FREE Fitness Workshop – 25th July. Register today.
Join our third FREE public fitness workshop to learn about everything from weight loss, exercise technique, nutrition and much more.
This workshop combines both theory and exercise sessions to help you answer any question(s) you may have, illustrate do's & dont's and also address the most common questions about fitness, nutrition, exercise, goal setting and much much more.
Interested? Simply register online or call our office at 03-42705250 or Watie (016-6880304)
Upcoming workshop details:
- Date: 25th July 2009 (Saturday)
- Time: 11am - 2pm
- Location: Yoga Studio, Celebrity Fitness, Bangsar Village II, Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- No of pax: 40pax
- Freebies: Each participant will receive a goodies bag from Celebrity Fitness, Adidas, Fitness Concept etc...
Each participant will receive a 2-week FREE trial membership and 1 personal training session from Celebrity Fitness worth RM500 and much more..
Coffee a top source of healthy antioxidants?
Nescafe recently launched an ad campaign promoting coffee as a great source of antioxidants. Is it true? Yeah, coffee is probably one of the greatest sources of antioxidants:
Quoting an article over at MSNBC.com:
They concluded that the average adult consumes 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants daily from coffee. The closest competitor was tea at 294 milligrams. Rounding out the top five sources were bananas, 76 milligrams; dry beans, 72 milligrams; and corn, 48 milligrams. According to the Agriculture Department, the typical adult American drinks 1.64 cups of coffee daily
Read Full article here
So is coffee good for you?
Like any good marketing campaign, they focus on selling you the plus points. Just how "sugar free" really means "fat full" or "fat free" means "sugar full" ... well you get the point. We consumers ought to ... well educate ourselves.
...antioxidants or not, coffee is a no-go for kids and those suffering from osteoporosis. Caffeine traps calcium - and can stunt growth among kids...
Last year, I wrote a post "I am a Coffeeholic! Isn't Coffee (Caffeine) bad for you?" that will compare both the pros and cons of coffee.
10+1 Tips Motivasi Kesihatan Dan Kecergasan
Ok la..sememangnya kita semua tahu menjaga kesihatan diri itu amat penting. Tetapi motivasi diri untuk bersenam adalah hak individu....ia bergantung kepada pelbagai aspek seperti gaya hidup, pekerjaan, umur dan lain2.
Mari kita lihat faedah yang biasa apabila kita cergas dan aktif
- 1.
Anda berasa bahagia dengan diri anda. Anda berasa lebih gembira dan boleh fokus tentang aspek-aspek lain dalam kehidupan anda. - 2.
Perhubungan anda akan bertambah baik. Manusia suka berada di kalangan mereka yang positif. Sekiranya anda bahagia, orang lain juga begitu. - 3.
Kecergasan memberikan anda keyakinan. Contohnya, pergi mesyuarat, mengetahui diri anda cergas dan sihat, memberikan anda kelebihan daripada yang lain. - 4.
Kepada ibu yang baru bersalin, menjaga kecergasan dan kesihatan akan mengembalikan bentuk tubuh badan. - 5.
Senaman yang berterusan biasanya mengurangkan penyakit kardiovaskular, beberapa jenis kanser, tekanan darah tinggi, kencing manis, osteoporosis dan murung. - 6.
Melegakan tekanan! Bagi mereka yang bekerja kuat, sering menghadapi tekanan dan murung, bersukan dan berpeluh boleh membantu melegakan tekanan dan kemurungan ini. - 7.
Mengurangkan risiko kecederaan. Apabila tulang dan otot anda kuat, risiko untuk cedera adalah rendah. - 8.
Apabila anda sihat dan cergas, anda senantiasa berkeyakinan, melenyapkan rasa malu. - 9.
Tubuh yang sihat dan cergas juga mempengaruhi keupayaan seks anda. Anda akan kelihatan hebat dan penuh stamina. - 10.
Kepada sesiapa yang menggunakan 2000 kalori seminggu, jangka hayat akan meningkat dua tahun. - 11.
Anda kelihatan lebih muda. Senaman akan mengurangkan kehilangan sistem antioksidan yang melawan radikal bebas dalam tubuh kita.
Need more motivation?
Sekiranya ada perlukan bimbingan motivasi kecergasan ataupun tidak tahu bagaimana untuk memulakan pelan fitness anda, sila jumpa dengan saya untuk sessi perundingan peribadi.
Video - Kevin talks about Obesity in Malaysia (Awani)
With the recent announcement that Malaysia's obese population has reached the one million mark, I was invited by Astro Awani to talk about obesity, weight management, dieting and ways to combat obesity in Malaysia.
The show was hosted by TV personality and Astro Awani executive producer Suhaimi Sulaiman and also present as guest was Dr Noraini Abdullah from Ampang Putri Specialist Hospital.
Interested to have me to talk at your event? Check out my wellness talks and seminars.
Obesity in Malaysia Video (Part 1 of 3)
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Obesity in Malaysia Video (Part 2 of 3)
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Obesity in Malaysia Video (Part 3 of 3)
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Leading Weight Loss Supplements Linked to Liver Damage
Following is an article that was published back in May 2009. In Malaysia, Hydroxycut is current distributed by GNC.
By Lorraine Heller, 04-May-2009
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has initiated a massive recall of a top-selling American weight loss supplement brand, after a series of adverse event reports indicated that the products could be linked to serious liver damage.
The Hydroxycut products, which sold over nine million units in 2008 alone, were voluntarily recalled on Friday by their manufacturer Iovate Health Sciences.
FDA issued an advisory on Friday morning, warning consumers to immediately stop using the products, which are sold nationwide under the Iovate and MuscleTech brand names. The 14 products included in the recall are marketed for weight-loss, as fat burners, as energy-enhancers, as low carb diet aids, and for water loss.
The agency said it was taking this action after receiving 23 reports of serious health problems related to liver damage. One death was reported, as well as six patients diagnosed with serious liver disease and two requiring liver transplant. Other health problems reported included seizures; cardiovascular disorders; and rhabdomyolysis, a type of muscle damage that can lead to other serious health problems such as kidney failure.
FDA said it has not as yet determined which specific ingredients are associated with the adverse events.
However, Dr Vasilios Frankos, director of the Division of Dietary Supplement Programs at FDA’s CFSAN, said that as part of the agency’s investigations into the ingredients at fault, it could be looking at other products on the market that contain the same ingredients.
“We’re investigating and that’s really all we can say at this point,” he told journalists in a press conference.
AERs
The safety issue was identified by an adverse event reporting (AER) system, which is designed to allow FDA to monitor for signals of safety concerns related to dietary supplement products.
AERs have been subject to much tighter regulations since the end of 2007, when the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act came into effect. This stipulates that any serious adverse events reported to a manufacturer must be sent on to FDA within 15 days. FDA can inspect both serious and non serious adverse event reports for six years after receiving them.
In the current case, the agency said it had first started receiving adverse event reports around 2000, when the products originally contained the weight loss ingredient ephedra, which was later banned. More adverse event reports came through after the products’ reformulation in 2004.
The death associated with the products, which occurred in 2007 and involved a 19 year old man, was not reported to the agency until the end of March 2009. FDA said this time lag was “not really that unusual” as the incident had occurred before the mandatory reporting requirements were implemented.
Ingredients?
The 14 products in question contain a variety of ingredients and herbal extracts, and FDA said it has not yet determined which ingredients or dosages are related to the risks reported.
“It’s actually not accurate to say ‘ingredients’ because what we have are propriety blends of ingredients and the amount of each component of that blend varies from product to product (…) It’s very hard to draw a specific individual ingredient determination when you have a product like that,” said Dr Frankos.
Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer at FDA’s CFSAN added: “What we do know is that the reaction is idiosyncratic, which is part of the concern that we have and why we want to get the information out rather quickly to make sure that we do not expose consumers to undue risk.”
Idiosyncratic reactions are ones that do not appear to have a dose-response relationship, or ones for which there are no specific risk factors, she explained. “Most of the individuals in which we’ve had AERs had normal liver functions and were otherwise healthy individuals.”
Susan Cruzan from FDA’s Office of Public Affairs told NutraIngredients-USA.com that the agency “is looking at the ingredients and will continue to review and evaluate them”.
She added that there was no evidence that unacceptably high levels of an ingredient were present in the product due to a manufacturing error, a risk factor that is specifically addressed by new supplement GMP regulations.
Weight loss
The dietary supplement weight loss category is one of the industry’s most vulnerable areas. As well as being a major focus for regulators due to an abundance of misleadingly marketed products, or products containing undeclared drugs, the sector is also suffering from internal inconsistency.
Its strongest ingredient, ephedra, was banned in 2004 after it was found to be associated with severe health risks, including death. Since then, there have been no undisputed category leaders.
“If we were to be asked ‘what are you best players in the weight loss game’, we wouldn’t have an answer. In the past we would have said ephedra, or hoodia, but now we simply don’t have a unified response. That is tactically and commercially unacceptable. For a category this size, it’s astonishing. Our strategy must be to get a unified response,” said Loren Israelsen, executive director of trade group United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) at an industry seminar last year.
Ingredients currently used in weight loss supplements include: bitter orange, chromium, guar gum, hoodia, garcinia, Conjugated Linolenic Acid (CLA), pyruvate and chitosan. Nutrition Business Journal, values the US weight loss supplements market at $1.7bn.
Watch Kevin Pole Dance - Great Full Body Workout!
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Following is a press release issused by VivaVertical.com on their upcoming Pole Dancing competition where I will perform. ehem ehem. If you can't see the following video, you can check it out on youtube
1 June 2009, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
Local Malaysian celebrities Kevin Zahri and Fiona?Jane Gomez have recently been undergoing Pole Dancing Fitness training sessions with Viva Vertical, who are successfully supervising their transformation into true Pole Stars.
The training is in aid of raising funds for their chosen charities: WWF and WAO by showcasing their new found talent at the Viva Vertical Pole Stars Grand Finals. Fans and audiences will be treated to an unforgettable show and encouraged to show their appreciation by way of donations.
...pole dancing is definitely a great total body workout that requires strength, balance, coordination and yeah lots and lots of imagination and guts...
Viva Vertical following the success of co?organising last year’s Clorets Amateur Pole Dancing Campaign, had launched in April 2009: POLE STARS, an annual nationwide talent showcase of Malaysia’s best Pole Dancers, with Grand Finals held in Kuala Lumpur’s highly anticipated Saigon Bar on One Bangsr, 6th June 2009, from 8pm.
“Pole dancing always has a soft spot among men. For us, well its a spectator sport haha so when Lola from Viva Vertical approached me to try it out, I gotta say that I was rather hesitant. Being that good sport that I am, I gave it a swing and wow pole dancing is definitely a great total body workout that requires strength, balance, coordination and yeah lots and lots of imagination and guts. Where women find it sensual, men (like me) can attempt a variety of challenging power/strength positions. I would like to personally thank Lola and Viva Verital for not only introducing me to pole dancing but for doing an awesome job of promoting it as a fitness/sport in Malaysia.” ? Kevin Zahri
Pole Dancing is a fitness and dance phenomenon. It is a form of dance gymnastics that takes endurance and coordination as well as graceful sensuality, involving movements with a vertical pole, feats of strength, with the polish of a performer.
“Pole dancing is a great way for women to build their confidence, stay ft and to work muscles in their body that they probably never knew they had. Viva Vertical was the first to introduce Pole Dancing to Malaysian women with a big bang while educating them that its not just a sexy dance” – Fiona?Jane Gomez
More recently acrobatic pole dancing (Chinese poles) is gaining popularity and Viva Vertical is proud to be the only troupe in Asia to fuse the elegance of pole dancing with the enchantment of aerial acrobatics. Internationally renowned Viva Vertical Pole Leaders troupe will be performing alongside Kevin Zahri and Fiona?Jane Gomez at the Grand Finals.
For more information on how to support by attending Viva Vertical POLE STARS Grand Finals in the exclusive and upcoming Saigon Bar(One Bagsar, No 63D?G, Jalan Ara, Bangsar Baru, 59100 KL) on 6th June 2009, 8pm, visit http://www.vivavertical.com.
FREE Fitness Workshop Postponed to 6th June
Due to some unforseen circumstances, our FREE Fitness workshop at Celebrity Fitness Bangsar Village II has been postponed to the 6th June 2009 (also a Saturday)
Register to view details here.
Berkesankah Pusat Kecantikan?
Sememangnya pusat kecantikan (slimming centers) telah menjadi satu trend yang popular di Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and around the world, terutama untuk wanita. Adakah ia berkesan? Hmmm tentunya rawatan di pusat kecantikan tidaklah akan “memburukkan” anda :D tetapi adakah ia berbaloi?
For me, itu bergantung kepada beberapa factor. Apakah tujuan anda mengunjungi pusat kecantikan?
- Adakah ia untuk mendapatkan quick-fix? Seperti buang lemak berlebihan or toning?
- Adakah ia untuk belajar rahsia-rahsia kecantikan dan cara menjaga diri?
Quick Fix – Tak ke mana
Adakah ia berkesan? Yeah maybe…maybe tidak.
Yang lebih penting is this: Apakah yang anda akan lakukan selepas rawatan tersebut?
Kalau anda terus balik kepada gaya hidup yang asal, tentunya kesan rawatan itu tidak akan tahan lama and lama-kelamaan anda akan kembali to you old self! Ini akan menjadi satu vicious cycle where you’ll find the urge to always go back kepada rawatan kecantikan. That’s why they are so popular.
Even so….is it worthwhile to go back for additional treatments?Jika tiada masalah kewangan, then why not tetapi its not what I would advice you to do.
Pusat Kecantikan – Learning Experience
For me, slimming centers in Malaysia, personal training dan lain-lain should be an educational experience. Kita membayar untuk belajar cara-cara menjaga kesihatan dan kecantikan diri. Selepas rawatan berkenaan, kita seharusnya cuba untuk mempraktikan ilmu berkenaan untuk jangka masa yang panjang.
Additional treatments selepas itu could be untuk memantapkan atau reinforce pengetahuan yang sedia ada. If not, you wil be a continuous victim dan akan membayar sampai bila-bila.
...if not, you wil be a continuous victim dan akan membayar sampai bila-bila....
My advice for Pusat Kecantikan or Slimming Centers:
- If money is not object to you, rawatan kecantikan dan personal training are definitely worthwhile considering dan membekalakn panduan dan motivasi.
- Kalau anda mempunyai budget yang terhad, gunakan rawatan untuk mendapatkan ilmu yabg bernas.
- Rawatan semata-mata tidak kekal. Yang penting anda dapat mengubah (jika perlu) kehidupan anda untuk jangka masa yang panjang berdasarkan kepada gol anda.
- There is no shortcut for a healthier you.
Happy Slimming Everyone ;)
10 Tips for Weight Gain
Most of the time, I talk about various tips to help you manage or lose weight. Since there have been many questions on how to gain weight, following are some 10 simple but important tips.
- Eat more! Weight gain can't happen from thin air. Your body needs a calorie surplus in order to store additional calories. Rule of thumb: 7700 calories equal 1kg of body fat.
- Weight training is a must. Afterall, you dont want to merely gain fat. Weight training acts as a catalyst - making the body actually wanting to grow.
- Don't Skip Meals! In your attempt to consume additional calories, every meal counts. The last thing you need to your body tapping into your reserves (weight loss!)
- Forget about fat for now. If you are looking for weight gain, you have to except that you will gain some fat as well. Don't worry about it. Gain weight and size first and lose the fat later.
- Lift heavy? Well yeah. You need to push your muscles in order to force them adapt. But, never neglect form, intensity and at time lifting moderate weights can instill new growth as well.
- Supplements? Well supplements help as long as you are taking care of your nutrition and exercise programs. Without nutrition or exercise, don't waste your money on em. I personally would look at whey proteins or gainers, creatine and glutamine.
- Beef up on proteins! Protein are the building blocks of muscles. Make sure you have a decent serving of protein in every meal! Rule of thumb: Consume about 1g of protein for very pound you weigh.
- Get your snacks! or in-between meals. Make sure you consume balanced snacks in between your main meals. If you are working, whey protein supplements, meal replacement bars make practical snacks. Milk or soy works as well. Again don't skip meals!
- Consistency! Just like losing weight, gaining weight is about consistency for the long term. A decent diet plan, exercise and yeah supplements should be continued for the long term. If not, all the weight you have gained will .... err ... melt away.
- eBook. Get my How to Gain 5kg in 10 Weeks eBook for detailed info on how to gain weight the right way.
Want to gain weight or starting weight training? Meet Kevin for a personal 1:1 session.
Case Study: Aidalina lost 25kgs in 8 months.
In Aidalina's own words
I am Aidalina, just finished my masters in Human capital Management in UMS KK.
I'm actually a normal kid back then but start to balloon up during my 1st year degree. My heaviest weight was 78 kgs. My turning point is when I started comparing my self with my friends. I envy how they can dress up very nicely.
I am not ashamed at all to reveal these pics because my intention is to convey the message, "impossible is nothing" .In fact, these are the pics that make me proud being me. It is not how I have transformed that makes me happy but the fact that I could share this as my "SUCCESS" story. And I always bring this up especially during interviews when they asked "tell us about yourself" or " the biggest achievement in your life"...
Like most woman I do battle with my hips and thigh, but trust me with correct target exercise, difference does show.
...Like most woman I do battle with my hips and thigh, but trust me with correct target exercise, difference does show....
And fer my case, affronts, abusive words, offensive remarks, rude comments, slurs had heightened my will power!
My obstacles will always be food temptation, temptation, temptation!
How I lost 25kgs in 8 months
Here are some of my personal tips.
- Restrict your food. Like it or not, weight loss has to begin with this, the less you eat, the less calories you'll earn, so your readily activities can burn more energy. So begin with this. No need to take a mammoth step, try with little step first. If you usually eat one scoop of rice, try half. This little difference will surely give large impact.
- Move. Not necessarily exercise or sports. But simply move. Be mobile. Park far from your destination, walk, take the stairs instead of elevator. Go window shopping. A 2 hours window shopping compared to 40 minutes jogging=which 1 is more fun? =) so, move!!
- Drink lots and lots of plain water. Make this your only water. With 0 calorie, drink this before you start ur meal, this will control your food intake after that. Plus, this will save up your calories intake. You can't save on the food, sacrifice on the drink, lost some, gain some. =)
- Buy a scale. But dun weigh yourself too often. Try every 3 days.Having a scale is like giving urself a reminder everytime not to over eat.
- Share! Always share your meal with your friends, not only you eat less, but you can make your friends happy! =)
- Drink green tea, this can increase your metabolism.
- Take whole body pics everyday, also to monitor your weight.
- Do not ever skip breakfast because this will cause you to eat more towards the end of the day which is a no2! So, no harm having a heavy breakfast, instead of a heavy dinner.
- Exercise! In whatever exercise that defines you.
- Count your calories. Roughly. So you know when you go overboard. Like bun=200kcal,milo=130kcal, roughly. Always go for the round, more figure. If its 185 kcal, round it up to 200kcal, so, you will stop when actually you are taking up less. =) Try to stop before your reach 200kcal per day.
- This is not about losing weight per se, its about Loving and being kind to your body, eating unhealthily will cause you lethargy, begin slowly. Do not expect speedy result. This is all about WILLPOWER3, NOT TOO AMBITIOUS & REALISTIC !!
For more information: Visit Aidalina's blog
10 Simple Tips to Increase Calorie Output
Following is taken from my book - Fitness 24/7 and featured in the recent TimesLink magazine.
A tribute to Mama - I remember!
Yesterday was mother's day and since my mom is no longer with us, I thought this would be a nice way to remember her.
I have never written a poem in my lifetime .... but here it goes.
I remember!
I remember!
I remember the warmth and love you gave a sweet lil boy who is now a hardened man. The balance of a mother's love I missed for many years.
"Mein kleiner", "mein engel" those were the little names you had for me. I was the sunshine in your life.
I remember.
I remember, the many days you would wait outside the school gate, waiting with a warm smile while I would run into your arms. The caring touch to put me to sleep at night.
I remember.
I remember the day we had to leave you behind for a life in Malaysia. The pain it caused us both. The many years without communication. No word. No sight. No more mama. I knew you were getting sicker without me being there. How I wish i could've been there.
I remember!
10 years gone by.
I remember the first time I saw you again - lying sick and helpless in your death bed. It broke my heart into a million pieces. The regret. The pain. The tears. I was broken. Broken that you could not recognize me anymore - your lil boy!
I remember!
When you passed, a part of me died. More regret. More pain. But I made a promise to myself. A promise to be a better man. To make you proud and remember you in my prayers. A promise that I will be a good man, a good father and husband. I promise to honor u.
I will remember!
Meine mama. I love you! Today, tomorrow and forever.
I will always remember you.