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Tip #3 To Beat The Heat: Never Leave Home Without Sunscreen

Posted by: lionel on Mar 06, 2010

Here's the 3rd tip to beat the heat. It may come across as common sense but I know a lot of people still don't practise it.

Never Leave Home Without Sunscreen 

We've read all about the depletion of the ozone layers and how the harmful rays of the sun are resulting in a spike in the number of skin cancer cases. Yet we don't look after ourselves, especially our skin well enough. Take heed my friends as that big whole in the sky can really do serious damage to your skin if left unchecked.

Yes, I'm talking about never leaving home without applying sunscreen on your face. Your face is the most exposed part of your body. While a little sun is good as it gives us the necessary Vitamin D, over-exposure to it could damage our eyes, immune system and eventually lead to skin cancer.

To prevent this, I advise everyone to apply a sunscreen with SPF (sun protection factor) 20 to 25 before leaving the house. It will help block both UVA and UVB rays, and help diminish the effects on your skin. Help fight against or retard the occurrence of pigmentation problems and ageing. 

Here's some good news for everyone - most moisturisers in the market do come with SPF ingredients already built in so you may wish to get them. This certainly beats helping to apply another additional layer on the face. 

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Tip #2 To Beat The Heat: Avoid Wearing Black

Posted by: lionel on Mar 02, 2010

Here's tip #2 on how to beat the heat.

Avoid Wearing Black

Black is a beautiful colour. It not only projects an air of mystery, it also makes one more alluring. And for those of us on the slightly plump side, it is the perfect colour to make us look slimmer as black gives a flattering illusion. Yet having said all this, you should avoid wearing black in this heat. 

Why do I say so?

Dark colours like black absorb light instead of reflecting it. And since light is energy, absorbing light makes something hotter. Wearing black thus makes the wearer feel hot, hot, hot! Your wouldn't want to feel any hotter than it already is.

Instead of black and other darker colours, choose light colours or even pastels as they reflect light. It will give you an instant cooling effect.

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Tip #1 To Beat The Heat: Drink More Water

Posted by: lionel on Feb 28, 2010

The weather these days is starting to get unbearably hot. Welcome the summer heat!

Since we only have two seasons in Singapore - summer & rain, I've decided to come up with some tips to help readers beat the heat. Here's the first tip. Stay tuned for more...

Drink More Water

Remember we used to be reminded from time to time for all of us to drink at least 8 glasses of water (or 2 litres) per day? This timeless reminder cannot be more timely than this, especially when we are experiencing warm temperatures and high humidity. 

Hydrate yourselves constantly throughout the day so you will feel at your energetic best! More importantly, your skin and lymphatic systems will thank you for it.

Drinking enough water is important for good health. After all, 70% of our bodies is estimated to be made up of water. Our bodies need water to regulate the body temperature and provide the means for nutrients to travel to all the organs. 

Under the scorching heat, our bodies lose water faster as we perspire more. Thus we need to hydrate constantly (and even more now) to maintain the equilibrium and prevent dehydration.

Here's water for life!

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Upcoming 2 Day Grooming Workshop In March 2010

Posted by: lionel on Feb 23, 2010

Tagged in: grooming

I'm happy I have confirmed the dates and venue for the upcoming 2 day grooming workshop. Here are the details:-

Date:   21 & 28 Mar 2010 (both Sundays)
Time:   0900hrs - 1700hrs
Venue: 50A Prinsep Place, #02-01, Prinsep Street, Singapore 188680

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The venue is rented from a friend who owns Intune Music School. Because of the goodwill he has shown me, I've also decided to give his students who attend the workshop a special deal. All they have to do is to check with the reception counter. But do hurry as there's an early bird special deal that ends on 17 Mar 2010.

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Hope to see everyone there!

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Slimming Tips We Can Learn From Asian Stars

Posted by: lionel on Feb 16, 2010

Tagged in: lose weight

We all think that the popular movie stars and singers whom we idolise must possess some special formula or be made to go through some terrible weight loss regime just to maintain their svelte figures. 

Recently, I did a search of what some of our idols are doing to stay slim and pretty and guess what? The slimming tips which they use are nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, they are so ordinary that we tend to neglect them. Remember, these Asian stars are as human as all of us are. 

Shu Qi

This former Category X porn queen turned mainstream actress makes it a point to stand erect for 30 minutes after each meal. 

Research has proven that standing burns about 50% more calories than sitting. What more after a meal when standing helps you to digest your food better. By standing after a meal, you help prevent bloatedness which is one of the most common complaints of many. 

Fan Bingbing

This mainland actresses simply keeps a food diary of what foods pass her lips. 

This is so easy but yet very few of us are doing it. And the excuse we tell ourselves is that it is too cumbersome. But if you want to see results, then we must all work on our diets. It is pointless slugging it out at the gym or running 10km a day if you don't monitor what you eat.

Karen Mok

The Hong Kong singer/actresses controls her penchant for snacks by not reaching for chips, biscuits or other tidbits. Instead, she turns to munching on apples each time she gets a snack attack. The additional benefit this has given her is help her keep her enviable long legs trim. 

As the saying goes 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away'. There are many benefits associated with eating fruits. I'll just list 3 of them. Firstly, fruits comprise mainly of water and this is crucial for the human body which is made up 70% of water. Secondly, fruits provide us with the necessary fibre which helps us clean our internal systems. Thirdly, fruits are 100% cholesterol free. Compare this with animal products such as meat and diary.

Jolin Tsai

This popular Taiwanese singer idol eats only boiled green vegetables, low calorie crackers and no sweets. 

Remember your parents cajoling you to eat your greens when you were younger? Well, our parents know best. Including vegetables in our diets may reduce risk for stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases. More importantly, vegetables are important sources of many nutrients such as potassium, dietary fibre, folic acid, Vitamins A, C & E. Most vegetables are also naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. But because most of us like to fry our vegetables with oyster sauce or other seasoning, we invariably add fat, calories, or cholesterol in the process.

Sweets, innocent as they appear, are in fact silent killers. Very rarely will we be content with just one sweet. And many of us, having a sweet tooth, will find ourselves reaching out for that second, third...sweet. The concentrated amount of calories we bring into our bodies largely bypass our daily calorie needs. More alarmingly, because sweets are primarily acid, they lower acidity in our mouth, rendering the teeth vulnerable to bacteria attack and to the emergence and proliferation of teeth cavities. So what's so sweet about sweets? Nothing but sugar.

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Chinese New Year Promotion For Grooming Workshop

Posted by: lionel on Feb 14, 2010

Tagged in: grooming

I finally finished designing the promotion materials for my grooming workshop scheduled from 20 - 21 Mar 2010. In the spirit of the Chinese New Year, grab either the fortune deal or the prosperity deal now! Gong Xi Gong Xi :)

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Grooming For Chinese New Year

Posted by: lionel on Feb 14, 2010

Tagged in: grooming

It's interesting how some topics always repeat themselves year after year during the Chinese New Year festival. The first perennial topic is the one on relationships. For those who are still single, they will be asked where the elusive boyfriend/girlfriend is. And for those who are attached, they will be asked when they will be getting married.

The second most frequently discussed topic is the one on health, or should I say with more accuracy someone’s outward appearance. Regardless of whether we are brothers, sisters, cousins or just friends, it is inevitable that we start comparing ourselves. 

The weight lost gang will mention something along these lines “Wow…You lost weight…you look so much slimmer now. Been exercising in the gym regularly is it?”

The weight gain gang on the other hand will probably just smile and politely ignore or even evade the observations. For the more self-conscious ones, he/she will immediately almost give an excuse or reason to explain the weight gain. “My work requires me to sit at the desk from 9am to 5pm”… “My other half feeds me with all the good food, how not to put on weight I ask you?” … “Getting old means metabolism rate is lower…so (sigh) it’s natural to put on weight.”

We are human beings. And as human beings, it’s our innate behaviour to compare ourselves with others. Only by comparing ourselves with others do we feel superior or less. Do we not flip the pages of glossy magazines and find ourselves staring admiringly at that tight butt on the model or the beautifully sculpted six-pack abs? I remember Bo Derek used to be my inspiration during my younger days as she was the largely acclaimed perfect 10 female figure then.

As the unofficial health guru in my extended family, I always almost get asked questions every year on how to lose weight. Just today, my eldest uncle pointed to his tummy and said he still has a difficult time losing the beer belly despite using the treadmill regularly. At this juncture, my youngest uncle chipped in with self-deprecating resignation that we should all just accept whatever shape we are in as long as we are healthy. 

Big or small, large or petite, obese or stick-thin…it really doesn’t matter. In fact, it’s too late to lament as Chinese New Year is here. What we can do is to take stock of where we are now and take concrete actions to move towards where we want to go.

Taking stock of where we are now involves knowing ourselves, in particular our body shape and how we can use our clothes to hide our flaws and yet bring out the best in us. This is what I teach my participants during my grooming workshops. Big doesn’t necessarily mean you are not the flavor of the month. It’s how you project yourselves in the eyes of others that matter most. There are many celebrities who are plus-sized but they still look stunning. The same goes for the stick-thin. Once sniggered behind many a back as being the victim of malnutrition or lacking in certain vitamins during the growing up years, there is hope for you. I used to belong to this category. Have you heard of the concept of layering? Layering can and will help you add the necessary bulk on your frame in the short to middle term while you work on building up your muscles in the long term.

Despair not, my friends. 

I wish everyone a roaring Tiger year ahead. In the year of the Golden Tiger (which comes once every 60 years), let us learn how to appreciate ourselves better and how we can allow our inner beauty to radiate outwards through simple yet effective personal grooming. 

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Bishan ClubFitt Gym: Highly Recommended

Posted by: lionel on Feb 08, 2010

Tagged in: gym

One of my clients suggested training at Bishan Clubfitt Gym this morning. As it was a new training location for both of us, I readily agreed. Summing up my first impressions of the gym and my experience an hour later, I give it two thumbs up! 

Conveniently located within the Bishan Sports Hub which is a brisk 5 minute walk from Bishan MRT station is the Bishan ClubFITT Gym. Walk past the sports stadium & head down a step of stairs and the gym beckons. If you drive, it is really a breeze getting to the gym as it is literally stationed next to the underground carpark. Come rain or shine, you need not worry. Just get your gym gear & shoes ready and enjoy your workout!

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Bishan ClubFITT Gym

Unlike its other counterparts, Bishan ClubFITT Gym welcomes you with its cheery hues of pale red & cyan. I love the combination as the former symbolises the energy and excitement of a good workout, wihtout being too jarring on the eyes...while the latter provides a relaxing, balm-like effect which suggests this is a hidden sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Another plus point is the high ceiling of the gym. This helps to give it the illusion of a a bigger space, helps brighten up the whole place and most importantly, allows for good ventilation.

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Exercise area of Bishan ClubFITT Gym

Even if this is your first visit to Bishan ClubFITT gym, worry not as I found the layout of the different fitness equipment very easy to navigate. More importantly, one will not get intimidated or overwhelmed as one can train according to his/her fitness level in comfort in the clarly demarcated areas.

Turn left and you will be greeted by 3 rows of machine weights. Having trained my clients at other ClubFITT gyms previously, I realised that the machine weights at Bishan ClubFITT Gym are more than sufficient. In fact, I'm pleased by the wide range of machines available as it is comparable to any of the private gyms in town. 


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Machine Weights

Check this machine out. Hmm...this one intrigues me as this is the first time I'm seeing it . The 10degree chest machine (as it is called) works the chest muscles. Instead of getting into the usual sitting position, one can in this instance lie down comfortably while working out. The range of motion is reimniscent to a dumbbell chest flye. 

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Machine Chest Flye 

For the more experienced gym-goers, you can immediately turn right & take on the free weights. Besides two Smith machines, there is also a rack of dumbbells for you to pump iron.

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Free Weights area

Any gym will be incomplete without the cardio machines. It is interesting that most Singaporeans prefer running over cycling or the elliptical trainer. Perhaps running helps to burn the most calories in the shortest possible time.

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The cardio area with treadmills, bicycles, elliptical trainers & row machines

The only thing I find lacking at Bishan ClubFITT Gym is a sofa at the waiting area. Compared to its other counterparts, I found myself having to contend with a wooden box-like structure that doubled up as a seat while waiting for my client. But then again, with so many good points, who's complaining about the lack of a sofa?

My final verdict - Bishan ClubFITT Gym is highly recommended for anyone who lives in central Singapore. If you do see me there, remember to say hi :)

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