Holiday Gifts for the Sporty Guy

If your guy is all about competition and staying fit then these gifts will be sure to get his heart pumping.

Polar Watch

If he strives for only the best then get him a Polar Sports Watch this holiday so he can be sure to maximize his training to the fullest. The watch will give him the inside scoop on his fitness level by measuring heart rate, combined speed, distance and calories burned. With a gift like this he will be ready to test his endurance in the Standard Charter Marathon come February!

Price: Ranges from $700 - $4,000 HKD

Where to Buy: Visit the Polar Website for store locations in HK

Go Karting at the International Kart Circuit in Diamond Coast

If your man feels the need for speed then take him to the International Kart Circuit, which is Hong Kong’s only Go Kart racing track. A few laps around the circuit will be sure to get his adrenaline pumping. We suggest taking him and a couple of friends so they can race against each other while you take photos of the racers in action. Or if you are sporty girl – you should join in!

Price:

$260/person for the Normal Package (includes safety video, written test, 3 laps road test and a 10 minute session)

$600/person for the Special Package, which can be used for 2 months (includes safety video, written test, 3 laps road test and four 10 minute sessions)

For more information visit: www.dckart.com

Let's Get Physical by VIP Box

If his workout regime is getting a little bit “routine” then get him the Let’s Get Physical Gift from VIP Box. This gift allows him to choose 1 gift from 6 different activities such as Martial Arts, Surfing, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Personal Training Sessions and Sports Massage. All VIP Boxes come in a fun package with all the information your guy will need to select their activity. The VIP Box is one of our favourite gift ideas this year – we love them!

Price: $1,000

Where to buy: Visit VIP Box’s website for online ordering and retail locations.

Take him to the Sky with a Paragliding Course

If he has done every sport imaginable on the ground then he should now move on to the sky! By giving him Paragliding lessons this holiday he will see Hong Kong from a whole new perspective. Sky Adventure is specialized in paragliding instruction and The Student Pilot Course is the first step towards obtaining your own license. He will learn how to launch, basic flying techniques and spot landing. The course is conducted in Ma On Shan and Sai Kung Country Park over 4 flying days and 12 flights.

Price: $4,000

Contact: Mr. Man Kam Fai (Instructor) at 9620 0577 or skysport@netvigator.com

Getting your 5 a day

In the UK, one of the biggest public health campaigns centers around the idea that you need to get your "5 a Day" - 5 portions of fruit and veg every day to keep you healthy. Since I was tiny I've been a very reluctant fruit and veg eater - often needing to be kept at the table by my mum for hours sitting in front of an offending carrot or piece of tomato. Recently I've been making a big effort to increase my intake, so have been trying to include more fresh things in my diet.

Here are some 5 ideas to help you get your 5 a day! One portion is defined as 80g of fruit or vegetables, roughly a handful if you are a visual person.

1. Start your day with a glass of fresh fruit juice or a smoothie. My absolute favourite is a Sunshine Shake from Life Cafe on Shelley Street. Remember that no matter how many juices or smoothies you drink, they can only count as one portion due to the breakdown of fibre when a fruit is juiced.

2. Grab a banana or apple during your morning coffee break. I find that giving myself a treat, like a nice coffee helps the fruit go down more easily!

3. Put veggies in your lunchtime salad. Bell peppers, tomatoes and avocados are a great addition to salad leaves that give you an extra nutritional boost. I'm often guilty of having just lettuce to accompany a sandwich, which are mostly water and therefore don't add much value.

4. Snack on dried fruit during the afternoon lull. After lunch between the hours of 2 and 3, we often experience a drop in energy levels that corresponds to a dip in our biorhythms. Snacking on dried apricots, raisins or mango (check they don't contain any added sugar) can help you get through this sleepy time.

5. Make your own healthy pasta sauce with chopped tomatoes (tinned is fine), aubergine and courgette. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes and serve with wholemeal pasta.

Be careful when you up your intake to make sure that you cut sugar in other areas of your diet - suddenly eating 2-3 more portions of fruit a day adds a lot of (natural) sugar into your diet which will up your daily calories.

If you're interested in joining Sassy's fitness drive, we're doing Bikini Bootcamp tomorrow in the Hong Kong Park. Come along!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Sassy loves the color pink and this month there is a very important reason to "Go Pink". October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and being that we are a group for girls we feel very strongly about showing our support.

Did you know...

• On average 6.2 women in Hong Kong are newly diagnosed with breast cancer everyday.
• Statistics show that 1 in every 22 women stands a chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
• Breast Cancer is the number 1 Cancer in Hong Kong Women. (based on 2005 statistics)

Throughout the next few days we will be posting events around Hong Kong where you can assist in helping this great cause.

Remember to Think Pink!

Statistics are from the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation

MED e TATE

I love HK but one of the things I am not so much in love with is the hot and humid weather. I love fall and nothing makes me happier then a cool, brisk day so having it hot most of the time was definitely an adjustment for me.

With hot weather comes sweating and here in Hong Kong there really is no way around it. While it is many times unavoidable I still hate when I show up to meet someone and I am all gross and sweaty. The comforting thing is that everyone else is in the same situation here so we can all sympathize with each other when we are having a very sweaty day!

While it is common here to perspire that still doesn't mean that I am at peace with it. I recently came across a product called MED e TATE which is an injection free medicated wipe that can be used to help keep you dry. The wipes can be applied to your underarm, upper lip, breast line, hands and anywhere else that you sweat to prevent embarrassing moments. It comes in 30 individual packets so they can easily fit into your purse or pocket so you can use it whenever needed.

I am not saying this is a miracle cure but I am going to have to at least give it a try. It is also known to be useful for maintaing the life of make-up on hot and humid days which is something we all need here in Hong Kong!

I hear MED e TATE is available at Sephora so a trip to Mong Kok for some makeup shopping may be in the cards for me...

Meat Free Monday

I came across a website this morning and I had to write about it because I think it is a really neat idea. Paul McCartney and his daughters Stella and Mary are asking meat-eaters to forgo meat for one day each week for their new initiative "Meat Free Monday". Paul says that "although it may seem like an empty gesture the result will be impactful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the world's livestock". This is among the most serious contributors to global warming.

The program has been launched in the US, Australia and the UK and there are a number of celebrity supporters of this initiative including Yoko Ono, Kate Bosworth, Richard Branson, Sheryl Crow and Kelly Osbourne.

Check out the Meat Free Monday site for more information and if you decide to give Meat Free Monday's a try check out their recipe section for some yummy meat free dishes!

I have wanted to do a little more for the environment for a while now and after reading about Meat Free Monday's I am ready to make my small changes. For months I have wanted to buy a reusable aluminum or stainless steel water bottle to use during yoga instead of a plastic water bottle and today I am going to go out and buy one. I am also going to give Meat Free Monday's a go as well and lucky for me I am already done my first week! I had a veggie burger last night and I had no idea I was already supporting the cause!

Dispelling The Myths By: Nathan Solia (Part 2 of 2)

Part 2: Myths 6-9

6. Abdominal Crunches Will Burn Fat Around The Waist
Due to all the fancy gimmicks that promise "Getting a six pack is you buy this machine" it is not hard to keep believing it. unfortunately, you cannot spot reduce. This means you cannot target one area and that area will tone up/ What crunches will do is strengthen the muscles underneath the layer of fat.

7. No Pain, No Gain
It doesn't have to hurt to work. If you are lacing up your trainers for the first time, start with 30 minutes and build yourself up to an hour over four to twelve weeks. Aim for results over a long period of time that way your body does not suffer and you continue to reach small achievable goals.

8. You Can Convert Fat Into Muscle
Fat is fat and muscle is muscle. So to decrease stored body fat you must either decrease the amount of food you are eating or increase the amount of exercise you are doing.

9. Snacking Between Meals is Bad
Most nutritional advice out there today actually says you should be snacking on something every 3-4 hours to keep the metabolism up and reduce the risk of the body switching into "starvation mode."

By no means are these the only lies surrounding getting fit, but if we continue to ask: why, what, when who, where, and how? We can make sure that the information that we do receive is fact, not fiction.

Nathan Solia is our trainer for the Sassy Bikini Boot Camp.

Dispelling The Myths By: Nathan Solia (Part 1 of 2)

Nathan Solia (Our instructor for Bikini Boot Camp)

Let's face it; we are in the information era where we are bombarded with all sorts of "new" and "great" consumer products, diets and information that will change as "our life as we know it." The health and fitness industry is definitely one field where one gets fed quite a remarkably high amount of fiction!


1. Bathroom Scales Are The Best Indicator
Bathroom scales can be the most deflating self-esteem tools. If you are exercising, you will not lose weight on the scales straight away as this is the safe way to slim. Remember, between 1/4lb to 1lb per week is very normal. Muscle also weighs more than fat so a pound of muscle is smaller than a pound of fat so everything feels and looks smaller, but your weight may not have changed in the scales at all. Use your clothes as a yard stick rather than the bathroom scales.

2. Weight Training Will Bulk Me Up Like Arnie
The big difference between men and women is testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone that allows men to build a muscle through weight training, it will take months, even years of hard core bodybuilding to get close to resembling Arnold Schwarzenegger.



3. Eating's Cheating
The truth is if you do starve yourself and then finally start to eat again, you will gain fat. Here is how it works: when we do not eat, our body goes into starvation mode and the metabolism slows down to retain the amount of body fat it already has. The body may also start to break down muscle as a fuel source. When you finally eat, the chances are you will gorge. Now imagine your body is a fuel tank and because you haven't eaten anything, your fuel tank has shrunk and you have put more food into the body than is necessary- this is called over eating.

4. I Only Need To Do Cardio
It is necessary to keep your heart rate up to burn fat through cardio, but you can also improve the effectiveness through incorporating resistance training. When you perform cardio you may also burn muscle as well as burning fat. By adding resistance training into your workout you will maintain the muscle mass you have which allows you to burn more fat easier.

5. I've Always Been This Size So I Will Always Stay This Size
The statement is a double edged sword. On the one hand people who are skinny may feel comfortable being the size they are but eventually and at some point we all have to endure the middle aged spread in some shape or form. If we do not use out body, bones become weak and muscles begin to shrink therefore we do not need too many calories to maintain our metabolism but due to our habitual eating habits we tend to eat the same amount of food so all the excess calories are then, of course, stored as body fat.
The other side of the sword is when we are already overweight. Can we lose this? The answer is YES. It is difficult, but it has been proven over and over gain that with proper nutrition and exercise you can achieve the ability to lose the fat.


Myths 6-10 will be posted tomorrow

Asia Yoga Conference (June 11-14). Early Bird Prices for those who sign up before April 18th!

If you love yoga (or want to learn what all the hype is all about!) then you will not want to miss the Asia Yoga Conference that will be held here in Hong Kong (at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre) on June 11-June 14.

If you are reading this and are worried that the conference will be all advanced yogis then you need not worry. There will be more than 100 classes of various styles and levels and there is sure to be a class that will fit your level of experience. You can get your feet wet by just attending a class or two throughout the four day conference or if you really want to immerse yourself you can participate in the lectures or the half-day or full-day intensives.

Registration for the conference is $100 and then you purchase a pass based on what you will be participating in throughout the 4 days (ex: 4-day pass, day pass, single class pass). If you purchase your pass by April 18th you can take advantage of the Early Bird discount!

If you are interested in attending and are not sure which class to take feel free to ask me and we can work together to see which class is the best fit for you. Hope to see you there!

To learn more about the 2009 Asia Yoga Conference please visit their website: http://www.asiayogaconference.com/2009/