Showing posts with label fitness diary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness diary. Show all posts

Monday, October 12, 2020

Fitness Diary :: Probiotics 101 - Easy Beginner's Guide & Intro to Youguth Korean Probiotics


I wrote about Probiotics Benefits for Athletes a while back and received some other queries about probiotics for the general public, how to eat more of it, probiotics supplements, side effects etc. 

Some of you have heard about probiotics and its benefits, but haven't taken the step forward to incorporate it into your daily lives because you're still not convinced how valuable it is to your health and wellness.  I really believe it's a life-changer and rank it up there with fish oil supplements, which I hope you are already taking daily too. 

For easy reading, I've compiled some of the questions I've received into a Q&A below. An Easy Beginner's Guide to Probiotics based on some research I've done and my own experience which I hope will be helpful. 

Please note that I'm no doctor and whatever I share on my blog is for informational purposes only. If  you need any medical advice, you should seek advice from a healthcare professional.  

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1. What are probiotics? 
The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics defines “probiotics” as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live naturally in your body, and in fermented, raw and living foods. They help to improve or restore the natural balance of bacteria in your gut when it's been disrupted by an illness or treatment.
 
2. What are the health benefits of probiotics?
Different strains of probiotics bacteria have different effects. Probiotics can help with diarrhea, constipation, bloating, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, eczema, weight loss etc. 

They can also increase antioxidant absorption, promote higher level of interferons, and improve the absorption of protein and fats, which are crucial in the recovery and diet for competitive and recreational athletes.

3. Who can take probiotics?
Probiotics can be taken by anyone young and old. Even for infants as young as 6 months old, there are probiotics formulas, supplements and food products marketed for babies.
 
4. How do you add probiotics to your diet?
You can eat more probiotics from supplements, or from food prepared by bacterial fermentation.
 
5. What food contains probiotics?
Probiotic food include yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, miso etc.  

However, the dose of probiotics needed daily is not easily obtainable through just diet {you'd need to eat between 2-25 servings of probiotic-rich food products daily!} so personally, I would supplement with probiotic pills to get the core benefits.
 
6. What type of probiotic supplements are there?
They come in different forms like food, drinks, pills, powders or liquids. The most commonly consumed probiotics are strains of 2 main species - bifidobacteria {helps to support the immune system, limit growth of harmful bacteria in intestine, and break down lactose into nutrients} and lactobacillus {helps to produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, and increases body's absorption of minerals}. 

7. What are probiotics strains?
Probiotic strains are genetic sub-types of species. Each probiotic strain has a different effect on the body e.g. aiding in digestion, boosting immune-system {B. animalis}, breaking down carbohydrate {B. longum}, decreasing oral bacteria {L. reuteri}etc.

8. How to choose probiotics supplements?
Look for supplements that have live cultures, multiple bacteria strains {a combination of probiotics is usually more effective than a single one}, and large quantities of the bacteria to form colonies {measured in colony-forming units or CFUs}. 
 
Some doctors recommend a daily dose of 10-20 billion CFU is for individuals seeking everyday immune and digestive support. 
 
9. How do you store probiotics supplements? 
Several probiotic strains are very fragile and need to be protected from heat, oxygen, light and humidity. The probiotics might start to break down or die if they are exposed to these elements. We usually store our probiotics in the fridge, if possible, although some supplements don't require them to due to special coatings or manufacturing processes. 
 
10. What are the safety concerns for probiotics?
 For most healthy people with good immune systems, probiotics are considered generally safe since microbes used as probiotics already exist naturally in your body. They are in fact sold over-the-shelf without prescription. However, they may trigger allergic reactions, and may also cause mild stomach upset, diarrhea, gas or bloating for the first few days after you start to take them. 
 
11. Difference between probiotics and prebiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria that provide numerous health benefits. Prebiotics are specialised plant fiber {in food like oats, bananas, berries, asparagus, garlic etc.} that humans can't digest but feed the beneficial bacteria in our gut. Both are important for health and well-being.
 
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For people that do not like swallowing capsule pills, try Youguth Probiotics from Korea that come in melt-in-your-mouth powder that can be consumed right from the sachets or be added into food or drinks. 

Each of their probiotics sachet contains 100 billion CFUs, which as hubby says, is super high. 

I mentioned that a daily dose of 10-20 billion CFU is advisable for individuals seeking everyday immune and digestive support. However, keep in mind that probiotics are comprised of live organisms, are fragile {which is why most of the time they survive longer when kept in the fridge} and sensitive to heat and humidity. 

As such, it makes sense if a probiotics supplement has a higher CFU to increase the survival and effectiveness of the probiotics in reaching your gut, surviving the acidic gastric environment and thereafter improving overall health.

Youguth has developed a patented process that enables probiotics to survive in harsh environment without multiple coatings. This apparently increases the survival ratio of probiotics by over 115% and enable them to be fast-acting. 

Their product range is very streamlined and comes in 4 different lines that tailor to different age groups, gender and stages of life - Green Energy Up {boost vitality & energy in men and women}, Lady Charming Up {enhances inner health and outer beauty in ladies}, Child Strength Up {enhances immunity in kids aged 1 and above}, and Silver Up {supports digestive system and improves bone health in seniors}.

Each product has at least 4 different strains of bacteria that interact together to support both gut health and everyday wellness. In addition, there are also other ingredients to meet the unique health needs of each target group.

For Lady Charming Up, it has 5 different probiotics strains to promote a healthy digestive tract and is also enriched with Vitamin C, collagen and antioxidants for youthful skin. 

I like the light lemon-flavoured powder that's yummy enough to be consumed by itself. It really does melt-in-your-mouth!!! Very light, soft and extremely palatable which makes it easy for those just starting out.

Youguth Probiotics do not need to be refrigerated but should be stored in a cool, dry place. They come in slim powder sachets, which makes it even more convenient to bring around on-the-go.  

I leave some in my work desk drawer and would often just add it to my morning yogurt as a healthy breakfast to start the day right ( ᐛ )و

Note: Probiotics are live bacteria. Before you add them to any food or drinks, make sure that the temperature is either lukewarm or cold, and not above 40°C. Otherwise, the probiotics will not survive and lose its efficacy. 

Green Energy Up enhances your overall well-being by restoring the digestive balance in your gut. It's enriched with vitamins and ginkgo biloba to lift your physical and mental energy. 

This probiotic supplement is blue-berry flavoured and I think goes very well with smoothies or oatmeals.

For kids like Lil Pumpkin, the milk-flavoured Child Strength Up has colostrum to boost immunity and fight infections, zinc to support cell growth and build normal immune responses, and 7 different probiotic strains to aid digestion and promote microbiome diversity. 

Lil Pumpkin finds it fun to just open the sachet & eat the powder directly from it haha ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The benefits of an improved gut health typically takes minimally 2 weeks of daily usage. 

As I've said before, since including more probiotics in my diet years ago, I think that my bowel movements are more regular and I feel less bloaty. Even on days that I feel extra bloated, like after a heavy buffet meal haha, if I take probiotics immediately after, the feeling goes away pretty fast. 

Youguth Probiotics can be bought from Youguth Singapore website or any Guardian, Unity, Robinsons or Watsons shop islandwide. Each container has 30 x 2g sachets which should last for a month as it is recommended to take 1 sachet per day. 

They currently have a meaningful #YouguthCares social initiative whereby they are showing their solidarity to front-liners in this Covid-19 pandemic and distributing care packages of their probiotics supplements to hospitals such as Alexandra Hospital and NUH. You can show your support by also nominating any organisation whereby you feel that they could use gut health support in the form of care packages to boost their immunity by sending them a message on Facebook page or Instagram accounts. 

*****
Follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

* Disclosure: Youguth probiotics was provided by Youguth Singapore for review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own. The content is not presented by a qualified healthcare professional and is for informational purpose only. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please seek medical advice first before trying.

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Thursday, October 1, 2020

Fitness Diary :: How to Work Out Safely in Gyms During Covid-19


Going to the gym nowadays in Singapore during Covid-19 is pretty different from how it used to be. 

For one, public gyms are more strict on registration and capacity. Most public gyms require you to make an advance booking for a limited time slot - so no more just waltzing in as and when you please, and doing a slow 2-3hrs workout. 

Actually even if you have a slot, before you enter the gym, you have to take your temperature and "check-in" for contact tracing purposes. 

Also, to ensure safe distancing, some machines are blocked off and "not-in-use", rather than moved further away from each other, which can be rather inconvenient and affect workout programs as other than cardio machines like treadmills or elliptical trainers, most machines are usually one-of-a-kind in the gyms.

In Singapore, masks are not required during strenuous exercises so most gyms don't make it mandatory to wear inside, but it's still common to see folks doing so. 

It's also more common to see folks sanitising and wiping down the weights and machines before and after sets... which is a very good thing I reckon, because who really wants to sit on or touch other people's sweat???!

Overall, there might be some slight inconveniences when using public gyms nowadays, but at least they are open. I know some gyms overseas are still closed due to the coronavirus #eeks 


Technically speaking, if we follow the rules and are mindful of our own personal hygiene, we should be ok. However, we cannot be complacent and think that they are totally safe. 

In an indoor gym with a confined space, heavy breathing may spread infectious droplets further, and without proper ventilation, this puts you at higher risk of catching or transmitting the disease.

Ultimately, you've to weigh the personal risks and think about how to keep yourself and others safe if you do decide to return to your reopened gym and workout classes. 

How are some tips on How to Work Out Safely in Gyms during Covid-19 which I personally follow at my public club gym {when I'm not training at home or with my PT in his home gym}, and hope you'd find useful too:

1. Avoid peak periods
It differs from gyms to gyms, of course, but at my club gym, the peak periods are usually 9am - 12noon, 5pm - 8pm and weekends. 

2. Wipe machines and equipment before and after use
This should be a no-brainer, but please remember to bring your own towel to the gym. My gym provides sanitising sprays and wipes for us to use, but if yours don't feel free to bring your own.  

3. Maintain personal space
Find a safe spot to work out and do a few exercises, instead of moving around to different machines and putting yourself at risk in being in close contact with others. 

4. Don't do supersets
A superset is a form of strength training in which you move quickly from one exercise to a separate exercise with a short break in between the two exercises. For the same reason as #3, try not to move from machine to machine or spot to spot if you can. 

5. Wash your hands frequently
Wash thoroughly with soap between exercises and especially after your session. 

6. Get in and out
Don't socialise or talk to others unnecessarily and train your bare minimum. I used to roll and stretch after each session at the club gym, but nowadays I leave straight after. Mobility work and stretching can be done at home. 

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First time doing DB 20kg for shoulder press! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 New PR?? Can’t remember what my heaviest weight at Genesis was but I don’t think I hit this weight before 🤔🤔🤔 Like the rest of my exercises, there’s been a lot of stops and restarts due to various reasons like injuries, strains {currently nursing a right wrist strain}, overtraining of body parts etc but I’m glad to have made it up to here 💖 This was actually after my first working set {18.2kg} which looked & felt pretty good so Superman asked if I wanted to test for 20kg. I said why not? 🤷🏻‍♀️ So we did and yay, I did it! First rep is kinda shakey but still strong enough to go for a second. I could prob have done 1 more but had to finish my working sets and didn’t want to tire out ☺️ As usual, feeling rather happy and thankful for reaching a new milestone in my fitness journey 🏋🏻‍♀️🌸 #sakuraharuka #aifitnessdiary #trngwithb #strongnotskinny #noexcusemom #sgmum #sgfitness

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If you're still not comfortable of going to public gyms, you can consider training with Superman, my personal trainer. 

He has his private home gym so if anybody is looking for an excellent personal trainer and a safe place to train, get his contacts from me.

*****
Follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

One-on-On Personal Training Updates:

Genesis Gym Personal Training Updates:
The Beginning - Signing Up for Personal Training



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Sunday, August 30, 2020

Fitness Diary :: Probiotics Benefits for Athletes - DUOLAC for Gut Health

I learnt a health tip from the boy some time back when I just started training more seriously...

If you frequently experience digestive problems or sub-optimal recovery, there's one simple thing you can do to resolve them better: consume more probiotics! 

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria that live in your gut and in fermented, raw and living foods. They're very important for health and wellness, but their benefits are especially important for athletes. 

For everyone from young to old, healthy bacteria are crucial to optimal gut health, which is extremely important for overall wellness. It's the gateway through which nutrients affect the body.

We need a healthy gut for a healthy digestive system where food is broken down completely, absorbed efficiently or eliminated properly.  This leads to many benefits such as boosting of your immune system, healthier skin complexion, regular bowel moments etc.

If we don't digest our food properly, harmful substances may invade our blood stream and cause inflammation, lower immunity and hurt our overall health. 

Especially during this Covid-19 period where we may not be as active as before, or succumbing to unhealthy sugar treats to deal with the stress more often than we like, probiotics is important to support a healthy digestive tract and immune system to keep us safe and stronger to fight against the disease. 

For both competitive or recreational athletes like hubby and I, what we do outside the gym is just as important as what we do inside it. A good training program doesn't just focus on the "training" aspect, but also on recovery and diet to really reap the rewards from training and perform to our best ability.
 
Probiotics have the added benefits of improving recovery by firstly increasing antioxidant absorption. In the process of exercising, our body generates more free radicals from our increased metabolism which can impede muscle growth and development. We need high amounts of antioxidants in recovery and throughout the day to fight the free radicals and prevent them from causing damage. 

Secondly, interferons are powerful proteins that are the body's own frontline defenders against viral invasion. Probiotics can support immune function in athletes by promoting higher levels of interferons, a natural virus fighter, which is decreased in fatigued athletes. When you have a low level of interferons, it's easier to fall sick. Some studies have shown an increase in interferons in fatigued athletes with the supplementation of healthy bacteria has led to a decrease in illnesses. 

Thirdly, we need to be able to eat well to train well. But no matter how healthy or nutritious the food is, if the nutrients cannot be properly absorbed by the body, it is useless. Eating right is only half the battle. What we absorb from digestion is essential so, probiotics is important to us as it improves digestion by increasing the bioavailability and absorption of proteins and fats to give us the energy and nutrients we need to reach our fitness goals. It also helps with intestinal inflammation bloating and nausea, which are common complaints among athletes during and after training.


I make an effort to get more probiotics in our family's meals by including natural, fermented food like Greek yogurt, kefir, miso, sauerkrauts or kimchi {try out my Buta Kimchi recipe!} almost daily. 

However, the dose of probiotics needed daily is not easily obtainable through just diet {you'd need to eat between 2-25 servings of probiotic-rich food products daily!} so we need to supplement with probiotic pills to get the core benefits. 

There are many probiotic pills in the market but I think one that you can trust, and which we are currently taking now, is DUOLAC from Korea. 

Made 100% in Korea, what makes DUOLAC unique is its technology that's patented around the world in countries like USA, Korea, Japan, China etc.  The dual coating ensures 100x higher survival rate of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine compared to uncoated probiotics that are easily killed by gastric acid and bile salt upon consumption. 

This coating also enhances the stability of lactic acid bacteria during processing, storage and distribution of the products. 

Note: All of their probiotics in Singapore are  halal-certified, gluten-free, and do not need to be refrigerated (*^▽^*) Each package is 1 month's supply.

The DUOLAC range includes 7 types, including specific ones for travel and children, and I'd highlight a few below. Depending on the product, they come in a variety of probiotic strains but all contain at least 4 strains that work synergistically for their health effects.  

I've read that multi-strain formulas are more effective than single strains but do note that currently, there is no consensus on what strain or dose is the best ¯\_(ツ)_/¯


DUOLAC Care is the signature product for adults to maintain balanced intestinal microflora for a healthy gut. In capsule form, it contains 6 probiotic strains with a dash of Vitamin C. The pills are very slim and easy to swallow. We like that they come individually packed in light packets which makes them easy to bring out for travel. 

DUOLAC Family is suitable for both kids {2 years old and above} and adults. It also has 6 probiotic strains, and it is fortified with prebiotic, which are compounds in food that induce the growth or activity of beneficial microorganisms. You don't need to take prebiotics for probiotics to work, but taking them together might make your probiotics more effective. 

DUOLAC Family comes in a bottle of vanilla-flavoured chewables. For those that have trouble swallowing pills, this might be a better option for you. Personally, I prefer to swallow pills compared to eating chewables, so I'd still swallow these together with the rest of my daily supplements at night haha.  


DUOLAC Yam Yam Plus (Kids) is the one that Lil Pumpkin is eating now. Good for kids aged 2 and above, this chewable bear-shaped tablet comes in a yummy yoghurt flavour that kids enjoy. It promotes gut health, bone health and immune support for kids. This supplement contains 5 probiotic strains as well as calcium, zone and Vitamin D for healthy growth and development, while maintaining a healthy immune system. Lil Pumpkin takes one in the morning before school, and one at night before she sleeps.

Babies are not left out as there's DUOLAC Baby. These are special powdered probiotics that easily dissolve in water or milk to help keep your babies' intestinal health balanced. Recommended for babies aged 3 months to 2 years, they contain 5 strains, prebiotics, Vitamin A and Vitamin D. 

Since including more probiotics in my diet years ago, I think that my bowel movements are more regular and I feel less bloaty. Even on days that I feel extra bloated, like after a heavy buffet meal haha, if I take probiotics immediately after, the feeling goes away pretty fast. 

If you'd like to try out DUOLAC probiotics, the entire range is available on Lazada.sg which currently have some bundle deals. Limited product range is available at Guardian pharmacies and Watson's stores.  

*****
Follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

* Disclosure: DUOLAC probiotics was provided by DUOLAC Singapore for review. No monetary compensation was received and all opinions are my own. The content is not presented by a qualified healthcare professional and is for informational purpose only. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, please seek medical advice first before trying.

 

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Thursday, August 20, 2020

Fitness Diary :: Gym Training During Covid-19


Covid-19 has really turned our lives topsy-turvy. Whatever we normalcy we had and were used to is now surely in the past and it seems pretty clear that life as we knew then is not what we have now.

People can view it to be for the better or for the worst. However to get through it with sanity left, I firmly believe that you have to look at these changes in a positive light, even if you are one to struggle with changes of any kind, and not let the current pandemic get you down. 

Whether we knew or wanted it or not, Covid-19 is a wake-up call. A chance to really look on your life and see what you want and need to keep, change and toss for the better, and we should not waste such an opportunity.

For various reasons, I haven't been progressing as much as I wanted for my fat loss and strength gains the past year. So during Covid-19, especially during the Circuit Breaker when we had to stay home, I made sure that I kept to my training at our home gym as diligently as I could {even doing extra cardio!!}, and ate more wholesome, home-cooked food as much as I could. 

And it has somewhat paid off. 
 
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That's me lifting 80kg, 5x3 on Fri 31 Jul 2020. 

It was the first time in 4 years since I had my major back injury. Lots of stops and re-starts, lots of frustrations and pain, lots of prehab, rehab and recovery work but finally, my back injury is under control and I'm finally making consistent progress to be stronger again ( ᐛ )و

Really gotta thank my PT, Superman, for being such an attentive and supportive coach. He was more excited than me actually for hitting this weight and was the one who suggested taking this video haha. Now, to get my knees back in shape again so that I can work up on my squats again too! #stronggirls


I guess some people have the same focus on health and fitness during Covid-19 too and reached out to me to ask about having Superman as their coach. Probably helps even more that he has his own private gym as well so you don't have to worry about working out in a public gym full of strangers in a pandemic.

As always, I just provide them with his contact details and they sort out the training details themselves.

I never hardsell and no, I don't earn any commission from Superman and I pay for my sessions with him. Whatever I share about him or my training is truly my own experience and heartfelt thoughts so if it helps or inspires someone to be one step closer to being healthier or fitter - great, if not it’s just a record for my own fitness journey to remember how far I’ve come, and motivate myself to go even further.

Messages like these make me very happy though... knowing that I've made a positive impact on someone else's life does that °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

 

I hope to have some breakthrough on my fat loss again too. I haven't been as diligent as I should be in keeping to my daily cals, so I can't expect any good results, but I will not give up. 

Most people only see or care about the highlight reel. Your abs of steel. Your heavy lifts. Your best time. . . But behind every muscle gain, kilo lost and PB broken are hours and hours of training, failed lifts, sweat and yes, tears. It’s not easy, it’s not sexy and anybody who makes it seem that way is probably lying #realtalk.. 

You have to put in the grind before you can shine. 

Maybe it'd help more if I document it again regularly on the blog. Help me keep accountable? 

Watch this space. 

*****
Follow my Fitness Diary posts here or on Instagram {#AiFitnessDiary}.

One-on-On Personal Training Updates:

Genesis Gym Personal Training Updates:
The Beginning - Signing Up for Personal Training



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