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Healthy Living in Singapore

August 4, 2015

The FHB12345 Challenge!!

August 4, 2015

Whoo!

Everybody loves challenges right?

I mean, it’s always nice to have little goals to strive towards and then meet!

So anyway, I decided that FHB should have a challenge too! It’s really just to help kick start people on their journey towards healthier living and provide some sort of balance to their lives. This challenge is for people who are BRAND NEW to healthy living and want some sort of easy to follow/ remember guideline! Ultimately at the end, I would like you to modify the eating to suit yourself and your nutritional needs depending on your activity levels! :)

In order to take part in this challenge, all you have to do is follow the FHB12345 principle for just ONE meal a day for 3 days of the week. Simple right? (Of course, every day is best but we’re here to celebrate baby steps not kill ourselves trying to be healthy) After awhile, this will be so ingrained in you that you would just automatically do it anyway!

And what’s the FHB12345 principle?

It’s super easy!

The first 123 concerns the nutrition on your plate and 4,5 concerns your body and mind!

Step 1: Pick one meal of the day that you would like to apply the FHB12345 principle.

For example, you might choose lunch.

So for lunch, you would eyeball your plate and mentally divide it into 3 sections

My healthy plate singapore

This approach is based on MyHealthyPlate. If you are new to healthy eating or just want a more sustainable, balanced approach to eating, then MyHealthyPlate is certainly the best principle to follow. It’s what MOE/ HPB teaches young children in school and to be honest, when I was in ‘extreme health mode’ previously, I used to scoff at HPB’s  previous ‘Healthy Diet Pyramid’. I felt that it was so full of inflammatory and insulin wreaking grains and couldn’t possibly be good for you. And only 2 servings of fruit and veggies?! HELLO?! WHERE BE THE NUTRIENTS? But now, after HPB switched to using MyHealthyPlate instead and with a lot of trial and error and experimentation on self, this is, in my opinion, the most sustainable way of eating especially for a typical Asian. (Trust me, I’ve tried the whole gamut of ‘healthy’ diets).  I don’t know about you but I cannot deal with a cold salad every single day. Cold food to me is just honestly the bleakest thing. I can do yoghurt parfaits and occasional salads but my heart is always with rice, meat, veg and piping hot soup for my main meals.  So for me, salads every day is not sustainable and therefore not healthy. Do take some time as well to understand yourself and see what kind of meals truly are the most sustainable and healthy for you :)

Step 1: Fill section 1 with whole grains/ starch sources. White rice/ bread is okay too but since this is a challenge, I challenge you to find the most nutrient dense, fibre rich grain you can find. Alternatively, you can also fill this section with sweet fruit like bananas, mangoes etc or get your carbohydrate source from starchy tubers like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam etc. People are often sensitive to the word ‘carbs’ when trying to eat healthy. Some think grains are inflammatory and should be avoided while others, especially those on the ‘healthy ED recovery’ Instagram community positively bully their counterparts to eat rice as if it’s the holy grail to recovery. Well, it’s not. All fruits and vegetables, grains and whatnot all digest into glucose into the body. We need glucose for brain functions but overconsumption of sugar especially those found in processed foods actually pull glucose away from the brain. So if you are insulin sensitive or have a history of binge eating, I recommend managing your glucose intake. If you are okay with simple white rice, eat it. If it causes you to be hungry after a short while, switch to or mix with other starchy carbohydrates sources/ low sugar fruits.

Step 2: Fill section 2 with your choice of protein. The protein portion is where I usually slather the sauce on or fry the meats/ tofu because it adds flavour to the whole meal. I feel it helps to have plain rice/ non- seasoned veg balanced with yummy meats. At the end of the meal, you must feel satisfied and filled with nutrients, not be craving a burger because your meal consisted of a small sweet potato, cold chicken breast and some romaine lettuce :( These kinds of diets will get you to lose fat and drop weight. Perhaps it’ll help you attain your goal of being a bodybuilder or a champion weightlifter but here at Fithealthybunny, we are office workers, students, parents, children and just simple folk who want to have a reasonable level of fitness and health to go about our lives. We want enough structure such that we don’t have to worry about disease or a severe belly bulge but we don’t want to be too fanatical and count protein/ carb/ fat consumption all the time.

Step 3: Fill section 3 with an abundance of greens!! Dark leafy greens are my favourite but a wilted spinach omelette with cheese is amazing too! My least favourite is Romain lettuce or worse, iceberg lettuce because they are honestly made up of just water and very little else. Why not just drink a cup of water then? (sian face). I also like cooking vegetables because (1) I like hot food and (2) cooking them in a bit of butter/ coconut oil helps make the nutrients in the vegetable more bioavailable.

So at the end, your plate will look something like this:

p_food_plate

If you don’t know how much 1/4 of the plate should be (you might be using a VERY BIG PLATE) then 1/4 should be about 1 fist size. Have more if you are bigger or more active.

As for 4…

4 stands for 40 minutes of activity a day. It can be mall walking, getting down a bus stop earlier and walking or doing some sort of stretches. Anything that gets your heart rate up for 40 minutes is good to go. You can also do HIIT and whatnot but you must be sure to refuel and eat more after that kind of exercise. Here at Fithealthybunny, I advocate lighter exercise, lighter eating and lighter living but of course, there are days where I enjoy going all out and having a couple of HIIT sessions. It’s always a thrill to see how much your body can achieve :)

And lastly, 5 stands for 5 minutes of reflection, gratitude and rest.

For 5 minutes a day, whether when you just woke up or are going to sleep, find a quiet spot and do something for your mind. Settle down, calm yourself and think of everything that you are grateful for. Pray if you are so inclined and think of the people or the environment around you that you could possibly make a change in. It could be as simple as thinking that you need some order and calmness and that perhaps packing your room would be a good first step. You might reflect on binge eating episodes during the day and discover your triggers. Perhaps in that moment of stillness you would feel a rising concern for a friend who is struggling or a cause that you are passionate about. Let it stir within you and help you to know yourself a little better. What makes you angry? What would you like to change? What inspires you? Think about the kind of person you would like to be. Think about all the crazy that is happening in the world and think of what kind of influence you would like to be in that kind of storm. Take the time to reflect and if you need to, write your thoughts down or read inspirational stories of the many who have gone before you. So many people rush through life each day just battling themselves and the world when all they need is a moment of stillness and rest. :)

And that’s it! The FHB 12345 principle for easy living :) If you are on social media, share your FHB 12345 meals and/ or inspirational quotes etc so everyone else can be inspired too :). I’m choosing Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of EVERY WEEK to do this challenge! Join me if you can! 😀

Here’s to happy, healthy, more wholesome living, :)

xoxo.

p.s It is much easier and cheaper to follow the myhealthyplate guidelines if you cook at home/ lunchbox to work  but if you are out, I recommend going out with a friend and sharing a huge bowl of yong tau foo (Buy lots of veggies!) and getting your brown rice/ protein from the cai fan store/ vegetarian store. Hope this helps! 😀

Posted by grace Leave a Comment
Filed Under: About, The FHB 12345 Challenge!, Uncategorized

March 1, 2015

$200 BLACKMORES GIVEAWAY!

March 1, 2015

HELLO FRIENDS!!!

I’m so EXCITED TODAY because it’s FINALLY March and I can share with you the deetz for this giveaway! I’m sure you must have realised by now that I LOVE doing giveaways and sending lots of nice and beneficial things to you guys so YAYYY!!!! SO HAPPY and EXCITED!!! 😀

Today’s giveaway is brought to you by none other than super famous brand Blackmores! Have you guys heard of Blackmores? They are Australia’s leading natural health brand specialising in providing lots of natural health solutions and supplements for healthier, happier living! I’m sure you would have seen their vitamins and supplements retailed in pharmacies or health supplement stores all over Singapore! And now they have their very own flagship store at Parkway Parade in Singapore retailing not just their products but with their award winning* Advisory Service to help you find products that’s best suited for your health needs!

Personally I’ve only tried their multi- vitamins before so I can’t say how effective ALL their products are but their brand is renowned, believes in natural ingredients and most importantly, and the biggest reason why I agreed to host this giveaway is because I love that Blackmores strives to be as holistic as possible- caring for the mind, body and even extending the care out to the environment as well.
A couple of months ago, Blackmores ran a campaign called #Blackmoresgogreen on Instagram to encourage people to be more aware of the environment and share practical steps in which to go green. I was immediately sold. Having a great brand is wonderful but to use that power and influence to spread the message of holistic living that cares not just for self but for the environment and people around? Well, that’s exactly what vegsmoothiebunny is about!

This time round, they are focusing on holistic living for the body and mind! They want you to play hard, eat well and sleep well which is EXACTLY what I always nag at your guys about advocate! Haha!

Okay enough talking, pictures of the stuff they so kindly sent over!

Eat well, play hard, sleep tight! I should change this blog’s name to this tagline! It’s exactly what I believe in !

JENG JENG JENG! ‘Play hard’ is a bottle of Executive B which ‘is a specially formulated combination of B-group vitamins and the
minerals magnesium and zinc – important nutrients to help meet the busy
person’s daily requirements. This formula is ideal for people who lead a
hectic lifestyle in a convenient one a day dose’. When life is stressful, you need more B group vitamins (new parents, students, workaholics- are you reading this?!) to support adrenal function and cellular metabolism as well as to support manufacture of serotonin which is a feel good hormone! If you are constantly tensed, stressed nervous or anxious, then you definitely need to look into increasing your magnesium levels!

Tied around it like a super hero’s cape is a stretchband! Yay! Stretching and low impact exercises for me please! 😀

The next factor to healthy living needs no introduction. I AM BIG ON EATING WELL and so is Blackmores! The included supplement here is Blackmore’s Probiotics 10 Billion which supports gastrointestinal tract immune system and healthy bowel functions.

Eat well guys- everything in moderation with lots of whole plant foods 🙂

And my favourite of the lot- sleep tight. This came with a lavender sachet which I’m gg to hide in my pillow. I am obsessed with lavender essential oil so this is perfect 🙂

Rest is the most important to me because you can try all you want but it’s in rest that the body repairs and heals itself. I especially love the idea of rest not just for its physiological benefits but because it’s a daily reminder that life’s healing and progress comes not just in the daily struggle and fight but in the willingness to let go, stay calm and allow nature and time to work its magic. Blackmore’s Sleep Sound Formula contains lemon balm, valerian and  magnesium to support and improve sleep. This, I’m definitely going to try this very week because truth be told, ever since starting my new job, the quality of my sleep has definitely declined. 🙁 Even though I try to go to bed early, I keep dreaming through the night and thus wake up feeling not 100% rested. Hopefully with increased light exercise and this formula, I’ll achieve better sleep so I’ll wake up each day a better and bright teacher all day, every day! 😀

Ta-da! So there you have it! I’m not giving away these products because Blackmores is big on Individuality and Customization. What I’m giving away is going to be suited only TO YOU! That’s right, FIVE lucky winners are going to win $200 worth of Blackmore’s services and products customized entirely for you and YOUR condition whether you are struggling with weight issues, low immunity, have digestive issues or brittle bones or just general well being! This $200 is made up of a naturopath consultation worth $100 and on top of that, winner will also receive $100 worth of Blackmores health products best suited for you determined by the naturopath AFTER your consultation! How cool is that!

All you have to do is head over to my instagram page and either repost my Blackmores photo or any photo and describe why you would like to embark on a holistically balanced lifestyle. Hashtag
#blackmoressg, #eatsleepplay and tag @vegsmoothiebunny in the post so I can see! 

So it’s post, describe, hashtag & tag. Got it? 😀

Contest runs 1-7 March so Go Go Go! Nothing like a brand new month to embark on more balanced living for a healthier, happier you!

I’ll be going for the naturopath consultation next week too so I’ll blog my experience after! Till then, don’t forget to play hard, eat well and sleep tight!

With love,
xx 
__________________________________________________________________________________
*Blackmores Advisory Service was recently
awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Industry Contributor of the Year’ by
Complementary Medicines Australia! The award honours and recognises ‘the
consistent and dedicated contribution of an individual or team to the
advancement and promotion of any aspect of the complementary health
industry in the last 12 months.’


*** Invited review 🙂 No monetary transactions were involved and opinions are my own.

Posted by grace Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Food Product Favs, Giveaways, Nutrition, Uncategorized Tagged: Balanced Living, Blackmores Flagship Store, Blackmores Singapore, Giveaway, Holistic Living, Supplements in Singapore

December 21, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS!

December 21, 2014

Will be in touch with the winners shortly via email! 🙂

Posted by grace 4 Comments
Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized Tagged: Giveaway

December 21, 2014

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

December 21, 2014

Hi everyone!

Thank you for your participation in the regent giveaway!

It is now CLOSED and all entries will be put through a random generator!
Winners will be announced tonight at 10pm! 🙂

Sorry for the delay and good luck! 🙂

xx

Posted by grace 1 Comment
Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized Tagged: Giveaway

December 15, 2014

December 2014 Health and Wellness Giveaway!!!

December 15, 2014

HOLA!!!

This giveaway is my baby and it’s been SO LONG in the works that I’m SO happy to finally be able to announce it and give it away!!!!

Announcing….

*drumroll!*

The 1st Vegsmoothiebunny SECRET FRIEND giveaway!

This giveaway is a dream come true for me because I’ve always wanted to use this blog to do more than just talk about healthy eating. Healthy living, for me, is truly about building ties in the community and encouraging compassion and thoughtfulness for one another. In this year, I’ve had the chance to meet up with so many amazing people with the biggest of hearts retailing the best products and I wanted to connect these awesome retailers with the people I love and the people YOU love!

But I ran into all sorts of problems on the way.

In the beginning when I first thought of the idea for this box, I wanted to package the sample stuff I got from retailers.  It felt a little unfair that I had good stuff to try so why not share the love with you guys? Unfortunately, after trying out several items, I felt that they were unsuitable because of certain hidden ingredients or false marketing. I wanted products that were free from additives and other nasty and truly good for the body, not some packaged product full of junk. This of course, made some people really upset when I politely declined their contributions. But honestly, I couldn’t bring myself to put in ‘healthier’ cereal that was still made up of 8 kinds of sugar!!

In the end, I decided to put together a box full of things that I personally LOVE. Every item you see in this box is PERSONALLY curated by me. Which means that I PERSONALLY tried and tested the products before emailing the relevant people to contribute their products to this box!

So thank you —

Eden’s Kitchen:  (for those who always ask where I get my coconut oil from!)

http://www.edenskitchen.sg/
https://www.facebook.com/edenskitchensg

Second Helpings (for their totally addictive nasty-free peanut butters!)
http://instagram.com/_secondhelpings
https://www.facebook.com/secondhelpings.sg

Mekhala Living (for the most amazing vegan sauces EVER and vegan beauty products!)

http://www.mekhalaliving.com/
http://instagram.com/mekhalaliving

Paper Bunny (for the most inspiring and uplifting cards to encourage our friends)
http://thepaperbunny.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ThePaperBunny
http://instagram.com/thepaperbunny

MyLifeInc (for the Teaism wands every one is just crazy over!)
https://www.mylifeinc.me/
http://instagram.com/mylifeincme

I’ve never met more generous, loving people than the people behind these brands! I can’t wait to introduce them over the course of this week!

But why ‘secret friend’?

From now on, all VSB giveaways are going to be ‘Secret Friend’ giveaways. Which is really to try and encourage you to think about someone you know or someone in your community that you would like to spare a thought for and/ or reach out to. It’s inspired by this short film called The Secret Friend which is about an elderly, disconnected widow who is pranked called but ends up being inspired to live once again through the connection with the prankster who calls her everyday and becomes a ‘friend’ to her.

I really believe that the solution to a lot of societal problems is connection and so with the season of giving upon us, I would really like to encourage you to search for people in your community that you can reach out to. It can be a really close friend, a colleague, someone you sort of have an inkling is struggling or lonely but you just never worked out the courage or time to say a ‘hello’. It could even be you poor mom, who slaves for you day in and out. After all, we so often take for granted the ones closest to us.

How do I participate?

To participate, simply leave your name and email address in the comments below along with a short (or crazy long! :D) note on who you would like to be a secret friend to this Christmas or who has been a secret (or not so secret!) friend to you in your life. I would really love to create a space where people can read the comments and just fill so full of hope for humanity once again! So please do share freely!

What are the other details?

This giveaway ENDS Friday, 19 December 2014 at 10:00PM! Winners will be announced on Saturday, 20 December 2014 at 9:30pm. There will be FIVE winners but here’s the thing! Each winner will win not one but TWO boxes– one for yourself and one for your nominated secret friend! Upon notification, winners can either choose to supply the email address of the person you would like to be a secret friend to so I can contact them for their address and the box can be mailed directly to them, or request for both boxes to be sent to you. (I trust you will do the right thing and really be a friend! Haha)

For this first givaway, we are focusing on SELF LOVE so everything in
this box is full of healthy goodness for you or your loved one along with uplifting and gorgeously decorated cards from The Paper Bunny you can use to cheer yourself or your loved ones up! The coconut oil, beenut butters and vegan sauces are perfect to chase away any sort of blues as well! I’ll be
introducing each item in the box an item at a time over the next few
days till the giveaway closes so you’ll be able to understand each
product better! Over time, I hope to have other themes for giveaway
boxes as well such as ‘baby boxes’ or ‘Pampering Kits’ for struggling mothers to be and other people in society who just need that little whisper of encouragement to carry on in life!

So to kick things off- here’s my entry!

Grace
vegsmoothiebunny@gmail.com
This Christmas, I really want to reach out to my parents.  They’ve done so much for me but I’ve been so busy growing up, it’s only hit me now that they are growing old. I also want to be a secret friend to girls in my community that could do with reminders of how precious and lovely they are as they struggle to grow in a society that is often brutally harsh on them. I also want to be a secret friend to the uncle at the coffeeshop nearby who works with a terrible hunch yet always cheerfully cleans my table. Perhaps I will buy him coffee. But I’m shy to do things like that. Maybe I’ll just start off with clearing my tray myself and thanking him a little more sincerely and loudly when I pass him by. Just last night, the cab uncle that brought me home was a secret friend to me. He waited for me to get into the lift as it was past midnight before driving away. Also, this might be a little cheesy to say but my fiance has been my biggest secret friend. Secret because I’m sure he doesn’t even know it. I wouldn’t say it’s because of his love or him per se because I always feel self love must come from within oneself but he has definitely played a huge part in my recovery in bingeing. These days I no longer binge or do harmful things to myself because I want my body to be a reflection of all the love I’ve received from him and from everyone around me. A body stuffed with junk or thin and sick is a terrible testimonial of the immense love I’ve received so now I eat and treat my body like it’s my badge of honour and a reflection of the beautiful company I have the privilege to keep. 

Can’t wait to read your entries as well! To win this box full of goodness, just leave your name and email address and who you would like to be a friend to/ who has been a friend to you! It doesn’t have to be long! Just a short one will do too!

WIll be introducing Eden’s Kitchen to you guys tmr!

Till then,

go out there and love somebody!

xx

Posted by grace 36 Comments
Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized Tagged: Giveaway

January 1, 2014

Results of the GIVEAWAY!

January 1, 2014

Hi Everyone,

the giveaway is now closed! Thank you for participating! I’m so overwhelmed by the response- I honestly thought like maybe I’d be able to keep one of the vouchers for myself HAHA. But the more the merrier of course- in fact, I’m thinking of making this giveaway thing a monthly/ bi monthly thing! (Depending on my finances 🙁 Though I would really rather spend my money on this to make someone’s day than something else- I have all I need already :)!) I know everybody would be raring to eat better and live healthier in January but a giveaway throughout the year should keep those passionate flames burning yeah? 🙂

I ran the following names through an online random picker to get my top 3 winners than resubmitted the rest for the remaining 7 veganburg vouchers!

Matilda
Cheryl
Chery
Madeline
Aruna
Jasmine
Janette
Lirong
Rachel
Jayner
Lovin
Dan
Tim
Jia Jian
Tan YB
Jolyn
Ziv
Caleb
Sophia
Ah Chuan
Fiona
Angela
Ally
Skye Lo
Wan Ting
Kelly
Aveline
Hui Hwan
Janice
Moeno Ann
Olivia
Joyce
Tiffany
Xinli
Vera
Feng Chen
Audrey
Edwin
Harry
Minytinylily
Richy
Samantha
Sara
Angela
Ameerah
Anja
Juana
Michelle
Vera

And we have our winners!! 🙂

CONGRATULATIONS to: Lirong, Harry and Rachel! You guys win the $50 World of Sports voucher, $10 veganburg voucher and whatever else I can stuff into your goody bag! Will be emailing you soon for your address! 🙂

 As for the remaining 7 winners for the $10 veganburg vouchers, CONGRATS to Jasmine, Vera, Madeline, Fiona, Richy, Xinli and Edwin! I’ll be emailing you soon as well! 🙂

Congratulations once again to all the winners! May the prizes motivate you to lead a healthier lifestyle and encourage your loved ones around you to do the same as well 🙂 As for those that didn’t get it this time, keep living inspired anyway! Perhaps in the next giveaway? 🙂

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

With lots of love,
Grace 🙂

Posted by grace 1 Comment
Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized

December 28, 2013

2014 Health and Fitness Giveaway!

December 28, 2013

Hola!

2013 has been a great year for me and I’m really so grateful for all the love and opportunities that have come my way. I initially started out blogging on a whim one day and I never thought I’d meet so many people! It’s been such a blessing to get your emails and share about all the topics that we are concerned with/ struggle with whether via email or instagram. So in return, I would love to pass on the love that has come my way with this small giveaway! I really hope to encourage all of you to live life a little healthier, happier, more loving and everything amazing this coming new year! <3

3 winners will get a goody bag containing a $50 World
of Sports Voucher, $10 VeganBurg Voucher and random misc wellness related
stuff while 7 others will get a $10 VeganBurg voucher to spend having a nice organic yummy meal in 2014!

There is no need to do anything- no page to like, no post to share. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post here, or under the same picture on my instagram with your name and email address and that’s it! You can of course, also leave a small note, tell me about your new year’s resolutions (doesn’t have to be health related), tell me about your day, like my facebook page or share the news of this giveaway with anyone of your friends whom you think needs a new year health restart as well!

I’ll put the names through an online random selector on New Year’s day and it’ll pick a winner!


Winners will be announced on New Year’s Day on the Blog and on the FB page! 

Looking forward to hearing from all of you! May next year be the most amazing year for you as you learn to love and cherish the body that you have and the people around you! 

With all my love, 
Grace 🙂 

P.s comments are moderated so don’t be worried if your comment doesn’t appear immediately! 🙂

Posted by grace 53 Comments
Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized Tagged: Giveaway

Hello There!

Hi! My name is Grace
and I live in sunny Singapore! :D Welcome to Fithealthybunny.com where I share my love for exploring, healthy eating, mindful living and everything in between

Should you have a question
or need a listening ear,
fithealthybunny@gmail.com
will always be open for you :)

xoxo

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