Cartagena, Colombia

As promised - on our lay over to Cartagena, we stayed in Panama for one night. We decided to try our luck at the tiny casino with $100US. Luck we definitely on our side as we left the table in thirty minutes up $290US. It paid for the hotel and a little extra cash for our trip. 

Cartagena de indias is a beautiful part of Colombia, located in the North along the coast and has the most beautiful walled city. It's been preserved for tourism and locals alike to enjoy a romantic walk along the wall, have a sunset drink at cafe del mar, eat local street eats or sit and enjoy a fresh seafood meal at any restaurant. There are so many different sections to the walled city and it was always a new view when we went there. 

We stayed at my friend's condo which had enough room for ten people, a pool outside our bedroom, a jaccuzzi, a pool at the back of the condo facing the beach. It was heaven and as she insisted, we enjoyed ourselves like it was an anniversary or honeymoon vacation. 

We had fresh Ceviche from the beach carts daily with crackers and ceviche at every spot we could find.  There were a lot of kite surfers on the water and lots of little tents to rent and sun bathe and even a man with horses you could rent for a sunset ride along the beach. 

We were told to go and visit some of the islands off Cartagena, so we went to the local ferry and got tickets to Cocauso Island Resort that is part of the Rasario Islands. They are meant to be beautiful, unfortunately we were trapped in a resort that had no body staying there, a pool with loud music and a lot of access to swimming in the open sea. There were activities we could do to see the island but we'd have to pay a lot extra on top of what we paid for the ticket. So we opted for reading our books poolside and after a delicious lunch (plantains, fresh fish, rice, veggies and fruit) which made up for the "tourist trap" we sat sea side and enjoyed our last few hours there before riding back on the speed boat. 

With just a short week, we booked up one trip to experience Volcan de Lodo El Totem. Besides hanging out in the walled city, this was the number one best thing to do! It's an active mud volcano that is so buoyant, the only way to dunk your whole body in, is to have a guy push you down. We had the tour company pick us up and when you arrive, it looks like a little anthill that could have been man made, until you actually climb in. There are locals there ready to assist you and you get a massage in the mud and you get to hang out for as long as you want. There are lots of minerals in the mud that leaves your skin and hair feeling silky soft! It was like being a kid in a mud pitt and we had a lot of fun with our group. Once you finish in the mud, you climb out careful not to slip and walk down to a lagoon where the local "mammas" are ready to wash you down, all the way down in the water. They even take your bathers off and wash them for you as you sit in the mirky water.

After the mud volcano, we drove another 30 minutes to a beach for sun, impromptu yoga and lunch. I love that I can bring yoga with me everywhere and people want to practice. It was the first time for most of the group and they were so grateful for the class. I was engulfed in hugs after and it was great to share this gift. The local children even joined in on the fun and helped me sing at the end to bring the group out of savasana. It was a great day! 

We were grateful for the short and sweet time in Colombia and the friendly locals there who welcomed us and made us feel at home.

Costa Rica

Landing into San Jose, Costa Rica, we were greeted with family friends who took us in for the night in their hill side casita. We hadn't really planned exactly how long we were going to stay in Costa Rica and that's the beauty of traveling without a definite plan. So we spent a day in San Jose town, touring the Teatro Nacional and feeding pigeons in the park.

We decided to hit up La Fortuna, Arenal where the famous Arenal Volcano stopped erupting about three years ago. We checked into the Arenal Backpackers, which had outdoor tents containing double beds for rent. They were clean, comfortable and safe. At the hostel, you could slack line, swim or chill by the pool, eat at the cafe and book any tours you wanted from the front desk that was manned constantly by good-looking young costa rican chicos.

There are mountain bikes for rent around town that usually go for $25US for the full day per bike. It's a great way to explore the hidden swings under bridges for jumping into the water and seeing other sites around the town. We found a place for only $10/bike for the half day and the guy we rented from was kind enough to start our half day at 10 am and was going to give it to us til 5 pm, to which we agreed that 4pm was a good "half-day". We rode our bikes a few kilometers to the base of what would be the most steep ride I have ever done and I couldn't help but think about spinning at Torq Cycle and was grateful for the training. It should have dawned on us that riding wasn't going to be the best option as people on horses and ATVs kept passing us both ways.

TheLa Fortuna Waterfall was a 4km uphill climb and it didn't take long before we were pushing our bikes uphill and riding the flat 50m before pushing uphill again. When we finally arrived and paid our $10 entrance to the waterfall, it was worth every pedal, push and step to a very quiet, turquoise blue fresh water fall. Ciaran jumped in while I hung back due to an allergic reaction to the deet spray we used. I didn't know at the time what it was and didn't want to aggravate it even more.

The next day we went on a hike around the volcano and learned about the plants and micro ecosystems that exist in all the different areas of Costa Rica depending on climate. The guides are well educated on their surroundings and enthusiastically shared their knowledge. We even found a strong vine to swing across the forest - it was needless to say a LOT of fun!

In the evening we were taken to the Baldi Hot Springs, which turned out to be within a massive resort and although it didn't feel authentic, it was a really fun afternoon! They had pools of all sizes and different temperatures and some had spring side bars for cooling off. We also found two water slides that sent us as fast as 45km/hr and worthy of a lawsuit if it ever crossed a north american border. It was worth the adrenaline rush, being thrown into the giant pool with a crowd of spectators clapping and cheering your epic fall.


From La Fortuna, we took a bus, ferry (that kept stalling) and another van (that broke down and we had to wait for another one) to reach Monteverde where the country's best zip line was waiting for us! We stayed at a local hostal called Sleepers which had two double beds with giant fleece comforters on them. We had no idea that it was going to cool off so much in the cloud mountains at night and we were grateful to have had some wooly socks and scarves to match our sandals. Food in Costa Rican Sodas (family run restaurants) served up some of the best Casado (rice with beans, meat, veggies and plantain). We didn't waste any time and set up our zip lining tour right away through Extremo company.

Zip lining and hiking across the cloud forest over 16 lines, one tarzan swing, one repel and a super(wo)man zipline to finish the two hour trip was one of the best adrenaline rushes and we even double zip lined across a few forests.

That afternoon after some delicious tacos, we met up with some Swedish friends we met on the broken bus and went for a local hike in search of an adult sized climbing tree. There are a lot of free walks and hikes in Monteverde that you can do on your own and the locals will gladly show you on a map where to go. We walked up a steep hill, past a school and turned left into a tiny opening into the forest then down halfway and there it was- a giant tree that had it's trunk strangled to death by other vines and plants, leaving a massive hole in the middle for people to climb!

To make the most of our time that day, we also squeezed in a two hour night hike where we saw for the 3rd time in 7 years, two sloths in the same tree! It was all I really ever wanted to see and I was a happy hiker from that point forward.

The next morning we got an early bus to journey the full day to the Nicoya Peninsula to the town of Santa Teresa. It was the bumpiest road we have ever traveled on and it was worth getting no sleep and thrown around the buses. Santa Teresa is a surfer, yogi town that isn't crowded. We stayed at Tranquilo Backpackers in a 6 bed dorm (with just three of us). It's got a giant kitchen for cooking, hot showers, lots of hammocks and a 4 minute walk to the beach. The place is run by a grumpy guy who is strict about 11pm noise curfew but if you're lucky, the girl who works there most of the time makes the stay so welcoming and she's super helpful! Next door was Nalu Surf shop and school and we signed up for $45US for an afternoon surf lesson that went from about 3-5pm and we got to keep the boards til 6 pm the next day to practice. The waves at Santa Teresa are perfect for learning, they're small and plenty and not busy which is the best part when you're a beginner.

Food in Santa Teresa is phenomenal. We treated ourselves the first night to fish burgers at Tori (which means street market in finnish). It was owned by a Finnish surfer dude and I was stoked to see a giant picture of the Gage Street Wet Market in Central, Hong Kong on his wall! They also have GREAT coffee for take away or dine in and home made cup cakes and desserts.

We spent our time in Santa Teresa soaking up the surf, sand, sea and yoga at Horizon where our friends Chantal and Daniel were staying and running a yoga retreat the following week. If you're ever in Vancouver check her out at Shanti Yoga in Tawassen or Semperiviva
We had a beautiful seafood dinner our last night at Brisas Del Mar, before returning back to San Jose on at 6 am that bumpy road that brought us to paradise just a week before.




As we said goodbye to a beautiful two weeks in Costa Rica, we were surprised at the check in counter that we had missed our first flight en route to Cartagena, Colombia. LAN Airlines put us on the next flight at no extra cost but we would have to stay one night in Panama and at the Airport Hotel Restort and Casino...so we did!

Find out how we did in the next post at the Casino Hotel in Panama

Cuba and Grand Cayman Islands

As we said goodbye to Toronto, we flew direct into Varadero, Cuba and took a van/bus to Havana Cuba to meet our friend Biggles (who has amazing spanish) where we stayed at the homes of locals. They're known as casa particulares and can vary from staying in beautiful old buildings to tiny rooms within someone's home. We learned very quickly as we stood outside the exchange booth that US Dollars are not accepted everywhere and you are charged an additional 10% right off the top for even bringing it so, if you have Canadian dollars, bring them, they love the Canadians.

We spent our first two nights at Casa de Martiza y Monollo and their daughter Giselle who lives nearby. They have two rooms in their casa on the ground floor with a sofa and a couple of rocking chairs to chill out. Breakfast is served up every morning for an additional $3US and a home cooked Cuban style dinner that will fill you up for only $7US.

The next three nights we stayed at their neighbour's just upstairs called Casa de Mayla. She has the COOLEST assortment of ornaments and decorations from around the world. Cat statues, little buddhas and paintings scattered around her Casa. She also has a sweet sun room and rooftop perfect for people watching below and sipping on some cuba libres and smoking cuban cigaros.


 Casa de Mayla
San Miguel Nro. 961
Entre Espada y San Francisco
La Habana

Casa de Maritza, Manolo y Gise
San Miguel Nro. 959 apto. 2 (bajos)
Entre Espada y San Francisco
La Habana
Teléfono: 878-2052
Email: casamaritzaymanolo@gmail.com


Our time in Havana was spent visiting the city centre, mainly Calle Obisquo which had the most bars with live cuban music blazing out from every entrance. There was always a party inside and if there was a crowd of locals outside, you could be sure to find a good time inside!

Take a full day to walk all around the main town and stop into local joints for delicious local meals of beans and rice with plantains, meat and veg or sit outside a patio somewhere, watching the locals and tourists alike, sipping beers and don't forget to order your share of Churros filled with condensed milk or chocolate!

Internet is hard to come by in Cuba. You have to go to a hotel or into town to an internet place and purchase a one hour internet card $6US. It's very controlled there and even the locals have a limitation on how long they can spend online in a week.


Our favourite restaurant in town is called Los Nardos. Named after the beautiful flower, you will find a queue outside so arrive before 6 to get a table. The decor is beautiful with two los nardos flower rocking love seats and a view of the open kitchen, as you wait and a good selection of wines to accompany dinner. We loved the chickpea dish with our bread basket as a starter and recommend sharing one main between two people. Wine was also served with a sophisticated service of smelling the cork, sipping of the wine by our server Qi-Que before it being served to all of us. We visited Los Nardos two times and a third to their less ambient location upstairs. I have to say the virgin pina coladas were the best I've ever had!


The proportions are large and great value for money. If you're running out of time and just want to try the food - go straight upstairs to "italian" restaurant on the 2nd floor which is the EXACT same menu without the ambiance.


Havana or Habana as the locals say, is a time warp back into the 60s where old chevy shells still run the streets with little interior to match the exterior. Still we couldn't leave without taking a ride in one so we organized a day trip to Vinales, a tobacco farming valley and town with some cool caves to visit.

Our tour included a very delicious and filling lunch of bbq'd chicken, salad, three kinds of rice, bean stew and of course, cerveza!

My man looking super cool in the front seat as we hit the road to Vinales. 

After our week in Cuba, we made our way to the Grand Cayman Island where the waters and skies are as blue as Paul Walker's Cool Water ad! 

We got to spend a fabulous week in the sunshine and reunited with our dear friend Fede and his beautiful Jessica. They opened up the sofa bed for us and we had one of the best weeks of our trip. It felt a little like being in Hong Kong on a sunny junk boat kind of day, only it was for the whole week. 

The Cayman Islands are definitely driven on tourism, nightlife and the chilled island life and LOTS of yoga, I could totally live here!
 

We hung out at Duke's for some of the yummiest pub grub (beef ribs, pork ribs, wings and poutine) and at Calico Jack's on the beach for drinks, sunsets and live music. We landed during pirates week (yes it's a real thing!) and saw a lot of "real" pirates that travelled from Seattle Pirate's Week for another week of trials, parties and parades. I also had the pleasure of teaching a class of 2-3 year olds at the Cayman Island International School and had so much fun with them. It was also great to have the principal in class and looking at incorporating yoga into their education. YAY! 

The highlight would have to be the visit to Sting Ray City. It's a sea bank in the middle of the clearest blue water you've ever seen and at least 50- 70 stingrays come swim around you. The water is about waist high and you can feed them, touch them, kiss them, hang out with these amazing creatures. They were so gentle and would swim right into your arms and you would know when they were ready to go because they'd give a little swing of their tails and you'd just let go. It was the perfect morning followed by a visit to the yacht club for lunch and afternoon drinks at Rum Point (serving up the BEST mud slides). 

Our beach life was coming to an end as we made our way to Costa Rica but first we had a one day lay over in Miami. I now understand why spanish is spoken there! We spent the day at Dolphin Mall, just a short ride or free shuttle away from the airport and watched Bad Grandpa in a theatre pretty much to ourselves and some delicious greasy Chinese! We were on the same flight as some new Cayman Island friends and got hooked up with some cool shades from the The Peripheral Foundation. It's so great to meet like minded people around the world, it's a good reminder that the world is small and the world has a lot of good. <3 

getting deesel on the road New York City & Toronto

Ciaran and I have been on the road for nearly two months now with my man and I figured this would be a great way to keep everyone updated and serve as an archive for our trip.  Maybe some of you will be inspired to seek out one or two or all of the places we've ventured. Here is a rundown of our first two stops.

Our first week away in October was spent in New York City with our dear friends Aoife and Cian along with big Huss and our favourite travel companion Biggles! We were very lucky to stay with our friends in their apartment in West Village, Manhattan.
We pretty much ate our way through the city streets and hit up Laughing Lotus Yoga Studio. One of the best ways to see the city that NYC offers is the CitiBikes which can be rented for $10 a day as long as you swap bikes every 30 minutes. Be warned, you should check the maps first for where the racks are located on your route because there might not be any bikes or you get lost like we did and ride pretty much from 47th all the way to 71st/Central Park and miss going in to the park! We also spent a day at The Museum of Modern Art admiring all the cool things people regard as art these days and staying sheltered from the cold. I was most impressed by a boy who was about 14-15 walking around MOMA with a sketchbook and pencil case. He was practicing his art and replicated different pieces with just a pencil and he was very good!

Our top favourite places to eat-
Frank's Restaurant - best italian recommendation from our now new yorker Mr. Watson
Red Farm - Funky fusion in a cozy setting. Anything from the dim sum menu will be to die for while the rest of the menu I think was okay for asian style fare.
Ready To Eat - Freshly made, delicious take away for breakfast, lunch or dinner! These guys made us a little sample pack of all their roasted winter roots for the price of one small box along with the rest of our order.
Best Pizza - NO JOKE. This joint is located just over the bridge in Brooklyn and serves up the hottest slices and subs. While you're there say hello to our friend Danielle and look for our HK Decorated plate on the walls.
Eat At MAD SQ. - If you're lucky enough to be there at the same time we were, eating at Madison Square Park is the way to go! Lots of food stalls from MoMoFuku Milk Bar, Calexico Tacos, to independent eats that haven't made it to a restaurant location just yet. Our favourite would have to be the empanadas and korean tacos.


Next we head off to Toronto to spend some time with the Cheungs and catch up with Irish friends who drove up from Chicago. I also get to sneak off to yoga and bloody caesars with my sister in law while the guys are on babysitting duties. Food in Toronto will always remind me of my up bringing, mom's home made soups, my brother's totally amazing culinary skills and the best japanese and korean food around.

It was such a shock to see the Queen St. Food court of the Eaton Centre completely renovated. My parents owned a deli there for nine years while I was growing up and it always brings back so many memories when I go downtown. It's serving up a much healthier array of fast foods and the interactive tables and floors will keep kids busy for a while.

We had a great two weeks celebrating my nephews' birthdays and visited Ripley's Aquarium of Canada that opened up a month before we arrived in the heart of Toronto. It was such a cool place to visit and take my nephews. Lots of interactive things to do and see and worth every penny! While on the topic of animals, I also got to reconnect with my first puppy Shaggy, who is now 12 years old and will be turning 13 on Jan 1st, 2014. She is still the same and I was so happy to have had an evening with her!

I also watched my grandmother recover from a fall that paralyzed her left arm and legs for six weeks. It's incredible how the body can heal and I am so grateful to have been there to see her use her legs and her arms and her hands over those fourteen days!

I was able to reconnect with two people who really were my teachers at those critical teenage years when you're defining and learning who you are or want to be as an adult. There was so much gratitude in those lunch dates and they were a reminder of my struggles and my successes!

Toronto will always be my first home, a place of growth, a shelter of love and family.

week 10 & 11- falling off the wagon and getting back on!

I am going to continue training until the end of July as I have hit a crossroad and want to see where I can go in just a few more weeks. Let's take a quick look back at where I started.

10 weeks ago 
65KG
22% BodyFat
Pendulum press 20KG
injured (shoulder and back)
Blue Banded Chin Up
Overhead dumb bell press 6KG.

10 weeks later 
64.6KG
15% body fat
dead lifting my own weight for 12 reps
leg pressed double my bodyweight for 12 reps
Red/Purple Banded pull up
Overhead dumb bell pressing 16KG.

This journey is never going to end and I am continually going to be challenging myself through the physical and mental practices of living the sweat life!

A lot of people think that transformations mean you're constantly improving and to a degree YES, you should always be striving to get stronger and achieving those goals you've set out at the start of your journey. I have also learned that you will mentally meet yourself at your lows and your hormones and give in to salted caramel hagen daz ice cream - when your diet says NO DAIRY NO SUGAR. What is beautiful about this process is, it's a journey. If you decide to take on any physical program whether it be yoga, martial arts or strength training, you will have downs and I definitely hit a down when I was measured recently.

Even though I was only slightly changing, it had a big mental impact on me despite knowing how far I have come and how strong I have gotten. Then I was reminded that like all things in life there are ups and downs. This is the first time I have ever stuck with a strength training program long enough to see a down as I've always been so determined and motivated to constantly be on the up. The drive to keep going comes from YOU the readers, my trainers and my own determination to work the bums and tums in this next phase - I am grateful for this opportunity to train and even with my regression, I have no doubt that I will reach my goals in just a few short weeks.

So let's call phase three "The Reset"
I have started supplementing with the basics to ensure my body is absorbing all the nutrients from my food and I am flushing out any cortisol that's building up as a result of getting leaner. So why supplements? Well, if we were rearing our own food, being kind to the ocean and the earth, we wouldn't need a few supplements to help our bodies absorb all the nutrients in our food. I have agreed to use supplements for this last phase and here is my list- short and sweet.

All my supplements are the poliquin brand (more info on supplements by Poliquin)


I spend enough time in the sun that I don't need an extra dose of vitamin D. If you know me, I think you'll agree I get enough of it already! I am also skipping out on Magnesium as I don't have trouble sleeping and get great sleep (now that my dog is trained to stay quiet at night!)

Multi vitamin - your basic all in one with iron

Zinc - supports your immune system, assists recovery in muscle and boosts brain function  (more info)

Fish Oil - brain booster, support muscle growth and less breakdown. *Remember to keep it in the fridge so it doesn't go bad. You might end up with an upset tummy like I did because I didn't read the fine print! OOPS! (more info)

HCL - post meals to assist in digestion

Holy Basil - let's flush that cortisol and stay alert all day!

I took one day this weekend to indulge on the beach with friends and all my favourite paleo un friendly foods. Now on day 3 of a fish and green vegg cleanse for ten days.


No girl crush for this post BUT I will leave you with my current mash up of a GYM PLAYLIST (it just works for me)

Nicki Minaj - Hold Yuh
Beyonce - Diva
Slow Hands - Rhabarbarum
Justin Timberlake - Don't hold the wall
Lindsey Stirling - Crystalize
Aviccii - Wake me Up
Houses - Soak it up
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
Alicia Keys & Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
JayZ- Dirt off your shoulder
Kanye West - All Falls Down
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell - Get Lucky
Avicci - I could be the one

training with the trainers and training as a teenager- week 8 and 9

Before, I could only walk half way down
the pitch with these weights.
Now I can walk down and back.
Train to failure for success! 

So, you have a personal trainer and you think they probably work pretty hard huh? Well you've never seen a trainer train as hard as I've seen at Ultimate Performance Hong Kong. I had the privilege of joining all the trainers for a group strong man session on a Saturday afternoon.

What is strongman you ask? It's an hour of intense, strength training in groups. Think of a personal training session only there's two or three of you training at the same time! We were in groups of three with three rounds of workouts (3 exercises in each set of workouts) with thirty seconds in between each exercise to get to the next one, set up and GO. There was basically no rest. To finish off the session, I pulled trainer and friend Darrel on a backward sled exercise. It was both painful as the lactic acid was burning my legs and FUN! Needless to say I felt a minor boost in my confidence as I had kept up with the trainers that day. 

Great personal trainers in this city train themselves so hard and if your trainer is helping you achieve your goals and is working on their own, stick with them! Your trainer should be able to answer your questions on all things related to your fitness, your diet and your progress.

I have been asking a lot of people that I've met recently what their experiences have been like with their personal trainers and I was surprised to hear that it was nearly a 50/50 split between trainers who just train their clients and trainers who give the full package (nutrition, lifestyle coaching included). If I was paying someone between $800-$1200 for a personal training session, I'd expect to have at the very least a basic nutrition plan at the start of my program.

I've been reading "How we eat: appetite, culture and psychology of food" by Leon Rappoport. It's an interesting read on cultural differences, class systems and the way it impacts how we eat as we grow up. I just finished a chapter on why young girls developing into womanhood through puberty develop anorexia or bulimia among the most common eating disorders. Ironically enough two things came up- those who were from upper middle class, well educated backgrounds were more likely to develop eating disorders as a result of and not limited to, mothers forcing their own ideals onto the teenage girl refuses to eat as a way of showing power and control over those around her. In my opinion, if better eating habits are taught to our children, as early as when they're in the womb (because what you eat is what your baby eats!) and creating a positive relationship with food, we'd have less of an obese population (even with all the thousands of studies). It starts at home and it can shift with just one person making the choice to change.

If you're a teenager reading this post-

I was once a 60kg 13 year old (a bigger girl), who was teased for being bigger and too muscular as a traditional chinese dancer. I know I put on the weight because one year I had a baby sitter who used to make us sit at the table and eat this giant bowl of rice with meat, veg and soup before we could go play. I mean it was HUGE and even when I complained I was full already, she'd make me sit there and finish it - all of it. Surely enough, I put on weight and didn't know how to take it off. Neither did my parents because it's not something they were taught a lot about growing up in HK.

I ate mostly at home because my mother or grandpa cooked a variety of greens and meat every day. I had my brother and someone I looked up to for support and he and my mom would listen to me as I cried through the teasing but kept on auditioning and performing, eventually travelling and representing Canada in dance festivals and celebrities before I was even legal to drive.

Summer before high school, I grew in height and into my body, I was still bigger, muscular and I was okay with that! I decided that year I would train hard in P.E. sign up for weight training, play flag football, keep dancing and make a change to be healthy. I was one of two girls in weight training class all through high school, my teacher was a female and she taught me so much about how to strengthen my body, use weights at the YMCA during the summer and how to make good food choices. Weight training at the YMCA is also how I discovered yoga. It was truly the only time I didn't ever feel like I was competing with anyone. No other dancers to compete with at an audition and no boys to compete with in the weight room. It was perfect and today it's still perfect.

I am now between 63-65KG and I am happy in my body. The perfect body for you is the one you have and you can work hard to physically get strong, lean and toned but you also have to love yourself, your mind, your soul.

I am grateful for the amazing people who impacted my life as a teenager and athlete from a sensitive age. If you are struggling with your weight, the way you feel about yourself or want to do yoga and have an iced tea- I would be more than happy to spend time with you and you can email me at OneYogaNut@gmail.com


Girl Crush- Amada Lam, 16 years old and can squat me!

Tell me about your strength training and being an athlete:

I began training for rugby back in eighth grade and it was pretty bad because I wasn't strong or fast enough. I could see the coaches giving up on me and most of the time I sat out for the games. Then I began researching for gyms that specialized in strength training and RAW came up. After beginning to train with Asha (now at Ultimate Performance), it was obvious that I was getting strong and faster every week. On the field I would outrun some of my other team mates, when I used to be one of the slowest ones on the team. Tackling became a lot easier and my confidence slowly began to build up. For my school's mile run time, it improved by two minutes. From 10 minutes to 8 minutes. I'm a lot more confident now and PE has become my favourite class to attend when it used to be one of my least favourite. I played rugby for two years and golf on the side.

What is something you'd like to share with other young girls?

What I'd like for other teenage girls to know about weight training is that it's absolutely not true that girls get bulky and muscular if they train with weights. It gets you toned and being strong is one of the best things I think a girl can have.

What is your max squat and bench?

I squat 62.5KG and bench 25KG (In case you missed it, Amanda can just about squat my body weight- INSPIRING GIRL CRUSH RIGHT NOW!)

EAT IT!

Many of you have been asking, where to shop for groceries without paying "city stupid" prices? Well to be honest, if you are going to follow a paleo diet - it means eating within 100 KM radius of where you live, it also means eating grass fed, organic, free range, sterilized... I'm kidding! Let's face it, we live in a time where more of our food is imported than we can rear locally due to the demand and over consumption as a human race. I understand that you still want to eat as clean as possible so here is a list of all my favourite places to buy meat and veg as local as possible.

Meat -

If you want to eat fresh after seeing the Wellcome Rat Video, I'd recommend you buy meat fresh from the wet markets, where meat is hanging fresh for you than pre packaged rat bitten meat at the super market. Honestly, it doesn't get any more fresh than buying a meat off the bone. I know, for most it's not the most pleasant experience and I think as long as you eat what you need, give thanks for your food, it shouldn't gross you out. Think about it, is it really more healthy and "fresh" to buy meat that's packaged in styrofom and cling wrap?

Hong Kong Football Club, Happy Valley

You need a member to get you in on ordering meats here. If you have an insider (me!) it's well worth the wait to pick up your grass fed meats.

I bought 3 chicken breasts, 1 massive turkey breast, 4 chicken thighs, 2 Cod for $460 HKD.

Three Butchers 

Get your 100% Grass Fed Beef. DELIVERED!

Chef's Express - Tung Chung/Lantau Island

They make their own, they are fresh and they are bringing the meat to this part of the island! Thanks to my Tung Chung Community friends for sharing this place with me! 

Veggies -

GRAHAM STREET MARKET, CENTRAL

This organic stall is closer to the bottom half, walking up from Queen's Road Central they have all your organic favourites and they stock lots of other clean foods like quinoa, MCT oil, coconut oil, chia seeds glutten free flours and all at reasonably cheaper prices to their super store counterparts.

I asked the ladies how they knew to stock all these awesome items and she told me that helpers would rock up with lists and she would go sourcing it for them. It's like a mini speciality stop without the specialty price tags! They were also kind enough to let me take photos and love seeing the dog. GET HERE PEOPLE!

  

Kee Wah Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Located at the end of GAGE STREET MARKET, CENTRAL is just before you hit Aberdeen Street.

I first encountered this place by accident, walking to hit up Gough Street for an Agnes b coffee and Kisses Cupcake (I do have cheat days you know!)

They are a bit pricier but worth the fresh imports of salad greens, brussel sprouts and giant peppers.

It's good to know that there are organic grocers in the wet markets!

Broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, romane lettuce, 2 zucchini $170

o2h - KALE! KALE! KALE! KALE! KALE!

This specialty store on STANLEY STREET, CENTRAL just beside Pottinger Street has a lot of over priced items except for fresh KALE (D. Poon - this is a shout out to you!)

Make your favourite Kale salad or season it with spices and bake them or dehydrate them to make kale chips. Thank you to new UP trainer Asha Hibbert for the share! A giant bunch for $60 HKD. Well worth the freshness and delicious snack this makes. 

YMCA Green Organic Farm 

Caribbean Coast, Tung Chung, Lantau Island

Find a little table and a couple of ladies selling fresh picked veggies every  

Where else do you shop? I'd love to know! 

I've also started a facebook page with all my teaching updates, articles and funny memes. So come hOM with me sometime!

Girl Crush - Diana Poon 

She is my undercover yogi! A corporate genius by day and a playful, skilled chef and yogini at happy hours. She is my girl crush this post because she always has the sun shining out of her face from all the activities she loves AND rocks at- wake boarding, snow boarding, diving, cooking, yoga and doing it all in fancy dress and I mean the coolest costumes you've ever seen and she somehow rocks it all with STYLE. 

 She's kindly shared her recipe for what we've deemed "Claudia's Glutten Free Birthday Cupcake!" ENJOY! 

* 0.8 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup rice flour
* 1/4 cup potato starch
* 2 Tablespoons tapioca flour
* 1/2 cup cocoa
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
* Seeds from quarter of a vanilla bean
* 1/2 cup warm water or coffee

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix dry ingredients (I whisk to break lumps, faster than sifting). Combine wet ingredients separately, fold into dry mix in 3 batches. Fill lined cupcake mold till 3/4 full. Bake for 20 min or till toothpick comes out clean. Cool thoroughly on wire rack before you frost them.

Yields a dozen

*Diana- any tips for your delicious frostings too? 

week five, six and NOT wrapping up til I'm at week nine!

I would like to start this post by re stating that this is my journey and I am sharing through this platform and if you don't want to take part, disagree with anything I am sharing, I'd like to hear your comments and do correct me if you're the expert because I am sharing what I read, hear and experience through this program. 

Please don't go playing a nasty joke by commenting on my progress through your friend's social media account. You are a “professional" personal trainer, athlete, have your own gym and yet you think it's funny to make a comment about someone else's training when they are working to get strong and heal their injuries?  I would not want to be your client if that's the attitude you are bringing to the health and fitness community. 

It has been an intense two weeks of training to failure at every session, teaching and spending time with my mamma while she was in town. I have set new personal bests (PB) at every session and I am making progress in stabilizing my shoulder. I've posted a pic of where I started and my pic after five weeks of training three times a week, cleaning up my diet and balancing with gentle yoga practices, spinning at TORQ Cycle and more recently, BJJ at EPIC MMA.

week 1 : week 5

I have two weeks to go and we are about to crush some goals in my workouts and I've finally been allowed to have some starchy carbs again!

Which brings me to the topic of a low carb diet – Is it really necessary?

For a lean body composition, it's good to detox the body first and teach it to burn fat as fuel and rid of any toxins and addictions (SUGAR) the body may crave before introducing carbs again and at the right time. You can follow the Paleo Diet or even the Coconut Diet, which is great for your gut health too. You break the cravings for that super sweet iced frappacino and blueberry scone in the morning. White carbs, oats, grains, wheat contain glutten and can cause digestive problems and cutting it out to start allows for your body to cleanse of any allergic reactions you might have to eating glutten. Ever feel tired or heavy after a carb heavy meal? That could be a sign of glutten intolerance. We all have different tolerance levels. “Besides raising insulin levels in the body and providing a large carbohydrate and caloric punch, the body releases cortisol in response to the stressor caused by the gluten allergy. Research shows that cortisol partially prevents the harmful effect of gluten in the body. The problem is that cortisol results in muscle degradation and elevated levels suppress immune response and lead to adrenal exhaustion manifesting in the form of fatigue, depression, insomnia, and illness—not good!” - Poliquin

Nick Mitchell visiting at UP HK

Once you've gone through your cleanse following a zero/low carb diet (usually 14 days to start) you'll be able to introduce carbs again into your diet only this time, you eat them at optimal times so your body can build muscle mass. Stop looking at the scale and look at how much lean mass you are because that's the number that counts. Re loading on carbs – depending on your body type, your trainer will know when you should add them in again and when to eat them. Low-fat complex, carbs like sweet potatos (YUM), rice and quinoa can help replenish glycogen, help thyroid function by increasing your metabolism to recover and you can feel a little more “normal” again! I went four weeks on my plan before introducing carbs again and I admit, at first I felt a little guilty when I sat down to eat my carby meals but now I am so thankful for them because I can go out and have a sociable get together.

At the end of the day if you can't give up rice, pad thai, sandwhiches, sugary drinks, fruit and bread for two weeks- don't bother wasting your money on a PT. You might as well stick to training at a commercial gym to maintain your fitness. If you really want to change your body composition, change your diet! It'll make the biggest difference in your transformation. I promise.

As I have just a few weeks to go and summer finally arriving in full humidity, I have already set my next goal to continue pushing myself to experience something new – October 2013 Sprint Distance Triathalon! This means, strength training will be reduced to two times a week, while I dive back into yoga and incorporate swim, spin and sprint two to three times a week combining two out of the three workouts. 

Massive thank you to everyone who has been supportive through this journey! Knowing that this blog is informing you, motivating you or keeping you up to speed on where I am is enough for me to keep writing. I've recently set up my own yoga page for people to stay connected on where I am teaching and you can come hOM with me on the mat sometime. 

Girl Crush- 

Nadine Bubner- She was a suit in a previous life and has hung up her suit for tri suits, yoga pants and yoga for the athlete! Look out as we collaborate to bring you something fun later this summer in the sun, sand and sea!

Her top 5 tips for tri- training for the first time!

1. Find like minded and reliable people (Everyone is questioning themselves once in  a while why the hell they get up at 5am to go cycling) or sign up for a Triathlon club. (Tritons Club)



2. Set goals, best is to sign up for a race (start with short distance and if you like it you will automatically reach for more and longer distances)

3. Train consistently and be patient, improvement will come.

4. Just do it, get out there an try and don't be afraid of failing.

5. Enjoy and have fun!

Triathlon is not just training it's a lifestyle change.

Nadine's Yoga for Core Strength, Stretch & Flexibility