Won't your cholestrol level shoot up if you have it everyday?

I do not think so, but then again I am no health expert. But if you just take the time to google about having eggs for breakfast you might just surprise yourself. 

I remember reading a little article in Mens Health Singapore November 2009 issue about having eggs and it mentioned that, having sunny side up eggs helps to lower blood pressure. This is according to a study done by scientist in Canada. Something about cooking or frying the eggs helps to release more nutrient which are good for our body. 

Here is an interesting article about eating eggs for those who are calorie counting their daily food intake http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1673141/the_benefits_of_eating_eggs_for_breakfast/

Here is a nice artice about why anyone who needs convincing about having eggs for breakfast should start having eggs in the morning http://www.dietriffic.com/2012/01/31/eggs-for-breakfast/

Here is a study in 2008 about eggs in relation to a healthy weight loss program htt

p://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/epr-awe080408.php

As much as I want to say that my over indulgence of eggs every morning is good, it is all about moderation http://www.livestrong.com/article/402019-are-eggs-for-breakfast-healthy/

Having your blood check before attempting to pursue any lifestyle change is a good idea. I will help you to gauge what changes you need to make. 

A balanced and sustainable diet with daily exercise goes a long way towards a healthy lifestyle. 

Boiled, sunny side up, scrambled, poached - anyway you fancy. Eggs in moderation.

Eat Right. Get Fit.

With 'No Sugar' introduced in week 2 of the 30 day challenge and added to the existing challenge, we all need to educate ourselves even more about that thing that makes our food so yummy and gives you that extra high and normally consumed in many forms from chewing gum to cakes.

So this means no canned drinks or fruit juices from a box or even yogurt. Read the labels and find out how much sugar or 'hidden' sugar is found in the product. 

Do not be fooled by the 99.9% Fat Free label. It does not hide the fact that it is high in sugar and that is just going to hurt us in the long run. 

I am not saying all sugar is BAD. However, if we practice everything in moderation and cut out processed sugar, we are already a step ahead in moving towards a healthy lifestyle.

That saying you hear when you down a cupcake, a minute on the lips forever on the hips, is all about the sugar.

So lets re-educate ourselves about sugar. Here are a few useful links that I found.

http://www.everydiet.org/1001/sugar-and-artificial-sugar-facts

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-natural-sugar.htm

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/is-natural-sugar-better-for-you.aspx

So how does one substitute sugar? We go natural. 

http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/index.php/2011/02/the-truth-about-sugars-in-fruit/

http://www.ehow.com/about_5379134_fruits-high-natural-sugar.html

Different fruits vary in sugar content. Here is a link to some fruits with moderate and low sugar content - http://www.livestrong.com/article/279250-what-fruits-are-low-in-natural-sugar-content/

Here is a interesting link to The Top 10 myths about eating fruit http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/blog/?p=173

So yeah, everything in moderation.

We grew up with sugary treats as prizes for helping out with chores and finishing our homework, so just 3 weeks without it and you may just find how much you wont really miss it. 

Just another 21 days to go. 

Note: I am not a professional dietition or nutritionist but just someone who has attempted the paleo diet and seen results and constantly re-educating myself about health. 

Eat Right. Get Fit.

Week one challenge was to eliminate wheat and gluten from your diet. How do you feel? I know it gets a little getting used to. 

Week two started today and your challenge, on top of the the existing one is to add 'no sugar'.

Registered participant should have received an email regarding this update. If you have an enquires about what food to avoid feel free to email info@getfitcrossfit.com or you can tweet me @zulfadly and I will try to help you out if I can.

So here I would like to share with you some of my breakfast from last week.

I have eggs everyday. Half boiled, scrambled, sunny side up or anyway to like your eggs. I haven't made an omelette in a while though.

Hope these pictures can give you some ideas or inspore you on how what to have for breakfast.

Remember eat lots of fresh veggies, lean meats and nuts/ seeds and little starch and no sugar.

The above photo was this mornings breakfast. You can see scrambled eggs with beef loin slices cooked with baby kailan, leeks, garlic, lots of chili padi (thai chili) and tomato. Sprinkled a bit of dill and balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Simplicity at its best. Sunny side ups. Grilled tomatoes and avocado with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

My leftovers with sliced cucumbers and peas.

Sunday morning and I have time to do this. Half boiled eggs with beef loin sllices, baby kailan and tomato. Used a lot of chili flakes because I like it spicy.

When you're in a rush, half boiled eggs with a sprinkle of white pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil goes a long way.

I like to add freshly grated black pepper to my food and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for that extra goodness.

So hopefully this can inspire you to re think what you eat for breakfast. The challenge is not to stop eating it to re educate ourselves into making better and healthier choices when it comes to breakfast.

Those you can, DO! Those who can't, WORK HARDER!

Together we help ourselves achieve that goal.

Eat Right. Get Fit.

You would assume that someone who is attempting a diet would have to give up some kinds of food, especially dessert. That sweet ending to a great meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. A nice cold ice cream is always a treat.

Having followed some paleo practitioners on Instagram have helped me broaden my dishes and they are more than happy to share. 

This particular dessert is from IG and she was kind enough to share the recipe with me. It is very simple.

What do you need?

Some ripe bananas, peeled (about 4-5 depending on the size)

100% Cocoa (about 4-5 tablespoons)

Coconut milk (800 ml) 

put everything in a blender until it reaches a smooth consistency.

If you happen to have a popsicle tray, you can use that. Since I do not have one I used small contanier and the above ingredients was enough to make 4.

Put in freezer and give it about 2-3 hrs and you are good to go. Always great to make extras so you do not have to worry about what to whip up for dessert.

In the words of Mache a.k.a Mas - #itsnotthathard 

Happy weekend and week one is nearly done. 

Stay strong and persevere!

Many would doubt that when one attempts paleo he/she will have to omitt some of their favourite foods like spaghettie and pizza and fried chicken. Well to be honest you do not have to. I will try to share some simple recipes you can try at home. 

This recipe that I am about to share is a beef lasagna with the pasta replaced with eggplants. To my surpise this also happens to be similar to a greek dish called Moussaka. Thanks to my foodie friends Soraya, Maurina and Nikki on instagram for pointing it out. 

Now I think I have mentioned this before and I shall mention this again that I do not really follow a recipe book. One of my mentors from the telly, Chef Micheal from the show 'Chef at home' has always insipred me to be creative about cooking and he just uses a rough estimate when he explains his cooking on his show. So me being the adventerous one in the kitchen, always tries to emulate it and so far so good I have to admit. 

So here is my attempt at explaining this to you.

For the spicy beef sauce:

Minced beef - 500 grams

Celery - 3 stalks (diced)

Carrots - 3 medium sized (diced)

Big onion - 1 (for this dish I used bombay onions because it has a nice sweet fragrance and taste)

Garlic - 3 cloves (finely chopped)

A can of diced tomatoes (please read label for no sugar, for this one I used the 'Hunt's' brand.

Herbs - Whatever you like, fresh or dried or whatever you have in stock (for this dish I used basil, dill, parsley and oregano)

Chili powder - about 4 tablespoons (Optional, up to you to add this. I add it because I like it spicy)

Freshly grinded blackpepper for seasoning

Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

No salt needed

Cooking:

First, heat the olive oil in a pot. Once you feel that the oil has heated, lower to medium heat and throw in the carrots and let it sautee for about 2 minutes and stir it around just a couple of times. Then add the onion and garlic. Another 2-3 minutes to sweat it out and let your kitchen be filled with the lovely aroma. Then add the minced beef, lower the heat a bit more and close the lid. Stirring it first to mix everything, before you close the lid. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes and on low heat. By the time you open the lid the beef should be nearly cooked. Turn up the heat again and stir to ensure the beef is cooked. Then add the herbs and chili powder and black pepper. Stirring once in a while and after 2 minutes add the canned tomato and a bit more pepper. Slowly stirring and mixing everything together. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Done!

For the layers I used eggplants to replace the pasta. I used 2 medium sized local eggplants for this dish. (Note to self: Next time take photos of all ingredients used) 

Cut the eggplants in to thin slices as if it looks like lasagna sheets. 

Then spread some black pepper on it and a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Sautee on a hot pan.

Get some caramelization going on both side and its done.

By this time you should preheat the oven to aabout 230 degrees celcius.

Get a tray or whatever you want to use and on the botton layer give a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and then spread the minced beef for the bottom layer and the add the eggplants. Repeat again and you should have enought for two layers of beef and eggplants.

After nicely laying it out, put in oven at 200 degrees celcius for about 30-35 minutes. Depending on your oven. Keep an eye on it because you do not want to end up with burnt eggplants. The finished product should look like the photo below.

Good luck!

Please take note that I am not a trained chef and whatever I share is something I picked up from watching plenty of cooking shows. If it does not turn out right, then all I can say is 'Practice makes perfect'. I am still learning myself. Enjoy! 

#Eatrightgetfit #gfcfkapow2012 #30daychallenge

Already 4 days into the 30 day food challenge and I wonder how the other participants are coping.

I have been occupied with work and other things and I need to get into a routine like I did when I did the 50 days.

Registered participants will know that week 1 of the 30 challenge is 'No wheat/ No Gluten' week. 

Just simply google wheat and gluten to get an idea of what foods to avoid for this week.

You consumption should consist of lean meats (Beef, Chicken and Lamb), seafood, plenty of vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.

Water a.k.a H2O is your best friends. Tea and coffee without sugar, not even honey or 'Equal', which is artificial sweetner.

Here is a simple guideline you could follow for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast:

Eggs (Cooked anyway you like), Vegetables (tomatoes, mushroom, greens) + Meat (Optional)

Mid morning snack:

A fruit or a piece of fruit. (In my next post I will share some what kind of fruit to eat plenty of and which to eat less/little of) 

Lunch:

Vegetables + Meat/Seafood 

Mid afternoon snack:

Nuts/seeds (Avoid ground nuts salted or roasted or any flavoured one)

Dinner:

Vegetables + Meat/Seafood

Bearing in mind that you need to try to lower your salt intake and no MSG for any of your food. You are encouraged to use herbs and spices to add flavour to your cooking.

What do the portions look like?

I think this should be a personal choice. You should know your limit and do not overeat. No matter how healthy the dish is. Listen to your brain when you eat, hence drink water before you consume your food, it helps. 

Always listen to your brain and your stomach. Only eat when you have to, not because you need to. I am not a fitness instructor nor am I a certified nutritionist or a dietitian and I am definitely not the fittest person in the world but I am working towards my own goals. It is not rock science.

Just google Paleo and spend some time reading up on nutrition and workouts.

Again, not promoting Paleo as a whole, yet, but incorporating it in to this challenge in small doses.

My next post will be photos I have made and shared on instagram with some recipes. Follow the hashtags #eatrightgetfit #gfcfkapow2012 #30dayfoodchallenge

You can follow me on twitter and instagram @zulfadly and add me on facebook.com/zulfadly

To be honest it is a challenge. I will always go back to the 50 day challenge I did last year as a life changing experience. So from this experience and now with the getfitcrossfit box already open since early this year, I felt that this maybe a good opportunity to share my new found passion with others. 

After further discussion with the coaches, we have come to an agreement on how to go about doing this challenge. Registered participants are to attempt this challenge for 30 days. They will receive a limited edition GFCF-KaPOW challenge T-shirt and a Paleo KaPOW at the end of the challenge. 

The first week, which reaches day 5 (at time of post), is a no wheat/no gluten challenge as mentioned in the previous post. 

Every week there will be a new challenge added to the initial one and ultimately lead to the final week being the toughest one for all attempting this challenge. So this will be an interesting 30 days of self discovery and new found knowledge about a new lifestyle. 

To date there are 11 registered participants - 10 regular getfitters and 1 first timer who also now to getfitcrossfit. Thank you for daring to accept this challenge. Here is wishing all of you the best of luck and stay strong. 

To know more about getfitcrossfit please visit their site here

Follow me on instagram @zulfadly and follow the hashtags #eatrightgetfit #gfcfkapow2012 

Day two done tonight and I have yet to post an update. 

I have a few request for some of the meals I have posted on my Instagram @zulfadly

If you are on IG, upload your meal within the 30 day with the hashtags - #gfcfkapow2012 #eatrightgetfit #30dayfoodchallenge 

I will try to remember the recipe because it I do not follow a recipe book and it is all in my head and what I can find in the kitchen that I can work with. 

Therefore, apologies for the lack of updates.

I will most certainly update tomorrow.

Remember participants its No wheat and no gluten for week one.

Discipline and self perseverence. 

You can pull through. We are here to support each other.

If you have any burning q's about what to eat and where to buy and all that, feel free to leave a comment. 

Good night!

We want to see you level of fitness and to show you that with this diet will you improve it when you attempt the same challenge at the end of the challenge.

Personally I have started my challenge yesterday. No cause for alarm really. I just wanted to start early and show our first timers so examples of the kinds of dishes you can eat during the challenge.

Trust me when I say You will be eating not only great food but healthy as well.

This is not a kind of challenge where you starve yourself. It's the exact opposite. You can eat as much as you want without worrying about calorie counting. You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. No need to worry about last meal at 8 pm. That's thrown out the window.

Compliment healthy eating with intense workouts like Crossfit or whatever form of exercise and anyone who attempts this challenge will see results.

So to the brave souls who have accept the challenge. Hope to see you later at the box. Expect the unexpected and most importantly have fun!

Paleo is a diet which I personally attempted last year for 50 days unbroken.

I would like to think that I am 100% Paleo 70-80% of the time. I do have reservations to consuming white bread, rice and pasta. I always look for a near Paleo-ish dish when I am eating out and that means going to specific restaurants only.

That being said I am not saying I do not eat carbs. I do. Once in a while as a treat is fine. 

There are good 'carbs' and it is only 'bad' when consumed excessively.

You have to admit that we do sometimes have more than one serving of rice, in my case when ever I visit my parents and my mother cooks all my favourite food that I grew up eating. Again these are one off cases where I allow myself extra treats and I know I will have to work extra hard the next day. 

I personally have only attempted a no rice diet before I got married and it worked. Combined with my addiction to running and restricting my carbs to only wholemeal bread and lots of fruits and veggies and my main protein came from chicken. I dropped from 90+ Kg to 72 Kg in 6 months with a body fat percentage of 11%. From a size 44 to a size 34.

I hate to admit that I stopped going to the gym. I did not run anymore and I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I was gaining back the weight slowly. Fast forward to last October 2011. I found GetFitCrossFit.

A new addiction and a new challenge which helped me believe that at this age I was still able to lose weight and do amazing things. 

I was introduced to the Paleo diet by my trainers. Dietitians and nutritionist may say its a fad/celebrity diet and may say that this is similar to Atkins diet. To be frank, I have attempted this and I have experienced the benefits and seen the results. I am sold. 

I am not trying to sell you anything here. I am basically sharing an experience. The Paleo experience and this is what many crossfitters worldwide are doing. The results are amazing. Losing weight is a bonus. It is about changing your life for the better.

So what is Paleo? Here are a few links for some light reading.

http://thepaleodiet.com/

http://robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet/

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/

There are also many who are not sold on the Paleo idea by reading. I say try it. How long do you think you can last without grains? 

Try it for two weeks. If it does not work for you then it does not work for you. At least you tried right?