Seoul Garden @ Bugis

Buffets are the best for people with a huge stomach but there's a price to pay with this awesome spread: the feeling of queasiness in your stomach after you try to stuff it to the brim.

Price: Student $14 (Weekdays only)
Have to make full advantage of the prices while I'm still a student.

First of all, it's a halal outlet so they don't serve pork. With that in mind, I consider that they have quite a variety of meat choices. marinated bulgogi beef, slices of beef, teriyaki chicken, curry chicken, chunks of fish... The meat are really fresh. Good deal for meat eaters. They also have fishballs and all kinds of other balls to choose from.

On the other hand, the vegetables choices are really pathethic. Pepper, carrots, chilli, lettuce and bitter gourd. Sorry veggie eaters. This will be a disappointment.

They offer other vegetables like kimchi and spinach. This two dishes tasted surprisingly good! The kimchi is well fermented and the spinach tasted like seaweed.

My friend and I ordered the Tom Yam soup base which is really well seasoned. The spiciness and the sourness is well balanced. Drop an egg in this goodness! It taste heavenly!

I really like the big chunk of fish! Very fresh and tender. The teriyaki chicken is my favourite! Sweet teriyaki sauce which are cut in strips. Really tender and very well marinated. The bulgogi beefis a little chewy but nonetheless well seasoned.

They do have cooked food but the variety is pathetic as well. Like spaghetti, french fries and one or two other fried stuff.

Last but not least the desert part. I really like the idea of making your own shaved ice. They have a good variety of toppings and syrup to go with your own ice kachang. The nata de coco, peach bits and atap seeds are really yummy. I didn't really like the texture of the shaved ice. It is rather coarse.

The ice cream tasted like the usual king's ice cream. They have some variety: yam, cookies and cream, chocolate, peppermint, raspberry and corn. Not that bad. They offer toppings like rainbows, raisins and nuts.

I added some nuts to mine.

Overall, I find the food pretty good. I was rather hungry when I was there so maybe it contributed to the like factor. The ambience is good and it is air conditioned. It's a weekday so it isn't that crowded. The food is very hygienic and the servers are friendly. Quite a good experience.



Rating: 4 stars! For the price it's good.

Diet Log 3 - Dukan Diet

Hi guys. Here to share the Dukan diet. I'm have heard reviews that this diet work for a lot of people and they managed to shed a couple of pounds. You should google it or something. This sort of worked for me through phase 1 but unfortunately I'm unable to stick it through the phases because of school and I have no choice but to eat in canteens with friends and stuff like that. Haha! Still, I'm gonna try this one out during holidays where I have the ability to choose what and where I eat.

Before you begin you should click here to calculate your true weight - Click here to calculate

The calculation is totally free and you will get to know the number of days you need for the different phases of the diet (Everyone is different so it is actually tailored to you)

This is a summary done by a kind soul on the internet.


Phase 1 - Diet Rules
Attack Phase
You can eat as much as you want as long as it is on the allowed foods list.
One important habit that you need to establish from day one is proper water intake. Avoiding
dehydration and overworking your kidneys is crucial on a high protein diet like this. Be sure to
drink over 1.5 litres per day.

Oat bran is a very important ingredient of the Dukan Diet and introduced as soon as the Attack
Phase. You should incorporate 1.5 tablespoons of oat bran per day in any form you like - as
porridge, with yoghurt, in muffins of pancakes.

One food unrelated rule is to introduce exercise in the form of a 20 minute walk each day.
Many dieters will be happy to hear that at the same time more extensive exercise is discouraged
in this phase.

If after first 5 days you are not seeing any further weight loss proceed to the Cruise Phase even if
you planned your attack for longer.

Allowed Foods
• Lean beef, veal or rabbit (mince under 10%, avoid ribs)
• Chicken and turkey (except skin and outside part of the wings)
• Ham (low fat and lean)
• Beef, veal, or chicken liver
• Any fish (except canned in oil or sauce)
• Shellfish and crustaceans
• Eggs (up to two per day, unlimited egg whites but watch the yolks if you have high cholesterol)
• Dairy products (low fat, below 5% fat)
• Sweeteners (except fructose based), vinegar, mustard, spices, herbs, garlic, onion (as spice),
lemon juice (only as spice, not for drinking), sugar free natural ketchup (in moderation),
sugar free chewing gum

Phase 2


Cruise Phase
Vegetable and Protein days
Allowed vegetables include:
• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Aubergine
• Broccoli
• Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussel sprouts
• Celery
• Chicory
• Courgette
• Cucumber
• Fennel
• French beans
• Leeks
• Mushrooms
• Onion
• Peppers
• Pumpkin
• Radish
• Salad leaves
• Sorrel
• Soya beans
• Spinach
• Swede
• Swiss chard
• Tomatoes
• Turnip

Allowed in moderation are carrots and beetroot.

Cruise Phase Diet Rules
You can now increase the oat bran intake to 2 tablespoons per day.
Another suggested change is increasing from 20 minutes of exercise to 30 minutes of brisk
walking per day.
Just because you are allowed vegetables do not eliminate protein produce from a PV day. After
all it is called Protein & Vegetables not Pure Vegetables for a reason.

Phase 3


Consolidation Phase
So! You've finished the second phase of the Dukan diet – the Cruise phase and achieved your
goal weight! Now on to the third phase – Consolidation.
This is the moment when all your hard work has payed off, you got to your target weight, but you
are under a huge risk of yo-yo – gaining it all back, if you don't watch what you eat carefully.
The upside is, you can now add many tasty products, that were forbidden on the Cruise phase, as
you no longer need to lose weight – just keep up the weight you are at and not gain any more.
The simple rule is – for every one pound you lost, you need to be on the Consolidation phase
for 5 days. So if you've lost 30lb, you need to be on phase 3 for 150days.
This phase is all about a controlled way to get back to normal, but still healthy eating. You have
learned a lot about food, cooking and nutrition during the Cruise phase. Now you can expand
that knowledge and put it to good use while re-introducing new foods to your diet.
Apart from the products allowed in the previous phases, you will now be able to have: bread,
fruit, cheeses and some starchy products. You will also be able to have some other foods that
were forbidden up till now thanks to the celebration meals, but you need to precisely follow the
rules:

1 portion of fruit a day

Pretty much any fruit except from bananas, cherries and dried fruit. 1 portion is one piece: an
apple, a pear, an orange, a small bowl of strawberries, a handful of berries, a few plums, etc.
2 pieces of wholegrain bread a day

You can have them in any given moment of the day: breakfast, as sandwiches, with soup.
40grams of cheese a day

You can have any: gouda, swiss cheeses, cheddar. Avoid goat cheeses, camembert, roquefort.
It's best to have the whole portion at one go, to avoid having too much.

2 portions of starchy products a week

Avoid white rice and potatoes.

Pasta – for best results have the wholegrain ones and cook them al dente (the it will take longer
for the body to process). Don't use cream or butter while preparing the dish and stick to no more
than 220g boiled weight.

Wholegrain rice – same amount as the pasta.
Lentil and beans
Pork & Lamb
Once a week you can have some lamb and pork, though try to have the lean parts.

Celebration Meals
Two times a week you can have celebration meals. That can be anything. YES, it can be pizza or
french fries and ice cream, but there are rules:

• Never have another serving, it's about enjoying the tastes and not overindulging yourself
• Between one celebration meal and the next one, there should be at least a days difference, so
if you had one for Sunday dinner, you should not have another one Monday for
breakfast. You have to give your body time to burn the excess calories.
• It's best to actually chose a time you can actually 'celebrate' this meal and not rush yourself.
Maybe have something fatty, but prepare it yourself at home. It could be a starter (a
white roll), the main dish (deep fried chicken), dessert (a piece of cake) and a glass of
wine. You just need to remember not to have more than one serving.

Protein Day
Last but not least: 1 day of pure protein (PP) a week. That is the guarantee you will not gain
weight. On this one day, you can only eat the foods allowed in the Attack phase.
It's just one more effort, that goes a long way, to support your new, healthy weight. It's best to
chose a Thursday, as it's usually the least busy day, without the weekend guests or the Monday
cravings.

Phase 4
Stabilization Phase

Congratulations! You got to the Stabilisation Phase and you really do deserve a pat on the back.
You have achieved a massive goal – managed to lose weight and keep it off. And even though
the risks of your body trying to gain weight are behind you, there is always a risk that your mind
will betray you, and suggest that since you lost so much weight, you can now go back to simply
eating whatever.

The last phase is a set of rules for life, which are there not to constrict you but to guide you, so
that you never gain weight again and live a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

The Rules of the Stabilization Phase
You stick to the Protein Thursday
You can eat whatever you want for six days a week, but the Protein Only day will be your way
to remember the effort you have put in to achieve your new, healthy body.
Although Dr. Dukan insists on choosing Thursday as your Protein Only day if you really find some
other hey more convenient and easier to stick to then go for it. But you do need to remember to
observe your chosen day, and not try to change it every week or two.
Keep Your Activity High

You do not need to suddenly become an exercise freak, however remember the simple lessons
learned during your weight loss phases.
If you don't do sports, as not everybody can or has to, just keep active during the day – use the
stairs instead of the lift, take a walk instead of driving everywhere in a car. Simple actions to
avoid a sedentary life include some of the examples below:
• Take the stairs instead of the lift
• Avoid riding office chairs with wheels - get up and walk even if it is just a few metres away
• Try and walk just that little bit extra - get on one bus/tube stop earlier or later
• Walk to the grocery store instead of driving

Eat Oat Bran Daily
Why? It helps with your digestion, and mixed with other food it reduces the amount of calories
absorbed. It also swells in the stomach so you feel fuller for longer. Eating it daily, will help you
with cravings and make you eat that little bit less.

Other Good Advice
When it comes to the rest of your food – trust yourselves. You have come a long way, learned a
lot about nutrition, and what is good for your body and what is not. Also, your body is now used
to the new food and it will also guide you as to what and how much you should eat as long as
you are willing to keep listening to it.

It's good to stick to 'lighter' products and only eat hard cheeses occasionally. Too much fat is
simply not good for the body, especially for the heart.

The 'low sugar' products though are a different (and more complicated) story, as recent studies
show that using artificial sweeteners does not actually help the body that much in tackling cravings
because the body recognises the artificial sugars.

However, in small amounts, like diet drinks, sugar-free chewing gum etc, they are allowed.
At meal time – try to take your time, and eat slowly. That way you give yourself time to feel
when you are actually full.

Try to not take second helpings of anything. Most of the time it's only your brain being greedy.
Drink while you eat, it will make you eat a bit slower and fills up the stomach too.
... And if you gain a few pounds? Don't wait until you gain a few more. Have two Protein Days a
week and that should help to get you back on track :).

Hope this helps. :)

Sugar Cravings Experiment

Sugar cravings may be due to stress or probably just the easy ability of all the good stuff in your fridge and cabinets (Heh!) Sugar cravings are additive in some serious cases, it is like addiction to drugs.

Some ways to stop these cravings:

1) Exercise more! Regular exercise boost energy level reducing need for sugar for a perk!
2) Eat meals regularly. Hunger might lead to you to crave sweet stuff. Incoporate proteins, vitamins and other nutrients in your diet for your body needs.
3) Get enough sleep! Having recharge ups your energy level instead of using sugar to drive you on.

Here's an article from Dr. Frank Lipman for more on sugar craving and addictions. Read the article here

I usually eat a lot of fruits and drink water to stop this craving which works all the time but this time round I decide to answer this craving with sweets. Here is my sugar cravings experiment. What if we answer to this cravings?! How would we feel? Random grabbing of sweet stuff in my fridge!

I ate 2 Kinder Bueno bars with one thick slice of peppermint ice cream.

Yum! creamy and cooling peppermint ice cream goes well with the sweet hazel nut cream and the chocolate waffle. I wanted to have 2 bowls but I stopped at one because it is really way too sweet.

Results:

1) Satisfaction! Having eaten one bowl of sweet tricks is the best feeling in the world!
2) Slight feeling of guilt but I have a workout tomorrow so it's fine. Besides, today is cheat day!
3) I should probably stick to my fruits.

Quakers Oatmeal Cookies (Honey Nuts)

Where I got this: NTUC Fairprice (cereal section)
Price: $2.85 (6's with 3 cookies in each pack)

I like these! I'm not really a Quakers kinda person because I tried it plain and it does not taste good at all.

Used to look at the Quaker recipes to enhance them but they are a little tedious to make for breakfast. Now they have them in packs so I decide to try them out.

This is actually very delicious! (if you're not allergic to nuts) I love the nutty texture of the cookie. It has a fragrant oat taste and the honey really goes well with it. You can also chew on the fiber. This goes well with milk.

This is actually both healthy and unhealthy at the same time. Healthy because of the high fiber content and unhealthy because of the high sugar content (but heck!) Try this one out. Yum. They have it in other flavors too - Apple and Cinnamon and Raisins.

Ingredients: Whole oats, (Whole oats, Flour, Whole Oats Flakes, Wheat Flour, Cane sugar, Palm Oil, Eggs, Soluble Fiber, Wheat Bran, Coconut, Leaveners, Sodium acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Skim Milk, Peanut, Soy Lectiin, Whey powder, Almond, Honey, Iodized sat, Potassium Ferrocyanide, iodine, Sulphate, Natural flavors and silicon dioxide.

Rating: 4 stars.

Diet Log - Lunch Type 2

Hi there, this is my alternative lunch. Hmm, not much variation though. It's scrambled egg this time round (extra egg white) and marinated chicken I bought from Cold Storage. (Lazy to marinate heh!)

By the way, scrambled eggs are really easy to make:

1)Beat the egg whites and yolks together in a bowl.
2)Add salt and pepper.
3)The key to making scrambled egg is water. Add like three tablespoon (for two eggs) or something. (You can add intuitively) Some people add milk but it's not really necessary.
4) Preheat the pan and add oil. Make sure it's hot before you pour in the egg mixture otherwise it will stick to the pan.
5) Pour in mixture and stir in a circular motion.
6) Remove it from the pan. Do not overcook, a little moisture is good for the texture and the heat will continue to cook it anyway.

The chicken in this picture tasted like bacon and it looks like it's smoked. (I actually microwaved it) Too salty for my liking.

Carbohydrates:

Remember to choose multi-grain bread over white bread obviously because of the nutrients and fibre in it.

1)Fiber slows digestion making you feel fuller for a longer period of time and hence less tendencies to eat.

2) Wholegrain slows absorption of sugars and hence prevent fat storage.

3) When buying bread, remember to check the fiber/carbohydrate ratio. For instance: 24g of carbohydrates with 3-4g of fiber is good. (6:1) White bread has way higher ratio like 44g of carbohydrates with 2g of fiber of something. (Don't buy white bread) I grow to love multi grain bread for its texture and goodness.

Fiber:


Do try to include more vegetables in your diet like spinach, brocoli, cauliflower and stuff. Fruits like apples, strawberries and more. They are good for losing weight. (I didn't show much of them though. Haha!) I need to eat more veggies!

Meiji - Hello Pandas

Hi guys. Back! Here's something for people with a sweet tooth. I must say Meiji products is quite a hit in Singapore. This is a must try if you're thinking of what Meiji products to get. I started eating them way back when I was a kid and I thought I should be a review on them. By the way, I find the packaging pretty cute which is a plus side for Meiji.

You can really buy them in retail stores almost everywhere. By the way, Meiji has warehouse sales every now and then. Some products are pretty expensive as they are from Japan so you can get some discounts for items on sale. These hello pandas cost around $0.80 for the super small pack.(like around 12-15 pandas in it I suppose)

First of all the inner cream fillings of hello pandas are the same as Pucca and Yanyan I believe. I prefer the softer cookie of of the Hello Pandas over the pretzel Pucca.

I find Meiji really smart to come up with the different products and packaging with the same flavored cream.

When they have stick cookies with dips - Yanyan
Pretzel cookies (Fish like design) - Pucca
Normal cookies (Pandan design) - Hello Panda

Sweet.

The milk flavor is sweet and there's a milk fragrance in your mouth if you munch on it slowly. I like the cute panda print on it.

I used to think how in the world did they put the fillings in it when I was a kid until I saw those tiny holes. This chocolate ones have chocolate flavor cookie. The chocolate filling is bitter sweet so I can pop like a lot in my mouth at one go.

My favourite still has to be the strawberry ones. I like the sweet strawberry with slight hints of sour (of the strawberry) Not really sure how to describe this but the sourness is very subtle, you can't always taste it. More sweet than sour I guess.

This is pretty addictive.


Ratings: 4!

Bengawan Solo @ Westmall

Location: West Mall, 1 Bukit Batok Central Link #B1-02
Price: $3 per slice

I bought 3 slices of fruit cake from Bengawan solo just to try. It is rather expensive considering $3 can get me a decent meal at food court.

The layer of fruits on top is really fresh and juicy. The sponge cakes have a slight hint of lemon which makes it very appetizing. Cream layered between the sponge cake and the side (the green stuff you see in the picture) is kiwi syrup i believe. Quite worth it for the price.

Rating: 3 and a half stars.

Diet Log - Lunch

I like to eat a lot and hence used to be a little chubby. I'm not exactly fat but my friends would teased me and stuff. I know that they didn't mean it but nonetheless I find it offensive and hurtful at times so I decided to be a little proactive this year.

The reason I'm starting the Diet Log is to track my progress.

I started my diet this year - January 2012. Well it is not really "diet" kind of diet but the combined method of eating healthy and exercising. It is really a simple concept but there are really many misleading information in the market that stopped me from slimming down but now that I know the "secret" I lost 5kg. That's a lot of fat in it but still not sufficient. Some of the useful resources that I find is Sixpackshortcuts on Youtube (Now I find Insanehomefatloss channel more practical since I have a hectic lifestyle) and Dukan diet.

The following is what I had today.

Well this is not exactly what I always eat. I had a heavy breakfast(LOL) I would have two instead of one and one slice of multi grain bread with butter. The portion looks small but it is really filling (No joke) The idea is to trick your body that you have eaten alot!

Preparation:
1)Eggs. This is really simple. Just let your water boil and off it when it is bubbling. Do not throw in your eggs when it is bubbling as the heat will cause the shell to crack! Gently place the eggs in the hot water with a ladle or something. Wait for around 5-7mins for it to cook. Cracked in a plate and scoop out the egg white and stuff on the shell. Add salt/soya sauce and pepper.

2) Heinz honey garlic chicken thighs.
The one is actually quite easy to prepare. Buy those pack of raw chicken thighs. (I bought mine from NTUC. Trim away the skin and fats then marinate with a pinch of salt, soya sauce, sesame oil or just randomly add stuff you ca find in the kitchen (most of the time it turn out good) and last but not least some sauce (I used a tablespoon of Heinz honey garlic sauce for the large slice of thighs. I bought the sauce from NTUC too) Leave it for 5 mins or something for the flavour to penetrate the meat but I like buying in like 2big slices and cut them into 4(4meals) and store it in fridge. Then with an oven just bake it or if you have happycall you can cook it with it too.

3)Guava (I bought it from NTUC too! Heh) It's quite cheap, $3 for two medium size guava. Skin it and cut it. Remove the seeds if you want.


Misconception #1
Eggs with egg yolk is fattening and high in cholesterol. Wrong! Eggs are fat burners! They help in boosting metabolism and burn fat! You should read up on it. However, do not eat more than 2 eggs a day, it will then be too much for the body to take unless you're a bodybuilder that needs lot of protein and stuff.

Misconception #2
Carbohydrate is bad. Wrong! Not all carbohydrate is bad and carbohydrate is actually quite important in the diet as it makes us feel full and energizes us. For instance brown rice and multi grain bread are good sources of carbohydrate. We should try to eat less of white bread and white rice and starch in them is converted into sugar and may spike our insulin which prevent us from burning fat.


Why fruits?
Some people hate fruits but honestly fruits are the best for our fat loss diet. Remember I mention about tricking the body into thinking we ate alot? Fruits are high in fibre and low in calories. Hence, we can eat a lot and not get fat. Beware of fruits that are high in sugar though. Fruits like bananas and mango is high in sugar and should be eaten in moderation. (They of course have some benefits)

My white guava is kinda low in sugar as it is not that sweet compared to red guava and it is low in calories. (100g - approx. 50calories.) You can eat as much as you want. You should choose fruits that you really like! I myself do not like all fruits. I love guavas from thailand, fuji apples and korean strawberries. Choose a fruit you enjoy eating so that this diet can last!

I hope my first entry helped. Remember to exercise 3 times a week! I shall touch on the exercises the next entry or something and more on my meals too.

Remember this basic rule:

Input(consumption) less than (<) Output (exercise) = Weight loss.

In order to lose 1 kg of fats, you need to burn 3850 calories.