Cikgu Fitness #1 Malaysia

10 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol

February 4, 2011Weight Loss

Cholesterol itself isn't bad. We all have and need this wax-like substance in our bodies. It consists of high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides. The LDL and triglyceride cholesterol levels are the most crucial in regards to heart disease. About 80% of the body's cholesterol is produced by the liver, while the rest comes from our diet.
Learn how you can take control of your cholesterol levels with these 10 tips.

1. 1.
   Know where you stand! Do you actually know your cholesterol levels? Unless you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure etc, you probably don't know where you stand. Here, I would highly recommend getting regular check ups to monitor both your HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein). Following is a low down of what to look out for:
   • Total cholesterol should not exceed 200 mg/dL
   • LDL or bad cholesterol is below 130 mg/dL
   • HDL or good cholesterol should be 40 or more.

...all adults age 20 and over should have their cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years...

2. 2.
   Keep Active 20-30min per day. Ok here I am not talking about hitting the gym or joining the next fitness program. To increase your HDL, any form of exercise or physical activity will do the trick. Recent evidence suggests that the duration of exercise, rather than the intensity, is the more important factor in raising HDL choleserol. But any aerobic exercise helps, including walking.
3. 3.
   Add soluble fiber to your diet.. Did you know you that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels and lower heart disease rates than meat eaters. That's in part because vegetarians consume so much fiber. Adding soluble fibers like flaxseeds, oats, fruits, nuts etc can help to both reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. How cool is that! If you can, try to include fibers whenever you can. Consuming about 15 g of soluble fiber a day can lower LDL cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent.
4. 4.
   Lose weight! When you are overweight, your access weight may disrupt your body's ability to metabolize fat. Good news is that you don't have to lose the weight radically, by simply losing 1-2kg per year may reduce your risk of high blood pressure by 25 percent and your risk of diabetes by 35 percent.

...Looking to lose weight? Check out my best selling How to Lose 5kg in 5 Weeks eBook.

5. 5.
   Know your fats! Hmm some are good, some are bad? Well yes and no. Let's take a look at the various fats and how they can influence your cholesterol.
   • Saturated fats (Bad): Raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol. Mainly found in animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs and seafood. Also found in plants such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
   • Trans fats (Bad): Raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. Trans fatty acids are found in commercially packaged foods like french fries, donuts or popcorn.
   • Monounsaturated fats: Can help to lower LDL and raise HDL. Examples are canola oil, peanut butter or olive oil.
   • Polyunsaturated fats: Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.
6. 6.
   Fats are still fats Good or bad fats? Well end of the day all fats contain calories. How many? 1g of fats (any kind) contain 9 calories. So although olive oil is cholesterol free, too much of it will cause you to gain weight which ultimately will increase your cholesterol. So be sure to keep your calorie intake and overall weight in check.
7. 7.
   Take a good MultiVitamin. No matter how careful you are with your calorie intake, good fats, bad fat etc, you may still have micro-nutritional deficiencies in your diet which may add to your problem. A good multivitamin supplement not only helps with your overall need for vitamins and minerals but can also help to lower your risk of heart disease. Look for a multivitamin that contains 400 micrograms of folic acid, 2 mg of vitamin B6, and 6 micrograms of vitamin B12.
8. 8.
   Are you stessed? Stress and anxiety cause chemicals to be released into your body, raising your blood pressure, and reduce blood flow to your heart. Avoid stressful situations and use techniques such as breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, and other similar techniques. This helps your body to deal with stress and minimize the effects on your body.
9. 9.
   Go for fish. Why? Well for their cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil. Salmon would be a great choice here and if possible go for grilled or steamed fish. The reason here is obvious.
10. 10.
    Alternative treatment? In today's world, there are a variety of cholesterol drugs, supplements and treatments available. Basically there are two types, those that try to lower LDL and others that try to raise HDL. Lets take a look at both:
    • LDL Lowering Drugs: The most widely used medications are the statins (lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, and atorvastatin), marketed under names like Lipitor, Mevacor, and Zocor. Other available drugs are gemfibrozil, fenofibrate and clofibrate. These fibric acid derivatives are primarily used for lowering high triglyceride levels.
    • HDL Raising Drugs: Drug therapy for raising HDL cholesterol levels has, so far, been less successful than for reducing LDL cholesterol. Of the drugs used to treat cholesterol, niacin appears to be the most effective at raising HDL levels. Niacin is one of the B vitamins. But the amount of niacin needed to raise HDL levels are so high, that it is classified as a drug when used for this purpose.

by Kevin Zahri

Apakah Berat Badan Anda Yang Ideal?

February 1, 2011Weight Loss

"Nama saya maria - umur 30 tahun, tinggi 150cm dan berat 55kg ... ok tak".
Ah itulah contoh email yang saya terima boleh dikatakan setiap hari. Since ramai rakyat Malaysia obes, dikatakan gemuk dan ingin kurangkan berat badan, ramai yang cepat tertanya apakah berat badan yang ideal? Sebelum saya menjawap soalan itu dengan lebih mendalam, adakah BMI sesuai?
Hmmm ... walaupun ia merupakan cara yang paling mudah untuk mengkategorikan seseorang (obese, normal, underweight), secara keseluruhan BMI adalah overrated kerana ia tidak mengambil kira banyak faktor lain.

Ok so apa dia BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) adalah sukatan lemak badan berdasarkan tinggi dan berat seseorang (lelaki & perempuan). Formula BMI adalah seperti berikut:

BMI = Berat (kg) / [Tinggi (m) x Tinggi (m)]

Kategori BMI:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obese = BMI of 30 or greater

Tapi .... pentingkah BMI dalam menentukan berat badan anda yang ideal?

Hmmm tak jugak. Tidak menjadi masalah untuk mengetahui nilai BMI. Tapi adakah anda berpuas hati sekiranya BMI anda dalam kategori normal? Perasaan "puas hati" itu datang daripada kita sendiri.

Perlukah anda mengira BMI untuk mengenalpasti bahawa anda sebenarnya obes? Saya rasa tak perlu BMI. Tengok cermin pun dah tahu. Bagi saya, BMI adalah beberapa kekurangkan.

• Bentuk Badan: Bagi mereka yang berbadan "stocky" secara automatik akan mempunyai BMI yang tinggi. "Berat" dalam pengiraan BMI tidak membezakan lemak & otot. Contoh: ahli bina badan akan mempunyai nilai BMI yang tinggi walaupun mereka kelihatan fit and sihat.
• Struktur Tulang: Sesetengah orang mempunyai rangka tulang yang besar dan padat. So of couse nila BMI mereka lebih tinggi.
• Menilai tahap fitness: Patutkah anda lega sekiranya nilai BMI anda "normal". Hmmm...anda sendiri kena jawap soalan itu tetapi BMI tidak dapat menilai your tahab kecergasan dan kesihatan anda.

Jadi apakah berat badan yang ideal?

Baiklah, bagi saya andalah penentu berat badan anda yang sesuai. Bukan saya, bukan BMI! Yang penting adalah kegembiraan dan kepuasan masing-masing. Kalau anda rasa gembira dengan rupa diri anda, tidak perlu rujuk kepada BMI atau sesiapa.

Hanya perlu buka baju dan cermin diri sendiri. Tengok bahagian mana yang anda ingin kurang mahupun tambahkan.

Hanya perlu buka baju dan cermin diri sendiri. Mungkin anda rasa perlu kurangkan berat. Mungkin anda rasa perlu kempiskan peha. Itu yang penting. Tengok bahagian mana yang anda ingin kurang mahupun tambahkan. Tak kiralah. 1kg ke 10kg. Dan andaikata anda berjaya kurangkan, sekali lagi tengok cermin dan menilai. Ini adalah proses yang berterusan. Lagi-lagi apabila manusia tidak pernah berpuas hati :)

Semoga anda berjaya :)

by Kevin Zahri

10 Tips on How to Choose a Personal Trainer in Malaysia

January 20, 2011Weight Loss

Personal training has always been popular. Not just in the US but even here in Malaysia, especially since the boom for fitness centers in Kuala Lumpur. But with every "boom" where demand is typically high, the supply of quality personal trainers is challeng faced by all gyms.

And if you read my Malaysian gym review, you can see inadequate gym instructors really rub people the wrong way.

How to choose a personal trainer?

So say you are looking to choose a personal trainer, following are some tips and questions to help you before signing up for a program.

1. Image In other words, does he or she look the part? If he or she is in great shape, they must be doing something right. If they themselves look out of shape .... well it would be hard to convince me to sign up.
2. Ask Questions! What to ask? Well everything that you want to know about. If your goal is to lose weight, improve fitness etc, test their knowledge before you enroll. If he or she can't answer your questions, what makes you think they can help achieve your goals?
3. Is their program custom made for you? Lots of major commercial gym fail this test. Most personal trainers are given a standard program and make you go through the motion. You must make demands and choose a PT who understands your unique strength and weaknesses.
True story! A personal trainer from a major gym, wanted my 60yr old dad to go through a standard program and he almost passed out. I gave the PT a major earful. My father and I never returned. If your PT lacks common sense, tell him to shove it.
4. Chemistry Well all said and done, you and your personal trainer need to have chemistry. I am not talking about sex appeal or friendship but you need to feel comfortable enough to take instructions and directions from him or her. After all, you are surrendering your body over to this person.
5. Go for a trial session. Better still, demand a trial session. Tell the gym that you are looking for a long term arrangement (even if you are not) but in order for you to commit, you would like to have a trial session with that particular trainer. This is a great way to get a feel for chemistry etc.
6. Don't get passed around? Ask if your personal trainer is dedicated. Some gyms have a habit of passing you around to various personal trainers. Also make sure your PT guy or gal is going to stick around. You don't want him or her leaving the gym after 1-2 weeks. Ask 1) How long he or she has been working there and 2) Whether or not they like working here. You'd be surprised how many personal trainer are quick to bash their employers. This should be a warning sign.

Ask how much they enjoy working there. ou'd be surprised how many personal trainer are quick to bash their employers. This should be a warning sign.

7. How long have they been training? Well there are two parts to this question. 1) You would like to find out how long they have ben training and 2) how long they have been personal trainers. Most people become personal trainers after engulfing themselves in fitness training.
8. Any success stories? Ask who their clients are. Who were their previous clients and see if you can get a referral or recommendation from them. Don't be fooled by general weight loss success of a particular client at the gym as your PT have have had nothing to do with it.
9. Observe. This is probably the one of the best tips. Now assuming you have already joined this gym, be sure to observe various personal trainers with their clients. From just observing them with their clients, you can see how focused, dedicated and capable their are. If you get the opportunity, you can even ask that client how their experience has been.
10. Demand for 100% attention! An all too common problem among personal trainers is that they often get distracted by their colleagues, sms, taking calls etc. Don't tolerate such behavior! Make it clear before and during sessions that you need their 100% attention ... at all times.

...all too common problem among personal trainers is that they often get distracted by their colleagues, sms, taking calls etc. Don't tolerate such behavior...

11. Qualifications. I put this last coz it is really not that important to me. Personal trainer certifications are so easy to obtain these days and does not guarantee anything. That said, you should still ask what they qualifications are ... but again, whatever their reply, it's not like that you would know how relevant or truthful they are.

by Kevin Zahri