Surprise for me today!

Today was a great day. One, my carpet finally got cleaned of that dreadful dog urine smell; two, I went to see my first aquathon (will post about this later); and three, I got my surprise from Clif Bar today!

If you remember from my incident regarding a missing piece of a Clif Bar, customer service contacted me a few days later to resolve the issue. It sounded like it was an email that never made it to their inbox. Emily from their team told me that they were going to send me a new flavour being shipped to the US, but not in Canada. So, it seems like I am one of the first (or very few!) Canadians to taste this new flavour! I was extremely excited and for days wondered what flavour it could be. In case some of my Canadian readers are wondering why many of the flavours do not make it here is due to regulations and sourcing of ingredients. However, if you do want more flavours up here, send them an email asking/begging/whatever! And tell them I sent you too ;)

I think the following pictures will tell you what I thought. Excuse the terrible pictures. I don’t have access to a DSLR like in my previous review. So unfortunately bad photos for now…until I can afford a nicer camera.

My first thoughts were, 'This is a huge box!'

12 bars!? Thank you so much!

Brand New flavour!

Surprised with the chocolate on top!

Although I am not a huge fan of coconut fragrances, I do love the taste and texture of coconut! So already this flavour has won me over. I only had one bite and instantly I loved it! I can’t really describe it…it’s pure euphoria!

I would really like to thank the Clif Bar Company and their team for sending me these bars and taking initiative to respond to my incident in a timely matter. I am so grateful!

For my Canadian readers: Any flavours you would like to see in Canada?

Note: Although the Clif Bar Company has sent me bars, it does not reflect any bias towards their products. I will ALWAYS be completely honest, it’s my policy.

Monthly Challenge #1 Update

Thinking back, I should’ve done more of a weekly update for you to follow along.  It’s a little late, but that is ok!

So far my progress along my challenge has gone pretty well.  I am becoming very conscious of what I am eating and limiting the amount of processed foods and saturated fats. The only hard part that I have noticed so far was on some days when I reward myself. I reached for a bag of kettle peanuts and had a hard time stopping myself to eat! I began leaving all those bad snacks at Chris’ place away from my reach. Unfortuantely, he got into my snacks and is blaming me. Ooops!

This past weekend I went out for all you can eat sushi with my family. Sushi is my favourite food item and I’ll be damned if any sushi rolls leave my sight! No, I’m kidding…I’m not that intense. Although it was an All You Can Eat menu, I kept my challenge in mind and limited the amount of tempura I ate to 1 piece of tempura yam and 3/4 pieces of tempura tofu. I decided to fill up on the maki rolls filled with avocado and fresh fish (mmm…unsaturated fats!). It was satisfying and I never felt guilty after my meal :)

Just a few days ago I found a coupon for $2 ice cream at Marble Slab and I couldn’t resist. Darn these cravings and coupons! They get to me everytime. I got an upset stomach afterwards, so maybe that is my body getting back at me for not following my challenge ha!

I already have an idea for my next monthly challenge which is suitable for the hot months up ahead.

If you are having trouble following the monthly challenge, don’t get upset with yourself. It’s not very easy to drop all junk food all at once. Trust me, I have tried in the past to drop all junk and 1.5 months later I started indulging in anyway possible and gained weight because I couldn’t help my cravings. Find out where you went wrong and try to improve slowly. Writing it down your goals will help for next time.

How are you doing with your monthly challenge?

BodyRock.tv’s Workout (June 21, 2011)
Surfer: 9, 11, 8, 9
Roundkick and knee crunch (left): 10, 9.5, 15, 10
Roundkick and knee crunch (right): 12, 12, 13.5, 12
1-2-3 Push up: 14, 10, 10, 9
Ninja jump and sandbag (15lbs): 4.5, 6, 4, 6

Bike Ride (June 21, 2011): 55 min (time), approximately 12-13km (had no Garmin on me)

BodyRock.tv’s Take Me! Workout (June 22, 2011): 55 burpees in 10 minutes (I can do full push ups with my chest close to the ground!)

I’ve graduated!

My convocation was this past weekend and I finally got my degree!  Now I can put BASc (Bachelor of Applied Science) to my signatures!  I am such a nerd but that is totally ok!

I spent the weekend with Chris because he came back from a 2 week competition down in the States.

Just a short update:  I swam 900m today and it felt ok.

200 warmup
100 kickboard
100 pull buoy
200 swim
100 kickboard
100 pull buoy
100 cool down

I could’ve done more, but I felt really nauseous after doing 100m for a cool down.  Maybe I should start bringing more gatorade to the pool to replenish electrolytes and sugar.  It’s exactly like running right?

I went for a bike ride last week on Friday and it felt great despite it being only 9km.  It was my first time on the bike again since mid May and I was happy that I wasn’t as nervous as I did when I first rode my triathlon bike.  I hope to get used to it enough that it becomes natural.

I am having a little trouble deciding how to use my blog.  Should I use it to log my daily activites?  Should I use this blog as an informative site (reviews, tips, articles)?  Should I keep my personal life completely separate from this blog (i.e. have a another blog for life type entries).  Let me know in the comments below.

Enjoy your evening!

Review: Clif Bars

WEBSITE:  http://clifbar.com

I only started trying out this product because of a 50% off sale at Zehrs.  There, in one metal box was filled with Clif bars, like a mountain almost.  I was using granola bars (by Nature Valley) at the time and figured that since this is an energy bar tailored towards active people, it would provide me with appropriate nutrition.  I picked up the Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, and Chocolate Almond Fudge.  I also had a Crunchy Peanut Butter flavoured bar from my triathlon club.  I usually eat these after an intense workout at the pool.

19 flavours are currently available to suit all tastebuds.  Just reading all the flavours make my mouth water.  I’m curious to try them all out!

My two favourite flavours so far: Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Almond Fudge

Each bar is chocked full of healthy vitamins and minerals!

Ingredients (Chocolate Almond Fudge): Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Rolled Oats, ClifPro® (Soy Rice Crisps [Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Flour, Barley Malt Extract], Organic Roasted Soybeans, Organic Soy Flour), Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Chocolate Chips (Evaporated Cane Juice, Unsweetened Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavors), Almond Butter, Organic Fig Paste, Cocoa, Almonds, ClifCrunch® (Apple Fiber, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic Milled Flaxseed, Inulin [Chicory Extract], Psyllium), Sea Salt, Natural Flavors.

If you take a look at the ingredients above, you will notice that you can pronounce every single ingredient on that list!  It’s great to know that you can purchase a lot of these items off the shelf.

Unfortunately, this happened:

This is what I found when I opened my Clif bar (sorry for the quality, I had to take a picture of my phone which had this phot)

I contacted customer service who said they’ll send me a replacement.  This was probably a month ago and no Clif bar.  Maybe they thought I was lying or something =/ Follow up on what happened.

My Opinion
Tastewise they are great especially after a workout!  I have enjoyed all the flavours so far and I have been stocking up on all the flavours whenever there are sales.  The only flavour I got really sick of was the Oatmeal Walnut Raisin as I found it super sweet compared to the other ones.  The vitamins and minerals make this bar surpass all the other granola bars that we think are healthy (Nature Valley…yeah right).

These bars are not cheap.  If I paid full price for these bars, it would be about $2.00 each.  I got these on sale for about 94 cents per bar and it might be the most I would pay for them, however they are worth it if you have the money.  You could even make your own, which I might take a stab at once my Clif bars are eaten up (I still have 5 or 6 boxes to go through–ha!).

I found that after eating a bar following a workout, my energy levels didn’t drop as fast as they normally would and I was fuller longer.  I realized that now that I am no longer in school, I don’t need to eat as many Clif bars as I did when I was.  I used to gobble one every day regardless of the workout.  From my gradball photos, I saw that I really put on the pounds and it was partly the Clif bars and partly eating more than I really needed.  I have cut back on the number of Clif bars that I have been eating to about once a week or once every two weeks because I am trying to eat more foods in their natural state.

The verdict
I would rate this product a 4.5/5!  Everything is great about the bar, except for the price and their customer service.  Regardless, I think I would continue purchasing the bars.  I might get sick of my favourites soon, so I am looking to try out some new flavours and bars!  I am really leaning towards the Luna Bar.  I am not sure if the Clif bar are supposed to be meant more for men because Luna bars are meant for women!

To end this post, I thought I post a picture that my mom took on her new DSLR camera (edited by me)

What are your favourite flavours of Clif bars?  Have you tried them before?  What do you think?

Disclaimer:  I am not affiliated with nor was paid by ClifBar and their companies to review their product.  I purchased these products with my own money.  This is my 100% honest opinion.

Outdoor Sports Tips for the Hot Weather

Even though I am in Canada, temperatures here are ridiculous!  Currently it is 30C and not that that is really a huge deal, with the humidity, it feels like 38C!  Because my place lacks a/c and window screens, my room becomes an unbearable sauna.  So I am currently on campus in a/c building, reducing the heat exposure.  I hope that no one gets annoyed that I am blogging and hogging the computer, but if I could be at home, I rather be at home.  I personally hate summer.  I find nothing personally amazing about it.  I feel gross all the time needing to take a shower probably every 15 minutes because I sweat that much and due to the humidity, it just stays on me.  I just saw someone walk into the building with a sweater and long pants.

I figured I put together important checklist for the summer regarding outdoor activities.

Sun Protection
During the summer, overexposure to UV-A and UV-B (short for ultraviolet-aging and burning) rays from the sun increases your exposure to skin problems.  In short, extended UV rays exposure could change your DNA structure in your skin cells.  UV Indexes were developed as an easy guide for UV intensities and to reduce your exposure (search for your city first).   Generally from 10am to 4pm, UV rays are the strongest and outdoor exposure should be limited.  One tip is to look at your shadow.  If it’s really short, avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.  And always wear sunscreen with a correct sun protection factor (SPF) regardless of time of day.  There are many different levels of SPF available, but SPF 15 is generally accepted and the minimum that most stores carry.  To understand what SPF is right for you, consider the time it takes for your skin to burn when it is unprotected.  On average, 20 minutes is the limit for most light skinned people.  The factor in your lotion (let’s say for example, SPF 15) provides you 15 times more exposure to the sun before you burn.  In terms of time, 20min x 15 = 300minutes = 5 hours before you would show signs of burning.  So slather on that sunscreen before going out.

Wearing UV protecting sunglasses, hat and shirts are also a must to reduce your exposure to the sun!  I have seen too many people without one, two or all!

Water
Dehydration is a serious issue in the summer.  It is not very noticeable during the rest of the year because we don’t sweat/lose water that frequently.  It was given as a guide everywhere that 8+ cups of water a day is enough.  Water is very important because our bodies are made up of 60% water.  Always keep a water bottle on you or wear a hydration device for outdoor activities.  I use the Fuel Belt for running (I will probably write an indepth review at some point).  By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.  This does not mean to drink a gallon all at once, but to drink frequently throughout the day to reduce dehydration.  I have drank about 400ml in the past 10 minutes and still feel so thirsty!

For swimmers, although we are in water, doesn’t mean you can’t become hydrated!  You still produce sweat, but it is not as noticeable considering that you are in cooler water.  Dehydration can lead to serious cramping in your muscles…to the point you are crying in pain and three lifeguards needed to assist you in getting out of the pool.  Since then, I have carried a water bottle with me all the time to the pool.

I hope that this mini list is at least helpful to someone.  I am in no way an expert, but I believe that if you want to train, do it properly without the repercussions.

Enjoy your summer and stay safe!

Monthly Diet Challenge #1: Reduce saturated fat intake

Hello everyone!  Now that I am finally done my 5 week long project, I am excited to start researching and learning about diet with training.

For many years now, I have been wanting to get a very defined abs look.  I obviously tried to do tons and I mean TONS of ab exercises…until I researched one day that you need to trim the fat and have a low fat content.  I’m pretty sure my defined abs are hiding in there under that layer of fat.  And to start of my first monthly challenge, I am going to try to reduce the amount of saturated fat intake as well as greasy, fried foods.  This is actually kinda funny since I gobbled quite a bit of jalapeno flavoured kettle chips before writing this entry (one of my weaknesses…honestly the taste is amazing!).

Here are definitions to refresh the differences between bad and good fats.  I always forget which is which!

Saturated and Trans Fats (aka ‘Bad Fats’)
Saturated fats are known to raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels which can clog artery walls, restricting blood flow.  This restricted blood flow leads to heart strokes and diseases.  Sources of saturated fats include: animals products such as milk and meat, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernal oil.

Trans fats are processed oil which have been hydrogenized (basically where H2 gas is mixed with the unsaturated oil at a specific pressure and a catalyst, eliminating any double or triple bonds with the unsaturated oil).  These fats are known to be more harmful and recommended by certain health authorities to limit consumption of these fats.  These fats can be found in a variety of packaged food (such as the bag of chips I ate), fast food fries, microwave popcorn, etc.

Unsaturated Fats (aka ‘Good Fats’)
Unsaturated fats can be divided into two categories:  monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.  Monounsaturated fats are known to reduce the total amount of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol which increasing amounts of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.  HDL cholestoral reduces the clogging of the arteries caused by LDL cholesterol.  Monounsaturated fats can be found in nuts, avocadoes, canola and olive oil.

Polyunsaturated fats are also known to do the same thing is monounsaturated fats.  Food which contains polyunsaturated fats are:  salmon and fish oil, corn, soy, safflower and sunflower oil.  The famous Omega 3 is also located here.

So now that we know the difference between each fat, my challenge for this month is to limit my intake of the bad fats.  That means trimming skin and fat away from meat and increasing my unsaturated fat intake.  I started yesterday, but I figured that if I posted something, I would have to commit to it, no matter what.  I’ll provide a bit of an update as I go along, so you can follow along!

Since we are talking about diet, I figured my next paragraph is appropriate.  Since I started training for races last year, I noticed that I can’t last too long in the heat.  Chris and I would plan a whole day trip outdoors and I would end up nearly fainting, tired, light headed, and starving.  I have a feeling that it is due to dehydration.  But no matter how much I fill myself on water/food, I would end up in a near fainting spell an hour later.  Does anyone have any tips or advice on this?  I am going to try to increase my intake of water and see if that improves anything.

Feel free to share your diet challenges!  I would like to try them out too!

Random: I want to share this!

I’m finally done!  This was 5 weeks worth totalling about 125 hours.

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