THE COLOUR OF HEALTH

Woke up this morning with the sunlight flooding through my window!

There goes the sound of 'ping ping', my Viber ringing from chat group ' NZ & Everything Under the sun'
I chatted for a while, topic was 'how to compost'

Diligently rolled down my mat, it's my yoga time.....

A few repetitions of sun salutation, forward bend, Warrior poses, Cat's crawl followed by other poses but each time trying to recall what my yoga guru had drilled me all the time back home.  I need to focus to remember.  Oh yes, it's my warrior III,  a strong and active pose that helps to strengthen the ankles and legs, tones the muscles of the abdomen and a stretch through the chest, shoulders and hamstrings. Balancing is the key!

Next change........ here comes  my daily juicing!

The weather is really kind today,  a warm and sunny day.  I decided to go red with my juice, the order for the day!

Eating red veggies and fruits help.  They are loaded with powerful  healthy antioxidants.

Checked my produce in the fridge,  delighted to see the lovely tomatoes, beetroot, carrots, strawberries, celery, red grapefruit, strawberries and a little piece of ginger. This is it, my recipe for the day.

What a lovely colour !   What shall I do with the pulp,  they are still wet?

I know I can compost them by burying into the soil or pot, but no I am into urban gardening .

Space is the constraint!

More ideas came to me from friends,  to make vegetable soup base or  make muffins!

To throw them is without doubt a waste!

While juicing, I tried to create an artsy combination of colours...time to commence creating.

My creative juice is flowing......!  Bring out the paints and brushes!

HAPPY JUICING AND NAMASTE!

MY PERFECT DAY OUT TO LONDON'S GORGEOUS HILLTOP HIDEAWAY

Martin Christie from "Nordic Walking United Kingdom(NWUK) was previously our instructor who gave us a crash course on the techniques of nordic walking prior to our exhilarating walk in the Swiss Alps.

Martin is one of the top instructor trainer for NWUK

This time around I was invited by him to walk in Hampstead Heath, one of London's best loved green spaces.

That was a delightful surprise, thank you.

For a variety of terrain and environment different from  my usual walking in the manicured gardens and pristine flower beds of Kensington and the other Royal Parks of London, I accepted the offer to explore the Hampstead Heath, one of the wildest of London's parks and to get a good overview of London from its highest point.

 Woohoo...  an  excited me awaited to explore this magnificent open spaces of the Heath combined with some historical buildings, vibrant restaurants and cafe scene in the village. Don't forget there's the London's best crepes at La Crepe de Hampstead at the high street. Oh yes, remember to try the little family- run Japanese restaurant, "Jin Kichi", worth dropping by.

Between Hampstead Village and Highgate in North West London lies the Heath, a stunning acres of woodlands, playing fields, ponds and meadows. The beautiful expanse of green areas in the Heath  pulls crowds from across London when the weather turns out to be good.

This is the Monday group nordic walkers, a mixed group for sociable walks to technique refreshes to workout walks.

None of them are beginners, all are like yours truly here, a confirmed enthusiast, having walked for at least 2 years.

The northern slopes of  Parliament Hill not only offer a pleasing view but a fabulous terrain for walkers,  the slopes can be challenging for some walkers.

There's the lush green canopy of trees below.

Here we see the foothills of Parliament Hill looking across one of the Highgate ponds on the slopes beyond.

For downhill walking, speed need to be reduced,  it is natural to lean back a little, bend the knees and the poles are used more for stability than forward propulsion.

 Walking uphill, leaning slightly forward and normally you could feel the extra thrust of the poles in front. 

Martin, giving a few pointers, to maintain our walking pace as we walked uphill, to control our breathing and to take slow deep breaths.

Walkers weaved among the shaded woodlands.....

and the wind swept green meadows.

What an awesome park,  truly a natural gym and a breath of fresh air.

The beech trees do look absolutely stunning in spring.

Along the edges of the Heath are a number of attractions which attempted to lure me away.

Felt like roaming longer in the wild and woody walks in the Heath.  Will do that when I'm here next.

I like walking with this group of ladies, they moved at a relatively fast pace which resulted in a good workout of almost an hour of non stop propelling those poles.

Nordic walking gives so much more than just a normal brisk walk,  you'll discover how it is far more than  'walking with poles'.

With the right technique,  you'll be surprised how light it can make you feel and how you will walk faster and further than you ever thought without undue strain on your body despite working on most of your muscles.

The Heath is marvellous in spring, has lush green fields to run in, long grass to roll in

woods to hide in...

and fields strewn with small tiny flowers...

the place to get back to nature.

Walking on flatland one has to keep the same upright posture.

 What haunts me most in Hampstead is the Heath,  its open grassland, woodland, scrub and open water.  Whenever the weather is good, the Heath attracts lots of Londoners to enjoy the park's unkempt charms.

Would it not be wonderful to do a bench meditation here?

Walking up to one of the highest point in London.
As if in a dream, where the blue sky and green fields meet.

The famous spot on the Heath is the Parliament Hill where it commands a panoramic view, one of London's best lookout.
The view takes in the skyline with the Thames River, St Paul's Cathedral, the Gherkin, the Shard all visible on a clear day.

To stretch before and after walk.  There's the quad/ hamstring stretch, chest/upper stretch , back/arm stretch and lateral stretch.

Had a fantastic walk to boost my fitness, to enjoy the awesome outdoors and a great opportunity to socialise and be part of  this class for my technique refreshes with Martin, a UK expert.

Met new friends....

Walking in a group makes you keep your pace up.

We walked to prove that exercise can be rewarding and fun.
Look at all the happy faces!




HOPE YOU'RE INSPIRED.  HAVE A GO AT NORDIC WALKING IN BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES.

SEE YOU ON THE PATH

WALKING FOR WALKING

It was a Bank Holiday last Monday in United Kingdom.

Around 7.30am I had the entire park practically for myself, enjoying the freshness in the air, feeling the gentle wind on my face and the dew in the fields.
I love to nordic walk early morning in a cool atmosphere as the air is cleaner and it gives my lungs a rich source of fresh oxygen.

Made a few stops by the green fields for my breathing exercise.

The path to my sanctuary.......
Walking in natural environments like in a park, garden or forest have  a greater effect on health and well-being.

The Lungs of London

I was walking to meet my date but obviously my date was late.

Alas, there she was,  still in a daze.

How could she mistakenly thought the distance from Carnaby Street to Kensington Gardens is a short distance?

Whew....she really had a long long walk to meet her date.

Here comes my date.....

Nordic walking involves not only muscles from your lower body but also from your arms, that is, your bicep, tricep, the pectorals and upper back in order to move the poles. It'll also lift off the weight from your knees.
This nordic exercise is currently being promoted as a form of  walking exercise that has greater benefits than regular walking.

It's spring, fresh grass all around, the warm sunlight,

the pretty small sweet blooms....

the chirpy bird.......

and the lovely daffodils against the tall willowy weeds
make it a serene surrounding to walk to enjoy nature.

We were walking on grass most of the time.
I personally like to gaze at green grass and green trees which is known to improve eyesight.
  The fresh smell of grass can be calming and energising.

With the waters and the ducks...

Just walking in the warmth of sunlight supplies vitamin D to our body.
Sunlight is a great source of healing energies and  provides vitality.

In this park,  I do see many walkers and they walk for all sorts of reasons.
Fitness walkers walk to stay in shape. Dog walkers walk to enjoy the company of a companionable dog(s). Office workers walk to work across the park and there are the sociable walkers walk for the pleasures of good talk.

Everyone walks at some stage of the day but I do hope a little effort is taken to turn your time into a health walk.

With the stunning landscape of the Italian Gardens...
When you're with nature, never hesitate to stop to admire or take a shot or a video if anything beautiful catches your eye.

  A beautiful view evokes pleasant feelings.......

Put your best foot forward, walk for better health by spending time in the green spaces, gardens, parks, forests and soon you'll notice the difference in your mind and body.

~  WALKING IS THE WORLD'S  OLDEST EXERCISE AND TODAY'S MODERN MEDICINE.

By  Johnny Wowk

A PEEK AT MY 3 DAYS JUICE FAST

I am blogging this mainly to record the cleanse that I did  and  to share my  beneficial fasting experience.

 I embarked on a  cold pressed juice cleanse due to excessive indulgence of everything over the past few months resulting in food poisoning, food allergy and I was also carrying some extra pounds.

 Well, you must have heard of the cold pressed organic juicing which is all the rage now due to its many health benefits it provides our bodies. A cold pressed uses high pressure instead of heat to produce the juice.This helps to maintain the level of nutrients and enzymes which will speed up  our metabolism, detoxify our body and gives energy boost.

Having jumped on the bandwagon for cold pressed juicing, I travelled to Singapore to look for the amazing  Super Angel 8500 - stainless steel juicer ( thanks to a dear friend who had painstakingly sourced and recommended this superb juicer).

This is the Super Angel 8500 Juicer 

The yield pressed from this juicer is comparatively higher.

This juicer uses twin gears and it masticates practically every kind of produce such as veggies or fruits or nuts or seeds to a complete dry pulp, producing a comparatively higher yield and it retains all the important phytonutrients inside the juice. Take a look how dry the pulp is!

Cold pressed juicing are taking the juice market by storm lately and these juices are hitting store shelves faster than ever in London, New York, L.A and even back home in Kuala Lumpur.

In London I noticed there are many brands of cold pressed juices such as PRESS, PLENISH, CANYON, BOB'S COLD PRESS, JUICEMAN  and others.

With the days getting brighter and longer, I decided that Spring is an ideal time for me to do a cleanse to lighten up, to reassess my personal nutrition goals and to kick start a healthier diet.

I knew a 3 day detox programme with PRESS, a reputable Company founded in L.A in 2013 in West Hollywood,  producing cold pressed juices was the best way to give myself a complete rehaul and start from fresh again.  It is during this 3 days period I will typically consume only liquids, juices from veggies and fruits and herbal teas, no solid food at all.  I literally could not wait.

It was Monday 11th May my PRESS CLEANSE arrived delivered to my doorstep and I was feeling excited for the results.

In the box were 24 bottles of a variety of  vegetables and fruits juices for 3 days consumption.

The bottles were labeled to consume accordingly.

The juices in bottles of 500ml and 350ml do look beautiful stacked in my fridge and all colours of the juices are pleasing to the eye and I love them.

Prior to the cleanse, I was supposed to pretox ( a pre cleanse) by avoiding meat, carbs or sugar but Jing and Krys were out from school/Uni for the weekend and it means eating out for lunch/dinner.   So my diet went out of the window. Nevertheless this made me feel the more determined to go thru my detox juice diet and to clean up my system.

The following pictures are the juices I consumed in sequence for 3 days.

Cleanse water

Ingredients:Filtered water, Chlorophyll, Mint

 Greenhouse 1

Ingredients: Cucumber, Apple, Celery, Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Lemon, Ginger

It is ideal to take at least one to two litres of mostly green vegetable juice over a day.

A touch of fruit can be added to sweeten the juice to ensure it is delicious.

Be cautious not to overdo fresh fruit juices as they will send your sugar level out of balance.

 Orchard 2

Ingredients: Apple, Ginger, Lemon.

Use lemon and lime in everything is fine as they are brilliant alkalises and very low in sugar.

Greenhouse 3

Ingredients:Cucumber, celery,Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Lemon, Ginger

Grove 2

Ingredients: Watermelon, Lime

Vanilla Leche

Ingredients: Spring water, Almonds, Rice, Dates, Vanilla Bean, Sunflower Oil, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Greenhouse 2

Ingredients: Cucumber,Celery,Kale,Spinach,Romaine

Cleanse Water

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Aloe Vera, Lemon

For 3 days consecutively I was to drink 8 bottles of the above juices per day in the same sequence and the total intake is 950 cal/day.

I actually had to plan out the time schedule, every 2 hours a bottle of juice.

Keeping to my schedule is important otherwise I have to pack in several bottles within a few hours.  This is where setting the alarm on my mobile is helpful.

(Advice: Stick to schedule)

DAY 1

I contentedly drank my 1st bottle of juice followed by the others every 2 hourly. 

Midway through as forewarned,  I suffered a slight headache and felt cold (side effect of not having food). I needed the toilet many times and had bowel movements. For the fast to leave me cleaner and feeling better, I have to ensure that toxic matter actually leaves my body and the bowel is playing the biggest role in dumping that old toxic waste out! 

 The ordeal was fine for me when I think of the consolation, that toxins and unwanted waste will be flushed out.

The whole day I was full with liquids and practically no hunger pangs at all. Luckily I ended day 1 on a high with my 3rd last bottle of  a yummy Vanilla Leche.  Prior bedtime I had my last bottle of cleansing water.  Bring on Day 2.

DAY 2

Woke up fresh, no dreams of food.  I'm surprised to find not much starving but realised had a mouth ulcer,  a small one.  I supposed it must be the toxins that needed to be eliminated or due to excessive intake of fructose.  Whatever it is, that's what cleansing is all about.

Had my 1st bottle of juice while reading up on organic gardening of veggies and herbs. Why my sudden interest in organic?  To embrace change and mind reset perhaps?

 I decided to to walk out to the garden for some fresh air,  sipping a cup of lemon ginger tea. Towards late afternoon I was feeling hungry and I do think the 2nd day is worst in terms of cravings.  Frankly I find myself snooping around the kitchen staring at the cookie jars.  However, knowing I was already mid way thru my detox programme kept me from cheating.  I still have bowel movements, crazy huh?  This is likely old toxic waste that needs to be discharged.

It is also common for the 1st and 2nd day to have white coated tongue.  It went away on the 3rd day and I think it must be one of the detox symptoms and side effects.

DAY 3

Woke up easier than usual, felt good with flat tummy.  It's the FINAL day!!

I felt so great so light and energetic. 

Once I have opened each bottle of juice I will pour them into the Swell bottle that can keep the juice cold for 24 hours.

 Diligently I had my juices,  bottle after bottle.  I did however find my stomach rumbling rather loud but I calmed the 'music' with my next juice.

Towards late afternoon, I went for a walk which was a good enhancement to the detoxification process.  I ended up buying oats, bread and avocados for next day breakfast. To my surprise, I did not crave the food on the shelves at Little Waitrose.

RESULTS

Well after 3 days, I felt really good and there I stood on the scale with a lost of 3kg.

But that was not my goal.  I desired to kick start my way to a healthier attitude from now on.

What strikes me the most is how my cravings disappear after the 3rd day and rather waking up on 4th day for a big breakfast I found myself completely aware of my body and what I eat.   

I had veg juice and a bowl of oats sprinkled with cranberries, almonds, walnuts and chia seeds for breakfast instead.

 After doing a juice cleanse,  I'm motivated to eat healthier.  Cleansing is like meditation. It makes me stop, focus and think about what I put into my body.

I  realised how important it is to take care of  my body and how different it makes me feel inside and out.  I feel my body has reset and thus I've plans to have healthy meals to follow up. My juice cleansing has certainly helped and I would call this a success!

On day 4 I rushed out to purchase a cold press juicer from Selfridges.  Nothing beats own home juicing  of the organic veggies and fruits bought from the farmers' market.

This juicer, Kuvings,  operates with one gear.

Never have I seen purple kale and this came from the farmer's market.

If you have not tried kale, you must.  This super green is packed with lots of nutrition that puts it high on the list of the world's healthiest foods. In KL I bought them organic, only the green curly ones, imported from Australia.

I do hope with the kale seeds that I will be bringing home, can be grown in our climate.

 My own concoction of green juice comprising of kale, spinach, cucumber, apple, lemon, celery & ginger.

The juice is foamy due to the lemon as it is soft.

Just sieve to remove the foam.

This pulp is not completely dry compared to the pulp from the Super Angel stainless steel juicer.

Juice cleansing is fabulous and a great healing tool. They were amazing for my mind and body.  I felt like a different person at the end of the cleanse.  It may seem rather intimidating and scary ( that was how I felt prior cleansing) to think about having no solid food for 3 days in a stretch. It is actually normal but I won't be doing it so often. I can still use the concept of juice fasting by including in my daily life:

fast for one day or half a day or juicing into my daily routine along with other healthy meals. 

I will make the juice at home or pick up a cold pressed juice a couple of times in a week. It makes me feel amazing and I do like the taste.

Green juice is my morning coffee now. I will live with healthy fresh juice in limited amounts  to energise and nourish throughout the day but I will still continue with my smoothie intake which is full of goodness and fibre.