would result in just the salad option whenever I would have to go out. Turns out, there are also healthy and filling choices in several restaurants. These healthier options are hardly even sad food. They're happy and quite filling and you felt that you really ate well. In eating out though, we always must remember to control our portions aside from making the right choices to avoid that uncomfortable bloated or heavy feeling. It can be as simple as choosing white meat over red meat or getting more plant-based protein. We can choose to eat sorbets or yogurt instead of ice cream or even choosing pasta primavera instead of carbonara or alfredo. I really don't follow a standard diet but I do try like certain dishes from that diet (like a paleo or raw vegan recipe, for example, even if I'm neither). What I do keep track of is the kind of food I'm eating and how much I'm eating.

How to Make the Most Out Of A Buffet While Keeping Healthy

I love food. I used to write a food blog along with a beauty blog but when I got healthy, I decided to turn my makeup blog to a makeup with fitness blog, which features food and all things fun, because that makes a healthy life right? I like healthy people who don't deprive themselves of food, who eat as well as train. In my posts, I never mention to starve yourself, especially if you work out. Food is fuel and you need it for energy and to build your muscles and keep your systems in check. Think of your body as a car. You give it bad fuel, it won't run as good. You give your car good high quality fuel, there is a difference. So it's really not punishing you. It's finding food that's good for you, and believe me, there are so many ways to prepare food without sacrificing flavor. Food is also yummy even without a lot of salt and grease.

And in the talk of food, let's talk about buffets. Who doesn't love buffets? They are a treat for the senses! In our country, buffets are unavoidable in restos, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and even events. But when we think that this is a time to throw our clean eating off the window, I got you covered with tips on how to make the most of a buffet (of course! Buffets aren't cheap!) while not stressing the gut.

Don't Order Drinks

Juices, iced tea, and soda just fill you up, taking up space in the gut. Just have water, better if water is warm or lukewarm, which is very good for the digestive system.

Have a Plan

Before getting a plate, take a look at the buffet table first. That way, you can already plan what to eat and which food to get seconds.

Sit away from the buffet table

Aside from a mini-exercise, this will also allow you to avoid unnecessary temptation while eating, making you stick to your food choices better. If your table is preassigned, try to sit with your back to the food, so you don't get tempted when you see the lechon being carved or the pizza being served.

Go for quality and variety instead of quantity

This will help prevent you from binge eating and give you your money's worth. Skip the things you usually have  like bread or rice (it can actually make you feel full faster, so you won't be able to maximize the buffet as much). Go for seafood or fine cuts of meat, which are the more expensive choices than say something you can have every day. Go have prawns, lobster, shelfish, and lamb. You don't get to have that all the time right?  Pick small portions of food instead of heaping servings, so you can get to taste a variety of dishes. If you have a particular favorite, just go back for that.

Make healthier choices

Choose broiled or grilled over fried or deep fried. Choose oil-based dressings over creamy ones, Limit the condiments if the meat or dish is flavorful enough. Try sashimi instead of sushi or maki (which again, has rice). If you can, try the fruit platter and one or two of your favorite dessert choices, (like cake or pastry. You can have ice cream anytime!)  so as not to deprive yourself so much.

Eat slowly and Listen to your body

It's a meal, not an eating contest. Eating slowly will allow your body to process your food more. Your gut would be less stressed too. Just like in a workout, pace yourself. Stuffing yourself with so much food and the bloated heavy feeling is not worth it, believe me. Also when you're full already, don't go for another serving. Listen to your body.

Don't have buffets everyday!

Save the smorgasbord for special occasions and don't run to another one come dinner time. Again, don't overwork the gut.

Love food, but don't gorge on it that it can hurt you. Be kind to your body still. Follow these tips and hopefully you would enjoy the next buffet experience and get your money's worth. Leave the buffet table satisfied instead of bloated. Enjoy life loves!


Buffet image source: pexels.com

Eating Clean With Blogilates

In my quest for eating clean (meaning no preservatives or a lot of chemicals and processing that our body doesn't need), I try to search for new recipes that are not just yummy but easy to make. My friend Romina told me about Blogilates, a blog by Cassey Ho,  a fitness instructor/blogger/sports apparel designer. So I googled her recipes and workouts, as well as did a search on her blog.

Cassey has a huge international fan base and I can see why. She's very entertaining and her energy is contagious. She's very encouraging in her exercise videos and she doesn't intimidate but inspire. Also, she's as real as you and me.

Stretching after finishing the Booty Pop workout from my new program, #PIIT - Pilates Intense Interval Training 👊 Did you preview the workout yet? It's so fun!! This will be your workout for Monday! Do it 4x through giving you a complete SWEATY 💦 workout that's just under half an hour, or do it twice and follow the Blogilates January Calendar as usual. 👉www.youtube.com/Blogilates (link in bio). Wearing the #POPFLEX Swan Tank in Black, the Pull on my Heart Strings Bra in Passion, and the Booty Pop Shorts in Passion. @blogilatesdesigns

A photo posted by Cassey Ho (@blogilates) on Jan 17, 2016 at 1:15pm PST

If you look at her body, she's not super ripped or tall and super skinny like a supermodel. She has that definition we all desire, and we know that her body is super strong (her workouts are super challenging and imagine doing that and still talking) and healthy as well as it's real and achievable. Is she wearing makeup in her videos? Of course she is!

 Also, even though she's into fitness, she doesn't deprive herself of good and yummy food (not all carbs are bad!), and these recipes, she shares with us.

What got me a whole hour of just watching is her Cheap Clean Eats playlist in YouTube, where she features recipes on clean eating that are super easy to make and also are pocket-friendly, which is perfect for those on the go but would still like to eat healthy. I admit, ordering food in healthy restaurants can be very expensive to the point that some people actually result to going to fast food joints which are cheaper. In an ideal world, we would be eating super healthy, real, clean food made with organic ingredients but of course, this is not the ideal world. So, we make the most out of it by eating clean on a budget.


I super want to try this shake she made!

Creamy Peanut Butter & Banana shake! 1 frozen banana (already sliced) 2 TBS of peanut butter 1 c almond milk Blend together! I love the combination of sweet and salty. Plus, this recipe is so easy! It tastes like ice cream but as you can see, it's all natural ingredients! Try it...like, now. #cheapcleaneats #blogilates #nofilterneeded

A photo posted by Cassey Ho (@blogilates) on Dec 20, 2015 at 9:22am PST

 I begun to like smoothies more when she shares her smoothie recipes, giving me ideas on what smoothie to take where. I can take smoothies before workout - 30 minutes to an hour before, and a smoothie that can reset my system.

My baking craving is finally satisfied by the existence of these healthy mug cakes. Yes! We say yes to cake! Healthy, flourless, and refined sugar-free cake exists and they are good enough for breakfast.

I was so happy to find pumpkin in the grocery store so I made this pumpkin mug cake substituting the graham cracker topping with greek yogurt and pecans. Apple slices and peanut butter of course, because it's a fall-theme breakfast or dessert.

There are also vegan options, making eating vegan food fun. I'm not vegan (I love cheese and yogurt!) but I like trying vegan food.

Nice cream, which is dairy-free ice cream with bananas as a base. This one is matcha pistachio nice-cream and I tweaked the nutrition with a handful of moringa leaves.

Beauty bowls are basically smoothie bowls. The smoothie is made thicker than usual and topped with gorgeous toppings with a lot of health benefits.

I haven't eaten that much fruit in one meal. Oh, and red dragonfruit is yummy as it is rich in vitamin C. Mangoes taste awesome frozen.

In a week I've enjoyed so many fruit already in smoothies, bowls, and salad and had a lot of good probiotics in my system. I have not drunk coffee yet I do not feel lethargic. I'm currently having my seasonal sniffles yet thankfully it's faster to fight it from my system.

Her site gave me awesome ideas to eat cleaner and to get more goodness into my system in ways that are budget-friendly and do not sacrifice taste. Come to think of it, when was the last time I had chips or fries?

What's my absolute favorite? Spring rolls. I super love fresh spring rolls and the recipe is so good I've had it almost every day last week and I don't have a decent photo of my spring rolls. I always go to a Vietnamese restaurant for spring rolls and I actually can have my own with the ingredients I want any time I want. The spring rolls recipe doesn't have vermicelli noodles in them but they are just as good and flavorful. I've had vegan (using tofu). shrimp, crab, and okay, maybe when I make again, I ought to take more photos of it.

I'm glad that Cassey shares a lot of easy clean-eating recipes in her blog. I'll start following some of her workouts and give more recipes a try. If you guys got inspired to start eating healthier or would want more ideas on what to cook healthy without scrimping flavor, go check out her blog at Blogilates.com or go check her Instagram and YouTube channel for more updates as well as download the Blogilates app.

Healthy Baon Ideas

At work, we often get served food if our work hours would extend to mealtimes. The food served are very delicious and filling but not exactly the healthiest. These include fast food meals, burgers, pizza, chips, popcorn, cupcakes, and bottles of soda and packets of instant coffee to keep the energy up and running. The classic crew meal is usually fried chicken and rice meal from fast food stalls. Imagine eating this everyday during December wedding season. We may be full but our bodies may not be getting the nutrients they need. Plus, we are exposed to refined sugars, preservatives, cholesterol, and a lot of salt, which are not very good to the body. I noticed that during those times, I would get sick towards the end of the "peak" season because I was not eating good and healthy food then yet I was working extra hard.

I started bringing my own food to shoots and work when I changed my diet after my reset diet. I discovered I felt less bloated and I was able to work properly and still have enough energy after work with no sugar crashes. I also got sick less. Cooking does take time, I admit but I think of cooking as my own "decompression" and therapy. If I know I'll be having work for several days straight, I prepare meals that can be prepared ahead of time and packed ahead and go. You notice that most of my food are recipes from my two The Sexy Chef cookbooks, but I will include also recipes I learned from my friends and online as well.

Here are some healthy baon ideas for work so you get the nutrition you need even if you're not at home. Whether you're a makeup artist like me, an athlete, or work long hours in field or office work, you may find ways on how to eat healthy as well.

Pasta and Noodles

My go-to meals are always pasta because they are easy to make and I could just throw almost anything in. For shoots or wedding gigs, I would prefer oil-based sauces instead of cream or tomato, which can spoil easily.  I use whole wheat pasta instead of white pasta to make it healthier. I do a basic aglio olio base with red pepper flakes and then add veggies. If my food won't stay in my lunch bag for a long period of time before eating, I can use a light tomato-based pasta sauce. Oh, and if I would use cheese, I include my cheese in a separate container.

Cold soba noodles are very easy to prepare and they require no heat. They contain the goodness of raw vegetables as well. Prepare this the night before and pack this in containers and store in the ref. Before you head off to work, grab a container and go.

Salads

A salad on a hot day is a refreshing. Salads can be tricky since they tend to get soggy, so here's what I do: I prepare the greens ahead of time by washing them, draining them, then cut into bite-sized pieces and storing them in airtight containers in the ref. I make crabstick mango salad, which is the perfect baon for shoots. I just keep the dressing in a separate container and just pour it over my salad when I'm ready to eat. Another salad that's great is massaged kale salad. There are a lot of recipes that can be found online for this and this is a salad that can keep long without getting too soggy. Kale also loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C, which can prevent you from certain diseases.

Overnight Oats

I'm one person who never misses a proper breakfast. If my shoot is early and I have no time to actually sit down and eat breakfast and wash the dishes, I make overnight oats and store this in a mason jar. I can also make a yogurt parfait from Greek yogurt, bananas, honey, and homemade granola.

Smoothies

Another grab-and-go breakfast idea is a green smoothie, which can be a meal in itself. I can even have this in the car in sips while driving to work. A perfect breakfast smoothie is one I found from The Sexy Chef, which makes use of banana, apple, plain yogurt, coconut water, coconut sugar, rolled oats, spinach, and romaine lettuce. I top this with chia seeds and I'm good to go.

Rice and Quinoa meals

Nothing is as comforting as a rice and ulam meal. I prepeare this when I have a bit more time (and if I wake early enough). I usually combine quinoa with a good lean protein with some veggies on the side. If I have no quinoa as of the moment, I susbtitute with black rice or brown rice, which are nutritious. Here are some ideas I made:

teriyaki salmon with steamed broccoli and spinach served with black rice

quinoa with mushroom gyoza (store-bought) and teriyaki salmon

healthified Arroz A La Cubana from the Sexy Chef. Prepare the meat and brown rice pilaf ahead of time and just boil the egg (remove the egg white) and fry the saba in VCO the day itself.

Dessert

We all want something sweet. yet we want to keep our waistlines in check. Make small cups of chia pudding to go with your food or bake some whole meal banana cupcakes. A small cup of yogurt parfait can also be made into a dessert, like this mango matcha yogurt I made from Greek Yogurt, Matcha Powder, Mangoes, chia seeds, and organic honey.

If you have no time to cook...

If you have that day when you're pressed for time to prepare a meal for that day, here are some places where you can buy food for yourself if you want to eat healthy still. If you're used to eating healthy, you can apply the same principles as well when you eat out in choosing the food that you eat in a restaurant.

Salad Bars like Juju Eats and Salad Stop can give you access to yummy and filling salads and wraps you can have to go. Check out also their desserts and cold pressed juices.

Weekend markets like the Salcedo Saturday Market and Legazspi Sunday Market also have stalls which have healthy and delicious food. If you might be working on a Sunday in Makati, you may stop over as well at the Legazpi Sunday Market to check out the healthy raw vegan desserts by Dahon Kusina. They also have healthy vegan meals and snacks that are just as flavorful. I had a chance to have a shoot one Sunday at the Legazpi Village area so I stopped by Dahon Kusina to grab a dessert to go with my baon.

Dessert to go with my food: Homemade Vegetarian JapChae with Choco Hazelnut Pie from Dahon Kusina

Food delivery services are in nowadays, especially for busy people on-the-go. They cater to your specific dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, ovo-lacto, pescetarian, paleo, etc) and design a food plan that you would love and deliver your meals  right at your doorstep. One of our sponsors at our BDJBox Makeup Parties, V Kitchen, provides yummy and healthy vegetarian and vegan selections that do not scrimp on flavor and nutrition value without breaking the bank.

Vegan Tempeh Satay with Nasi Goreng #vegan #veganshare #whatveganseat #plantbasedfortheplanet #plantstrong #greenisthenewblack #organic #nomsg #plantbased #kinddiet #mindful #healthy #fooddelivery #fooddeliveryph

A photo posted by V Kitchen (@vkitchen.manila) on Sep 16, 2015 at 9:55pm PDT

Healthy food provided by V Kitchen in our BDJBox Makeup Party Last August. Check them out in Facebook and Instagram

I'm glad that there are so many ways to get the right nutrition nowadays, from cooking your own meals to food delivery services, to alternative healthy takeout places. With today's busy schedule, there's so much more reason to eat healthy so our body gets the proper nutrition to be able to work properly. Try switching your diet for a few days and see the energy difference. You may notice that you would get sick less and you save yourself the trip to the doctor or expensive medicines and the hassle of getting sick. I admit that cooking and eating healthily takes a lot more effort than just grabbing a burger meal from the fast food joint a few cartwheels away from your office door. However, your health is the best gift you can give to yourself and your loved ones, and just as you work hard, give yourself the proper tools to be able to do so. :) Have fun eating healthy!

When Yoga Saved The Day

I was feeling quite down last week. As some of my friends know, the car got into an accident while it was parked when I taught a class QC. The damage was just small, and I'm lucky to have it still up and running very normally. I got ticked off a lot though because the driver who did the damage didn't owe up to his or her responsibility and just took off and left. There was no CCTV available so we weren't able to trace the culprit except for a few clues that it was a white car about the same height as mine or probably lower, like a sedan or something, from the paint and the location of the damage. The guards weren't even helpful though, and seemed to wash their hands off the whole thing and would rather have a lazy shift Sunday twiddling thumbs.  Ugh!

Anyway,  while letting insurance taking care of everything, I had to get back to real life so I maximized last Wednesday going to the insurance to have them estimate the damage. While it took only minutes, I was able to find decent parking too since I had some work in the morning (nope, not doing street parking this time, I was able to get a decent parking at a parking lot) and then stopped by for tea at a nearby tea place since I was way too early for my call time (30 minutes) and the studio was closed. 

Thanks for the message, Sip. I missed your real brewed teas (I had the sweetness adjusted and lowered to 30%) and your chicken chops are superb. Work finished relatively early so I transferred the car to Greenbelt then and waited for my next appointment there, anyway.

I looked forward for this next appointment though because it was the press preview of the Global Mala Project happening this September 26 at WhiteSpace Manila.

This is the largest unified worldwide yoga event in line with the United Nation's Day of Peace and the Fall Equinox.

This event is designed to promote peace and positive change through yoga as well as raise social consciousness and funds for noteworthy causes. This year's benefit happens to be Children's International.

Friends and yogis have been going to this event, which is like a yoga buffet with various classes ranging from ashtanga to power yoga as well as quiet and restorative yin yoga classes. There are also talks and demos as well as master classes, for yogis who would want to go deeper into their practices. 

The event is actually a private Vinyasa class followed by a quiet meditation class (like an extended Savasanna), a yang to yin type of class, something that I look forward to. I miss practicing in a class and this might be just what I needed.

Thanks to Manduka for all these mats we used to practice. Cushy for my wrists because we did an arm balance.

Leading the Vinyasa class is Nikki Torres of Beyond Yoga. Nikki is my yoga teacher and the class made me miss her classes a lot, even the DOMs I feel after. She teaches Vinyasa Yoga and Yin Yoga as well as Zumba and maintains a fitness blog - Pretty Darn Fit.

Nikki talks about connections, which eventually became important during the practice. Yoga is all about connection, and we also connect our poses to the breath. Most especially, the principle of connection became important during our peak pose, Bakasana or crow pose. I'm still not comfy with my own bakasana though but at least I was able to do a jump back.

Probably my favorite and most stable inversion ever, the shoulder stand.

Held this a bit longer than expected. Felt the effects on my tired legs.

A long savasanna was held after her very yang class and a meditation practice was done by Francois Flaviano of Bliss Yoga, leaving us refreshed and relaxed and a perfect way to end the day. My legs are happy with a slight burn.

Water to rehydrate after a class. Thanks Certified Calm for providing these! Love the steel glasses too I wanted to take the one I used home with me.

Glad to see these yoginis again. Hi Bri, Jane, and Nikki!

Yoga always leaves me hungry after a class and actually after this, instead of craving a big slice of cake or a greasy burger, I went to a Vietnamese restaurant and ordered a bowl of vegetarian pho, rewarding my body (and soul!) something good for it. I think I needed that flow and get in touch with myself (just as Nikki said about connection) and shake off the downy-dump vibe. 

From the Kitchen of the Sexy Chef To Mine.

I wasn't very healthy when I was much younger. I took for granted being skinny and relied on my naturally fast metabolism to stay that way even though I was consuming so much processed food, fat, sodium, and refined sugars. Don't get me wrong though, I welcome a plateful of salad or a healthy dish on my plate, but since I didn't have a lot of time and I didn't know any better, I think there was a higher ratio of  unhealthy to healthy food. Since I was tired all the time, I wasn't very keen into exercising, and also took it for granted. I was also smoking then. Although my proportions wouldn't show it, my skin doesn't lie about my horrible health habits.

Me in all my unhealthy glory, 2007

Sallow pasty skin with blotchiness, puffy eyes, spots, and let's not get started with the haven't-eaten-in-days waif look. I was also getting sick very often, memorizing the times I would have a cold or fever. In fact, in a few weeks after this photo was taken, I would be experiencing a cold from temperature change or allergies or what not.  These were the days I was still working in an office. Being a makeup artist didn't change it either even though it was a fun job. It was a more physically demanding job and my work didn't end when I got home since I would be washing my brushes and sanitizing and organizing my equipment. Lugging all the heavy bags while commuting also needed a lot of strength. I've quit smoking at that time already, since it was a very expensive habit (not to mention it wouldn't do my body good as well). Since I didn't know what to prepare then and didn't have time to, I would have no choice but eat a lot of "crew food" which most of the time consist of fast food or pizza. Imagine doing weddings every week and eating fried chicken and rice or burger and fries. It's not very good. Because of poor nutrition in a physically demanding job, my sickness patterns were still there. I was also experiencing tummy problems as well.

I'm glad pole happened a few months after that so I was introduced to a fitness routine that I would grow to love. I was also prescribed a diet by a nutritionist I worked with having seen my eating habits and analyzed why I was getting sick and made me notice that I was in fact, consuming a lot of sugar, which may take a toll on my body when I get older. Pole opened me to other forms of fitness and I became more conscious of how and what I was eating as well. It eventually opening the door for me to become a yoga teacher. I also got exposed to a lot of people who encourage to eat clean. Social media nowadays helps because I see a lot of hashtags and Instagram accounts promoting good food and nutrition and even sharing very easy DIY recipes. I made transitions from full vegetarian to pescetarian and then went back to consuming meat for training purposes. When I got sick last February, my body did a reset so I had to go back to a cleaner eating pattern for a time then incorporate my regular food on occasion, just so I stay a bit "normal". I also strictly went off alcohol around that time (it was bad for my flexibility anyway). I started preparing meals at home as opposed to dinners out which saved me a lot of money, making the extra effort of waking up early to cook worth it, for not having a bloated feeling and the urge to throw up.

I did find myself though getting into a food rut having to eat the same kind of food all the time. It was either salmon or tuna, steamed broccoli or spinach and quinoa or brown/black rice three times a day varying it with salad, soup, pasta, or oatmeal.  It was good for my body, but I'm somehow running out of ideas. I would Google recipes online but since most of these recipes are made by chefs from another country, some of the ingredients were not readily available or are expensive here. 

The Sexy Chef isn't new to me and I've heard about them years ago and they are popular among many celebrities in maintaining a sexy figure for their job. The Sexy Chef is a healthy food delivery service owned by sisters Rachel Alejandro and Barni Alejandro- Rennebeck. Rachel is an actress and a singer and Barni is a chef. They both eat healthy and both love good food. They also have trim waistlines and a healthy glow in their skin even without a lot of makeup. Years ago, they launched a cookbook which shares yummy and healthy recipes that you can make yourself. 

image source

I bought their second book, Eat Clean Love a few days ago and I have been cooking their recipes at home.

If you look at my Instagram, my #bambikittycooks hashtag photos of my recipes are very diverse, from the very sinful truffled eggs benedict to a very healthy massaged kale salad. I still do not have a specific diet to follow but I like eating real food, as much as possible. I actually prefer making my own food than buying it, save for salads, which I have outside, when it's easy to have them fresh, Eat Clean, Love has recipes to make real food that's as real as it can get - avoiding a lot of processed and canned and a lot of chemicals. It doesn't scrimp on flavor though and a lot of nutrients. I'm glad I got a cookbook in front of me because it makes me focus on my meal planning more. Plus points too on being a local cookbook. I prefer actually buying local cookbooks than imported ones because they give ingredients that are readily available here in Manila. Most of the ingredients can be found in the market or your local grocery. You'll find a few ones being sold in health food stores, but nothing too rare or exotic. 

The first meal I made, Shrimp and Quinoa fried "rice" is packed with color and nutrients. At first, I had to get used to the fact that it needed a bit more saltiness, but I guess that's the point anyway, to take in less sodium. A squeeze of lemon does the flavor trick quite nicely.

Breakfast should never be skipped. It's a very old saying and it holds true. I apply this rule up to now. I must have my breakfast, and the shortcut that is brunch does not count.  My breakfast is filling but not to the point that I would have a hard time getting up. Without breakfast, I get migraines, feel dizzy, and sometimes I don't get to function properly.  It gives me enough fuel for my workout  I love the breakfast selection because the recipes are very easy and it's fast. Perfect for those who need to rush for work in the morning.

Mashed avocado with feta cheese and olives is packed with so much flavor - a mix of tart, salty, creamy, and a hint of spice from the red pepper flakes. I had this with my green smoothie (yes that's actually green smoothie) that taste like chocolate shake. The smoothie can be introduced to children and they wouldn't know it's got romaine lettuce and spinach leaves. 

Having brown rice champorado with toasted walnuts (a @thesexychef recipe) adding some chia seeds as well, bacon instead of dilis or tuyo trimmed of visible fat (perfect if you have allergies to fish) and fresh peaches for breakfast. #bambikittycooks #fitmua #projectborta #breakfast

A photo posted by Bambi De la Cruz 🐱🐯 (@bambikitty) on Aug 16, 2015 at 5:54pm PDT

For those with some time, brown rice champorado can be made for rainy day weekends. I find traditional champorado too sweet for my taste, or probably because all I see are those made from mixes. This one is made from scratch - with brown rice, low-fat milk, cocoa powder, and coconut sugar made mellow with cinnamon and swirled with coconut milk. 

 I'm a sucker for pasta and these two pasta recipes are great for lunch or dinner. It took me quite a while to get used to whole wheat pasta  but there's hardly any difference when the sauce is mixed in.

had this for a nice, light dinner with a mug of warm calamansi juice and honey

 The cashew cream sauce makes no difference with heavy cream in terms of texture and creaminess except the former doesn't make me run to the bathroom in minutes. Plus, the yummy smell of basil lingered when I made this pasta last night. 

I don't eat munggo at all and I hate munggo with a passion but I am open to consuming lentils, This lentil bolognese pasta is a good and filling dinner or lunch that I can take as baon whenever I would have a shoot, instead of eating pizza or hamburgers. 

There's so much more food in the recipe book and there's even a section to make healthy food for children. Fruits and veggies come in all forms - not just a salad but in desserts and main dishes. Each recipe that I made does not scrimp on flavor, texture, and aesthetic value, so going healthy doesn't necessarily mean eating bland food, mush, or strictly raw greens. There's beef, chicken, seafood, and pork. There's wholewheat bread, pasta, and coconut sugar, There's sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, and savory. There are healthified versions of popular favorites. The best part too is that ingredients can be sourced locally. I can go to the mall and I can find every ingredient in the book there.  There are so many creative ways to add nutrients to the diet. I found ways to incorporate vegetables in my diet aside from salads, soups, and juicing. Since I can't take a lot of dairy, I needed to find other source of calcium other than supplements. This book shows me that there are a lot of other calcium sources other than milk such as soy milk, chia seeds, spinach, etc. 

It's also a great gift for someone you know who would love to go DIY on healthy food at home. In fact, I purchased another one as a birthday gift for my friend Jinky, who loves to eat and eat healthy as much as I do.

photo from Jinky's Facebook account

 Just like me, Jinky is a makeup artist who does pole dancing. She's also a Zumba teacher and group exercise instructor. I know she would love this book because the recipes would be giving us the right nutrition to fuel our bodies for our work and would complement our healthy lifestyle in our own practice as well being fitness instructors. The recipes are fun to make and even be great to share for friends and family, even for those who have never tried to eat clean before.

I chose to eat healthy not because I need to walk the talk, being a yoga instructor and a pole dancer. I learned the hard way that I need to make this lifestyle change, and I'm glad I was able to arrest it before things got too late. This book supplemented my need for more healthy recipes that are easy to do and at the same time have ingredients that are easily available at our local groceries and markets. This book will not guarantee you the abs of a pole champion in a month, If you're already into the whole health lifestyle, this can give you more recipes to add to your menu to supplement your needs. If you're just starting to learn how to cook, get this too. What better way than to start cooking food that is right for your body, right? 

 Looking back at my 2007 unhealthy picture, compare that with more recent photos of mine, older but with a much better lifestyle.

with Dr, Kit, a few weeks after Yin Yoga Teacher Training

taken last Monday at Sonya's Garden. If I did this pose years ago, I would've injured myself. Yay for #flexifirst goals. 

I still indulge on pizza, steak, popcorn, fries, and cake, but I have this once in a while, and at a lesser fraction than my healthier real food choices. I no longer go to all-you-can-eat buffets and I haven't noticed it but I haven't had white rice for like weeks now. Maybe it's my body telling me that I don't need them anymore. Ten years of kicking the habit, I haven't missed cigarettes one bit. My flexibility and hydration has been better in just months after detoxifying alcohol in my system. Although red wine may be good for the heart, there are so much better heart-healthy sources like oatmeal and fruits. My skin looks and feels much better than my 2007 skin. And my energy channels are much better now. With five years in adapting a healthier lifestyle, and the healthy habits picking up more as the years go by. The Sexy Chef cookbook added more recipes to my database of healthy food that included recipes for people on-the-go, so we get a balanced diet no matter what your lifestyle is.