Cholesterol - it's ok to eat eggs and seafood!!!!

I have been eating a lot of eggs lately because frankly that is the easiest breakfast you can make for yourself if you are keeping an eye on your carb intake. I have been eating so much eggs for the pass couple of months to start to worry about my cholesterol level. So i have done a little bit of research. This article talks about it's okay to eat eggs.... but it got me thinking, how do you reduce your cholesterol level naturally, without having to consume carbs such as Oats (research suggest that oats can help to remove cholesterol from your blood stream). This is what i've found

You don’t need to avoid eggs and seafoodSome foods are high in cholesterol but are fine to eat in moderation, as long as your overall diet is low in saturated fats. For example:

• Egg yolks – a single egg yolk contains 200–250mg of cholesterol, which is almost the uppermost recommended daily intake (300mg). However, reducing egg intake is probably not important for healthy people with normal blood cholesterol levels.
• Seafood – prawns and seafood contain some cholesterol but they are low in saturated fat and also contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Seafood is a healthy food and should not be avoided just because it contains cholesterol. However, avoid fried and battered seafood.

Foods that may lower cholesterol levels
The most powerful food for lowering LDL cholesterol is polyunsaturated oil (for example, sunflower or safflower oil). Some studies have suggested that eating oats and legumes may lower LDL cholesterol. Food components like saponins (found in chickpeas, alfalfa sprouts and other foods) and sulphur compounds (like allicin – found in garlic and onions) may also have a positive effect in lowering cholesterol levels.

Hope you have found the information useful. So Eggs are green light for me!!!
bye for now.
Cuppypowers xxx

Source: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cholesterol_explained

Weekend slip....

Hello everyone. I hope you all had a good weekend, a big apologies for those who came back to check and did not see an update!

It has been a cold and difficult week end. I felt alone and cold. My bf has been very busy at his new job for the pass couple of months and i have not seen much of him. We simply have not had the chance to spend any quality time together. I finally broke down in tears at his work on Sunday lunch time.

I worked out for a couple of hours on Saturday and took Sunday off as my rest day. My ass was aching from the bodypump and bodycombat class from the day before. I wore a workout crop top for the first time in ages. The amazing thing was that by wearing it, it actually made me work extra heard! I could not help but staring at my own stomach (which is beginning to really flatten out).

Eating wise, i have done pretty well this weekend, but i did have a little binge with the nuts on Sunday night. Oh well, could have done worst with binging with process food!

I shall be updating you with a little create i have been keeping from you. It's my new challenge for yr 2011.
Watch this space curious readers!

Bye for now!
Cuppypowers xxxx

Yummy Scrmmy Starbucks drinks Under 200 Calories | Starbucks Coffee Company

Out of all of the coffee houses Starbucks has always been my favorite another we have in hong kong is called Cafe Habitué. My all time "go-to" is their De-cafe Mocha. The only thing is, the yummy, rich, energising drink does not exactly fit in with my healthy eating. More than often, it's laced with chocolate syrup, caffeine (obviously) and more sugar. I happens to come across this article from the Starbucks official site when i was reading a piece of internal mail from a co-worker and wanted to share with you the more calories conscious drinks available. Enjoy the drink with minimum amount of damage!!!!!

Delicious Drinks Under 200 Calories Starbucks Coffee Company

Happy drinking!!! :)

Signing off now.
Cuppypower xxx

I NEED positive energy

Today is not such a great day.... feeling exhausted and sleepy. does not want to work out. really want to give up.....somebody please pull me out of this hole!!!!!

No one came to pull me out, so i convinced myself to stick to going to the gym and i will feel much better afterwards.

Indeed i felt a lot better after a Bodycombat & Bodypump class. After gymming and a hot shower, i headed to have some dinner. Temptations are high today to go for a desert; but i told myself i am feeling the way i do today is probably due to all the additives i have been having a couple of days ago when i ate all those yummy, scrummy process goodies.

I have managed to resist having dessert (i try to save the treat to once a week) i hope i am not going to loses my ground when i get home....

In case you are wondering what is it that i had dinner, on the right is seared tuna salad, the picture below is wague beef.

Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me guys, i will let you know if i managed to keep my eating in check tonight!

I hope you are having a wonderfully wonderful evening. Speak to you all tomorrow :)

Signing off for tonight.
Cuppypower xxx

The stats are in!!!!

I went to the gym twice yesterday. A bodypump class at lunch and a spinning class after work. I also went for my first Body Composition Analysis in a long time. The special scale is by Inbody, the version i was using was much older version. The report didn't look any where as funky, but it was informative, if you are a gym member, it is highly possible that you will be able to get a report free of charge, a word of advice would be you might get hassled by Personal Trainers....

Just a little bit more back ground of Body Composition Analysis for those that are interested... for those who knows already, please bear with me! The special scale requires you to stand on it barefoot on the scale, whilst holding two sensors in your hands. The Scale than send some magic wave through your body and calculate how much body fat, muscle, and water etc. in your body. The scale takes into account your gender, age and height.

So my status are as follows:
Height: 160cm
Age: 29
Weight: 56.7kg
Soft Lean Mass: 37kg
Body fat: 17kg
Percentage Body Fat: 30% (28% being Normal)
Nutrition Status: Protein, Fat, Mineral are all Normal
Upper Lower Balance: Arm: Underdeveloped    Leg: Normal
Right Left Balance: Arm: Balance    Leg: Balanced

My fluid diagnosis are normal for my arms, trunk and legs, however there are more fluid in my legs. The report suggest that in order for me to maintain this weight, i require the same amount of work out and to consume 1,293.6kcal per day. my BMI is 22.2kg. The report suggest that i am to bring my weight down  by 3.5kg and reduce my fat content by 4.7kg, and gain 1.2kg in muscle

Fitness Score: 74 Points

All very interesting stuff by standing on a speical scale for less than 2 mins!!!!

My 1st reward

I am not sure if you are like this. I am one of those people who is very generous towards family and loved ones yet will feel guilty in spending any sort of $ on myself.
So back in Nov; I decided to motivate myself in sticking with the new fitness regime, i made a promise to myself that if i continuously go to the gym for 5 days a week for the entire Nov, i will get a second pair of trainers which i can leave at my office..... Big gym bag and rush hour on a double decker bus is no fun in hong kong. Of course, Nov came and gone and I did achieve my goal for Nov, i put off the purchase until the new year.

I finally got a grip on myself and told myself that i should treat myself better and should not feel guilty. After all these were on sale, only HKD369 and i worked it out that if i were to use it for the next 300 days, that would make it HKD1.23 per day/ workout!!!!

I think that if you set yourself achievable goals for any health/ fitness regime or even work, then surely it's only right to set rewards that are non food related, something that is a little "luxury", something that "is a want, not a need" to motivate yourself to stick with it!!!!

Like my blog, i am doing this fitness regime for myself, i want to help myself to achieve my goal. I hope you will be inspired to do what is needed so that you will achieve your personal goal in 2011.

All the best and signing off now!
Cuppypower xxx

Rewinding to the night before....

Hi there, happy new year everyone and I hope you are feeling good today, or at least the hangover is not so bad! A quick tip to help you survive the hang over; drink sports drinks. The special isotonic in sport drinks are more effective in hydrating the human body in comparison to water. Anyway, a hangover is just a reminder of what a good night you had the night before!!!!

I wish all of you all the best in 2011 and that you will have the energy, luck and support from family, friends and co-workers to help you achieve your goal in 2011!!!!

I've talked about my low carb diet before, i want to share with you this is what most of my meals look like (well, at least for the past 2 months).

I went to Roka to have my last dinner for 2011, the 1st picture is one of my favorite, their fresh tofu. What followed next was a selection of 5 raw fish. aka sashimi

Since it was new years eve, in stead of drinking, i budget some "eating quota" for an awesome desert from Sake San, a newly opened Japanese restaurant in Soho......Pumpkin Penna cotta. Ok. ok. not exactly low carb by any means, surely, for new years eve, it does no harm in having a dessert! Especially i went for a Bodycombat class during the afternoon!!!!

All was well until i got home and pigged out with my bf with stuffing my face with cookies. Don't ask how much.

Signing off now!

Cuppypower xxx