Low Calorie Snack Hack: Cerelac Nutripuffs

Photo Source: starthealthy.nestle.com.ph

Growing up, I absolutely loved sugary cereals and basically anything sweet. Although this fact still rings true to this day, I now practice more accountability with my diet, both in terms of caloric density and nutritional content -- or at least I try.

One of my ultimate favourite breakfast cereals back then was Nestle Honey Stars. They're these little star-shaped puffs that have just the right touch of sweetness without being too sugary.

Photo Source: nestle-cereals.com

As an avid fan of baby food, I was really excited when I found out that Cerelac would be bringing in their new variant: Cerelac Nutripuffs. These are similar to Gerber Graduates Puffs, but since they are manufactured locally, Cerelac's version is a lot cheaper in comparison!

Photo Source: starthealthy.nestle.com.ph

Taste:
Cerelac Nutripuffs come in 2 flavours: Banana Orange and Strawberry Banana. Personally, I prefer having the former on days where my sweet tooth really acts up, and the latter for when I want a more subtle taste. The taste profile of the Strawberry Banana is reminiscent of Honey Stars (albeit less sugary) and upon first having it, I was hit with a wave of childhood nostalgia. It's the same great snack I used to have as a kid, but this time with way less sugar and calories (macro hack). The Banana Orange is has its own twist: there are orange particles generously sprinkled that give it a light tangy taste and an interesting texture.

Price: 
For the cost of around 70~ php, this is a steal. In Manila, since the Gerber Graduates Puffs (same macros and parent company, Nestle) are imported, they can sometimes cost up to 200+ to 400+ php depending on the retailer.

Nutrition content:
Per 100g: 427kcal, 72g carb, 6.5g protein, 12.5g fat
Per 7g: 30kcal, 5g carb, 0.5g protein, 0.9g fat

This. Probably my favourite thing about Cerelac Nutripuffs, apart from the taste, is its macros. Perfect for snacking: for around half a cup, it's only 30 calories!!
However, as it is very light and mostly air (puffed), I wouldn't recommend eating it in milk or whey. They tend to melt very fast when combined with any liquid. I usually just keep the resealable bag in my car or gym bag for an easy on the go snack.

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As stated in my previous baby food macro hack blog post, I'm not advocating a diet of purely baby food. Although, I do believe that these are way healthier than your usual adult cereals and junk food because of all the vitamins and minerals. Or you know, I'm just really weird. HAHA.

Disclaimer: Although this review was written with adult consumption in mind, as a baby food, Cerelac Nutripuffs is meant for infants 10 months and up, and is not meant to be a breastmilk alternative. Breastmilk is best for babies up to 2 years.

5 Types of "Gym Bros" to Watch Out For

gym bro
/jim brō/ 

That guy at the gym.
Yes, the one you're picturing right now.

I'm sure that anyone who's stepped foot in the gym, particularly the weights room, has had their own encounter of the typical gym bro. Here are 5 different stereotypes to watch out for.
Let me know which ones you have witnessed, and which drive you absolutely crazy:



The Poser

His Tinder photos are most likely all taken from the gym -- shirtless with just the right lighting, filter, and sweaty look. Most often found posing for selfies either in the locker or the weights room. Although  he may claim to be a "fitness model," he spends 80% of his gym time setting up the perfect Insta-story and only 20% actually working out. Never seen without his phone.
Most likely in expensive colour-coordinated athlesiure clothes that he'll barely even break a sweat in. His shoes aren't really for training anyway.
#ThumbDayEveryDay


The Bro-scientist

Good luck working out next to him as he gives unsolicited advice because he's "just looking out for you bro." Licensed Mansplainer. Will throw a hundred different fitness facts at you that he most likely read on body building forums or he heard from random Gymstagram celebrities: "Bro, if you do cardio right after doing weights, it cancels out the protein synthesis. You won't develop your muscles -- that's negative gainz bro."
The personal trainer you never asked for.
#IllShowYouTheWhey

The Grunter

Before you even step in the gym, you'll hear him from a mile away. With every movement, he lets out an often unnecessary loud sound: Is that a roar? A moan? Whatever it is, the sound will drive you nuts. It's as if he's trying to say "Yo bro, can't you tell I'm going HAM right now? No? You want me to grunt louder to prove that I'm the strongest guy in the gym right now?" 

More often than not, he'll also be incessantly dropping the weights and making sure each time he loads up the bar, it makes a loud metal sound. 

If you're planning to sit next to this guy at the bench, do yourself a favour and just don't.

#GrrrindDontStop


The Bicep-tennial Man

Most likely in compression tights worn under basketball shorts -- with matching neoprene knee support from "the time I got injured playing basketball" (not always true). Uses this as an excuse to only work on arms... every. single. day. Has a back wider than a football field but calves so thin that it makes you wonder how they can support his upper body weight.
Does bicep curls in the squat rack. Doesn't care if you throw him mad shade for that.
Never squats, only uses the leg press machine usually with a spotter. Makes you wonder how he can use 100-pound dumbbells with no effort (but oftentimes bad form), but wusses out whenever it's leg day.
Johnny Bravo is his spirit animal.
#BeastMode #ExceptWhenItsLegDay

The Roid Head

With bulging veins and a chest that appears to have double E boob implants, he is the quintessential "body builder stereotype." If you're wondering if he's doping then he most likely is.
Often wears tiny cotton singlets that barely covers his pecs (just enough fabric to cover the nipples). Falls into two types:
- Those who are open about using might even sing praises of the latest tren/clen cocktail they're on.
- Those who aren't will claim "Nah, I just drink a lot of whey bro" or "Must be the creatine pump."
The real life version of Steve Rogers/Captain America (watch the origin movie where they basically give Scrawny Steve some pretty potent roids to turn into a superhero).
#NattyOrNot


BONUS:

The Project-X Party Crashers

My ultimate favourite. Most likely found in a herd, these guys come into the gym for an hour or two and absolutely tear the place apart. They hoard all the weights and never put them back, play loud Swedish House Mafia/EDM/DIY-Virtual-DJ music on their own portable speakers, and even borrow your bench with the promise of "let's alternate each set, bro" but never leave.
The minute they're gone, it's as if a hurricane destroyed the gym: dumbbells and plates everywhere, the benches not where they usually are, and remnants of whatever pre-workout/chalk/post-workout pizza they shared can be found everywhere.
#FitFam


If you're reading this and you find that any of these apply to you: stop. Don't be that guy.

Kidding aside, it's easy to fall into any one of these stereotypes, whether you're a bro or babe, and there's nothing wrong with that.
What's important is to come into the gym with a fuelled with drive and a good attitude, and to treat everyone (and the equipment) with respect.

*This post is all in good fun. No gym bros were harmed in the making of this post.
**Seriously though, please don't get offended bro.

Polarity Physiotherapy Center

As I progress further with my powerlifting training, strength gainz also mean that I now carry way heavier loads compared to the weights I used when I was in a high-volume bodybuilding program --  although this is a great thing, this also meant that all that added weight is extra taxing for my body and can cause muscle soreness and tightness.

After a heavy deadlifting + back accessories day, I woke up with my back feeling intensely sore. At first, I thought it was just the average post workout soreness but the pain actually wrecked my training that whole week; I even took 2 days off as an attempt to recover. But as the pain still remained the next week (although, I think I just got used to it), I decided to finally go to a good physiotherapy clinic for a much needed recovery session.

With recommendations from my other lifter friends, I headed to Polarity Physiotherapy Center right after last Monday's deadlift session. Since I trained at Zest Power Gym that day, I had no excuse since Polarity was pretty near the area. After a quick call to book an appointment, I was on my way to a pain-free back.

Mysofascial release

At the self-assessment at the consultation room (before you're actually treated) Polarity makes you cross-off the body parts which you feel most pain and they ask about what the main reason of your visit is, what sport you train, and when the pain started. 

Afterwards, your PT comes in for a quick chat, still at the consultation room, asks more about your sport/pain and proceeds to explain what Polarity is all about. My PT noted that Polarity uses manual mysofascial release to alleviate muscle tightness. This is similar to the use of a foam roller or lacrosse ball, except these licensed physiotherapists use their extensive knowledge & their hands to manually "release" your muscles.

I was escorted to the therapy room, which is has a bed, similar to what you would see at your average massage spa -- but don't be fooled, physio feels nothing like a massage. There's even a warning card on the bed which states that it's normal to feel a bit of soreness and have bruising the next day. As painful as the session was (since they work on your pressure points), it was well worth it. 

In one session, I was able to address my back issue (caused by a slight issue with my deadlift form), as well as work on my tight right hip flexor (from running 10k's without proper stretching) and right shoulder pain (from shoulder-isolated bodybuilding workouts). 

My PT even recommended easy ways to make sure I don't stress those problem areas on my body, such as your basic pre-workout dynamic stretching and post-workout static stretching, and even noted which specific workouts I did that were a little too taxing for certain body parts (such as front and lateral raises for my sh

Polarity Physiotherapy Center

Address: 47 Examiner, Brgy. West Triangle, Lungsod Quezon, 1104 Kalakhang Maynila

Phone: (02) 799 2700

Vegan Treats: Hacks for the lazy baker

Landmark Department Store's kitchen supplies section was on sale last week (not sure if the sale is ongoing up until now though) and I chanced upon some mini cake moulds which are perfect for portion-controlled, single-serving desserts. 

Today, I woke up with a sweet tooth and decided to put my new tools to good use with some vegan sweet treats for a healthy snack. Since I was feeling lazy and didn't want to make use of a recipe, I used my simple blend of Bob's Red Mill Low Carb Baking Mix and their Soy Flour as a base, and adjusted the "recipe" of the cakes for flavour variations.

These cakes are loaded with "clean" non-refined, non-processed sugars a bit of protein, and some amazing and energizing carbs. 

Dutch chocolate banana cake

A simple chocolate cake which I topped with shredded coconut, pumpkin seeds, and crushed cashews. I needed a boost of flavour and sweetness so I added a dash of vanilla extract and a few chocolate chips. Dutch chocolate makes the cake a darker Oreo-like colour instead of a lighter brown milk chocolate look.

Oatmeal-banana cake with shredded coconut and coconut cream

Oatmeal and bananas are a no-brainer when it comes to flavour pairings because they go extremely well together. For this cake, I used a mix of oat bran (more protein), old-fashioned rolled oats, and quick cooking steel cut oats. Coconut cream and shredded coconut add creaminess and a more "asian" taste.

For both cakes, I used half a banana and a teaspoon of chia seeds (soaked in just enough warm water for a few minutes) to replace the use of eggs. Bananas add the right touch of sweetness, and chia seeds add more protein. Instead of butter, I used coconut oil cooking spray to coat the baking pans, and a few drops of extra virgin coconut oil added to the batter. 

Both are also drizzled with Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter -- vegan and seriously the best nut butter in the whole world. 

Here are some basic and easy to find vegan baking substitutes 

for your everyday lazy baker:

Substitute for egg/binding agent: 

• banana

• chia seeds

• flaxmeal

Substitute for cream/how to make your recipe creamier: 

• coconut cream

• almond butter (any vegan nut butters)

• powdered peanut butter

The best thing about vegan baking (since there's no egg) is that you can eat the batter raw! Happy baking!

Upgrade your homemade dish: plate your meals to make a difference

Oftentimes I hear that "vegetables are boring" and that homemade meals can't compare to eating out. I'm here to show you that healthy, local, and home cooked is not at all a bad thing!

Assembled well, your homemade dishes can even appear restaurant quality! This dish is 100% plant based and locally sourced, making it not only good for you, but also beneficial for our local farmers and agriculture. 

I had leftover carrot and squash puree in the fridge, which to be honest is a pretty monotonous dish on its own, but with the help of some grilled vegetables I had leftover from lunch, I was able to whip up an excellent dinner in less than 10 minutes.

No fancy cooking techniques or plating styles here, just vegetables assembled well and seasoned in simple salt, pepper, a bit of spanish paprika, and a drizzle of truffle oil.

This meal goes well with a siding of rice with truffle oil and salt, something I discovered lately which can honestly be a meal on its own!

What you need:

Carrot & squash puree

Cherry tomatoes

Eggplants

Button mushrooms

Radishes

Corn

Truffle oil

A simple dish plated well makes a whole lot of difference, doesn't it?

Smoothie Bowl ver. 2

Started this morning off with another colourful smoothie bowl! This time, I decided to be more fun and decorate it with a ring of bananas, and a sprinkle of, well, sprinkles as well as chocolate chips. Finished it off with a drizzle of Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter and ended up with not only a colourful and nutritious bowl, it helped my sweet tooth cravings as well!

Flavour profile of this bowl was more on the tart side, with the sweetness of coconut cream and coconut peanut butter, as well as the bananas to offset the sourness. The hints of chocolate chips added a great balance with the berries.

Dragonfruit

Banana

Mixed frozen berries

Coconut cream

Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter

Puffed brown rice cereal

Granola

Chocolate chips

Sprinkles

Have I convinced you to try making your own smoothie bowl yet?

Review: Green Pastures Veggie Lasagna

This Green Pastures Ultimate F2T Lasagna is vegetarian (meatless), with 3 types of cheese, and has a carrot puree base with mushrooms.

Review

Positives:

For a meatless alternative, this was a big hit! It didn't have a "healthy" taste (meaning, it didn't taste like healthy food pretending to be edible), and for me, it was actually better than normal lasagna. The taste in itself is heavenly, to say the least.

This is also great for those of us with hyperacidity issues as the base isn't tomato sauce, and the carrot puree was creamy and smooth. The carrot puree's flavour is also amazing since it balances out how cheesy the lasagna is. 

Negatives:

Although I'd be pretty biased to say that I loved this dish, it was a little on the heavy side (three cheeses?) and it took me two days to finish it because...

When I ordered it at the restaurant, the dish actually took forever to be served, and I'm not exaggerating. All the other food we ordered were served and eaten, and even after all that, we still had to wait for it for a few more minutes. And when it was finally, finally served, I was full from all the sweet potato fries I'd been munching on, which meant I only got to eat less than a quarter of the dish in the restaurant and packed up the rest in a doggie bag for breakfast next morning.

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All in all, this was a great dish! It wasn't light, but it was filling and very nutrient dense. The flavours are great and the dish somehow feels independent, it felt like it had its own flavours, not a copycat try-hard lasagna.

8/10 from me, only because it takes forever to cook and is a little too heavy for a single serving; great for sharing though!

Try it for yourself to find out!

Green Pastures
Branches: 
  • Level 4 Shangri-La East Wing, Mandaluyong
  • G/F Net Park Bldg, between 4th and 5th Ave, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
  • 3 floor Eastwood mall, Libis, Quezon City 
FB: facebook.com/greenpasturesresto/
IG: instagram.com/greenpasturesph/

Breakfast smoothie bowl: add colour to your day

Bright magenta vegan smoothie bowl

I often see photos of colourful Acai or smoothie bowls trending all over Instagram. They're pretty easy to make, plus they're really Instagram-worthy as they look a little too good to eat! (Just look at those colours!)

The thing is, Acai isn't a fruit that is common to the Philippines, and although they are available in powdered form, fresh local fruit is a lot better since it even helps local farmers. These bright magenta dragonfruits (also known as pitaya) were plucked fresh and given by our wonderful neighbors. Organic, local, nutritious, and they add an amazing bright colour to your smoothie bowls!

What you need:

Smoothie base

• Dragonfruit 

• Apple

• Ice

• Coconut milk/cream

Toppings

• Banana

• Lychees

• Frozen berries: 

blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, 

blackcurrants, and redcurrants

• Cereal & granola

The best thing about smoothie bowls is that you can customize the fruits to your own liking (and macro/micro needs)! Using fresh, local fruits that are in season can even keep you in budget and benefit local farmers and local agriculture. If you have any overripe fruits lying around, the added sweetness makes them a great addition to the smoothie base. By the way, for all my vegan friends, this is a vegan recipe and is something easy to vegan-ize!

Personally, I like topping my smoothie bowl with cereal and granola for added crunch; I read somewhere that eating crunchy food helps signal satiety to your brain!

Note: Adding banana to your smoothie base adds a boost of sweetness and creaminess to the blend; I just prefer to have it in solid form as an average banana is around 100kcal.

Happy blending, and make sure you take a nice 

hipster-millenial-aerial-flatlay-shot for your Instagram! 😜

Plant-based recipe: Barbecue Jackfruit Sandwich

After coming across a video on Bosh, similar to the popular cooking video site Tasty (except they feature vegan recipes), I was inspired to recreate this meal, as jackfruit or langka is an affordable, easily purchased ingredient in the Philippines.

So while I was roaming the market in Bulacan, I made sure to grab some fresh jackfruit just to try out this recipe!

BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Burger

Posted by Bosh on Wednesday, June 22, 2016

What you need:

Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich

Jackfruit

Barbecue sauce (I used Mrs. Dash salt-free to control my sodium intake)

Spices: pepper, himalayan salt, onion powder

Sourdough bread* 

"Coleslaw"

Cabbage

Kewpie roasted sesame dressing

Optional

Balsamic vinegar & extra virgin olive oil (add truffle oil if you have some)

Button mushrooms

Onions

* For consistency/storage, I keep my sourdough in the freezer, making it last longer and be soft enough when toasted. I get my sourdough from Dean & Deluca Rockwell.

Method:

• Pull apart the jackfruit, or slice in shreds. It would be best if the jackfruit isn't too ripe and sweet.

• Marinade the jackfruit in the barbecue sauce and spices, cook in pan until the barbecue sauce caramelizes.

• Toast bread.

• For "coleslaw," shred cabbage, and add dressing.

• Saute mushrooms and onions.

• Assemble the sandwich by layering mushrooms, coleslaw, and pulled jackfruit barbecue.

And there you have it: as simple as that, and takes less than 30 minutes to whip the whole meal up! It's extremely filling, flavour balanced (coleslaw offsets the sweetness of the jackfruit and barbecue sauce), and nutritious! 

Who said vegetarian meals are boring?

Making a change: Going (more) plant-based

A few weeks ago, I made a choice to move towards a more plant-based, whole food lifestyle. 

As a formerly purely clean eater (with a "flexitarian" diet of fruits, veggies, chicken breast & salmon, and almost zero oil/spices), when I tried out flexible dieting, incorporating "junk" or processed food into my diet, it threw my body out of whack. This resulted in random post-eating episodes of extreme bloating (not the typical "I feel fat" bloat; more of a six-months-preggo belly) coupled with intense stomach cramps/pain. After seeing some doctors, and even lately an allergist, the hunch that I had all along could be true: I was quite possibly intolerant to some food/food groups.

Although I can't exactly pinpoint the cause of these episodes, I've noticed that meat, especially red meat, seems to upset my system. So lately, I've been dialing back on processed food and meat, and cooking with fresh market-bought produce. 

For breakfast, snacks, and other sweet treats, it's pretty easy to come up with food ideas but for savoury dishes, I find it much harder to find filling and flavourful food that's actually satisfying enough to count as a meal. (Veggies can be tricky sometimes!)

Note: This doesn't mean I'm going fully vegan/vegetarian as my doctor suggested against those for now (too much veggies/beans would build up too much gas and add to the bloating problem), so I'm meeting a happy medium with trying to make pescetarian choices, with occasional meat. This is only temporary though, for now, as ultimately, I want a healthy lifestyle that is actually sustainable for me.

I'll be posting a bunch of meal ideas and recipes soon, watch out for those! 

Low Carb Burritos

As a big fan of Latin food (Mexican, Colombian, Brazilian, etc), I'm not one to easily turn down a burrito or soft shell taco. However, the problem with most burritos or tacos is that they're loaded with carbs, fat, and sodium (here's looking at you, Taco Bell), and although for flexible dieters there's nothing wrong with that -- as long as it fits your macros -- if you're on poverty macros/calorie deficit mode, you're gonna need to make some cuts. 

But, as I always advocate, cutting back calories doesn't mean you have to cut back on flavour; and today, after coming across a recipe for low cal crepes, I had the sudden urge to hack the usual burrito wrap!

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1.) Wrap

       - Since the wrap is the most carb-loaded part of the burrito (sometimes even beyond 10g carb), I hacked it by simplifying the ingredients. All it takes is a medium sized nonstick pan (sprayed with coconut oil cooking spray), 2/3-1 cup egg whites, onion powder, and around 1tbsp Bob's Red Mill low carb baking mix and 1tsp soy flour. Cook both sides like you would a pancake and you end up with a low carb, high protein wrap.

2.) Chicken & Veggie Filling

      - Using the same nonstick pan, I cooked chicken breast cut into chunks, seasoned with onion powder, chili powder, Spanish paprika, and Mrs. Dash Taco Seasoning (no salt). In the same pan, I tossed in some easy to cook vegetables, such as (thawed) frozen baby carrots & romanesco broccoli, cabbage, and tomatoes. For an added kick, I squeezed some calamansi (PH local lime).

The seasonings make a world of a difference, making the filling have that Mexican/South American (correct me if I'm wrong), compared to bland chicken and veggie "bro food."

3.) Salsa

      - Most salsas are really low calorie at 10-15kcal for a 2tbsp serving size -- this makes it an excellent dip/sauce that adds a ton of kick-ass flavour to your dishes

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After letting the wraps/filling cool down, I assembled the burrito, complete with a spoonful of salsa.

I actually tried eating it as a wrapped burrito but since I lack proper tuck-and-roll skills, the whole thing became kinda messy to eat at first (and not-so aesthetically pleasing).

Actually ended up with a 2 serving portion but halfway through the first burrito, I was actually quite full already.

This is perfect for a pre/post workout meal since all the right proteins are there and it's a pretty lean meal as well (chicken breast, no fat; salsa, no fat; egg whites for the roll, no fat). 

For a soft-shell taco variation, you can just make the wraps smaller. For egg rolls, just add more egg whites and season the filling with soy sauce & rice vinegar.

See, sometimes compromise can be good! 

Vegetarian Cauliflower Crust Pizza (Version 1)

I've been on a mission attempting to move towards being a lacto-ovo vegetarian or at least a pescetarian, restricting my consumption of red meats (personal/health preference, I'm not advocating this for everyone). Personally, I find that clean eating (of home-cooked, flavourful food) is easier to sustain compared to meticulous macro counting, as consciously consuming more vegetables (being aware of the starchy ones) keeps your calories low yet keeps your palate still satisfied. 

I've seen countless recipes on cauliflower crust pizza online, mainly ones that involve just cauliflower and egg, and personally, I like my crust more dough-y, as my favourite restaurant pizza actually involves a sourdough crust (which I'll try to attempt to recreate in the future).

After picking up a few packets of active dry yeast from Healthy Options, I became curious on how to incorporate this to cauliflower crust pizza, but still using low carb flour.

For a homemade pizza, I had to create the 3 main components: the crust, the pizza sauce, and the toppings.

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Cauliflower Crust:

First, I activated a packet of Red Star active dry yeast in a mason jar, adding it to 1/4 cup warm water, then 1/2 tsp sugar (I only had brown), covered with a clean kitchen towel. I let it rise/activate(?) for around 10 minutes.

Then, add to:

• 2/3 low carb baking mix, 1/3 soy flour ratio

Set aside to let it rise

• 1-2 florets cauliflower

Using a food processor, blitz until it turns to rice-like consistency

Add a pinch of salt to bring out the water

Place the ground cauliflower in a cheesecloth (or in my case a clean, smooth towel)

Proceed to wring out all the water content, or else your crust won't form properly and will get all soggy

Add:

• 1 egg

• pinch salt

• herb seasoning (himalayan pink salt, pepper, onion powder, Mrs Dash's onion & herb, basil, etc as you please)

Add to dough

Let it rise for around 20-30 mins depends on how it looks

Cooked on a nonstick round cake pan, covered in parchment baking paper, brushed with olive oil/truffle oil

For 20 mins, 180 degrees C

Let cool a bit, add grated emmental-parmasean cheese, then pizza sauce, toppings, another layer of cheese, and bake again for 5-10 mins

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Pizza Sauce:

• 6 ripe tomatoes, seeds removed

• 1/4 red pepper

Puree until liquid consistency

Cook on low heat until excess water evaporates 

Add spanish paprika and chili powder to further redden the sauce

Add finely diced sundried tomatoes for flavour

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Toppings:

• shiitake mushrooms

• tomatoes

• zucchini

Grilled/pan seared, no moisture (or else it will make the crust soggy)

*Basically used available vegetables I had

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Customize it to your liking and you end up with a healthier version for your regular pizza!