My Casall

Speaking About Spikes

2009-10-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

The recent buzz around the spike mat forced me to try it out myself. This spiny object was obviously more than welcome into the Swedish home, which is the conclusion I make from reading all those colourful comments about its miraculous effects on the net lately: “the best invention since the wheel”, “the best thing that ever happened to me”, “I would really recommend this mat to anyone”. It seems like a product couldn’t get any better response than this in a new market, where sales have drastically risen since the first introduction of the mat.

What’s the entire buzz about? I borrowed one from the Casall office, tried it for two days, got home from work, took a shower and put on some nice, soft linen clothes and finally lay down. The instructions were the simplest; lie on the mat for 10-20 minutes. You can choose whatever position suits you best, either on your back or on your front depending on what muscles you want to stimulate. You can also choose whether to lie directly on it, or with some soft cloth between the skin and the spikes to adjust the level of intensity.

The spike mat has a history that stretches back thousands of years in time. There are ancient Chinese writings telling us about the use of spikes or needles for treatments of the body and the psyche, and yoga freaks have referred to the use of spikes for a long time now. My grandfather use to always walk on these slippers with spikes and scratch his back every night with a spiky back scratcher. I never understood but it was fun to play with when I was younger.

Apparently, the spike mat isn’t a miraculous invention of our times, but for some reason it really became a hit, especially in Sweden, this year. Some dramatic, high-impact trends you just can’t explain the reasons for, simply everyone just seems to be in desperate need of a spike mat at the moment...the TIPPING point!

So, I lay down on this spiny thing for about 20 minutes. It’s hard to give an objective description of its effects, because I heavily believe in placebo effects, i.e. I feel what I believe myself to feel after all those great things I’ve heard about its great effects…yeah, you get the point. Anyways, first I didn’t feel that much, but after a couple of minutes I felt a wave of relaxation passing through my body. Placebo or not – doesn’t really matter. The only thing that actually matters is the fact that I liked it.

It is not scientifically proven that this mat would cure diseases, so if this is your one and only reason for getting one, please don’t believe in what they tell you. There’s no magic involved, more than the spikes stimulating your nerve endings and the production of our harmony hormone oxytocin. This hormone is produced when we have a nice massage, take a warm bath, listen to the music we like, etc. and it has the magical effect of making us relax. Synonymously, our intrinsic stress factor is reduced. So, speaking about magical spikes, why miss a nice and relatively cheap opportunity to quickly relax after a stressful day, force your muscles to calm down and have a few minutes only for yourself and your thoughts.

I wouldn’t say this is a revolutionary thing, and I still believe the wheel did more to humanity than this spike mat. However, I like it and will definitely get one myself.

Super Foods for a Super You: Part V of V: Algea

2009-10-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

This blog post on algae will end my blog series on Super Foods. I hope you have appreciated this blog series, which was aimed at bringing you some new insights, or just reminding you of why and how you could eat healthier.

Algae are non-plant living organisms, found to be a good source of nutrients way back in time: Spanish explorers in South America learnt that the Aztec harvested blue-green algae from fresh water lakes and that’s how algae was first recognized as a living food.

Spirulina is commercially known as a human and animal dietary supplement as well as a whole food within the group of algae. It can be purchased in flake, tablet, and powder form. What makes it such a good dietary supplement is especially the high protein content, between 56-77% by dry weight, making it a complete protein containing almost all essential amino acids. Compared to the optimal protein-carriers such as meat, milk, and eggs, Spirulina lacks a couple of the essential amino acids (for your knowledge I’m referring to cysteine, lysine, and methionine) but in terms of being a plant protein it is a real superior protein source. Compared to other protein sources in general, algae carry a main health benefit in the sense that they are low in fat and high in fiber. Their high chlorophyll and phytochemical content make them effective antioxidants primarily preventing cell damage.

Apart from its protein, Spirulina is also a good carrier of several vital minerals including:

Potassium (good for your muscles and nervous system; also found in broccoli, potatoes, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, and bananas)
Calcium (vital for building strong bones; also found in milk and other dairy products such as yoghurt and cheese)
Magnesium (for muscles and the nervous system especially; also found in whole grain breads, nuts, and seeds, potatoes, beans, avocados, kiwi, and chocolate)
Zink (for strong immunity and wound healing among others; also found in red meat, poultry, oysters and other seafood, whole grains and dairy products)
Iron (helps in the transportation of oxygen in the blood; also found in red meat, pork, poultry, beans, fish and shellfish, soy foods, and green leafy vegetables)
Phosphorus (vital for healthy bones and teeth; also found in dairy foods, fish, and meat)

Also, the nutritional value of algae in general is found in its content of omega-3. Even small amounts of this substance, also derived from fish oil, can help lower blood pressure.

E3Live is a dietary supplement using phytoplankton. It’s a liquid form of pure, nutritional blue-green algae. It has been shown to be a powerful nutritional supplement with a wide range of benefits, ranging from appetite maintenance, to regular digestion, to slow down the ageing process. It should be kept in frozen form until ingested to keep its nutritional value intact. I think the company actually goes to the bottom of the ocean with a submarine, freezes the miracle food and brings it to the surface. I recently started taking it in the morning after the recommendation from a dear girlfriend and have to admit, it’s fantastic! I haven’t figured out how to travel with it yet...

Eating algae has another important effect, apart from the effect on personal health, namely that on the environment: the high yield per acre of land and water used in the algae harvesting is undoubtedly an ecological aspect worth mentioning. In this way, algae could be discussed in terms of its role as a food for the future.

Super Foods for a Super You: Part IV of V: Good Bacteria

2009-10-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

This fourth part of my series on Super Foods for a Super You will deal with what is known as good bacteria or probiotics found in yoghurt as well as different dietary supplements that promote the digestion of foods in your body. I will here try to explain both the chemical role of incorporating good bacteria into your diet, as well as give a few personal tips on how you could promote a healthy bacterial flora in your body.

What is meant by good bacteria, or the so called probiotics? Probiotics, which means “for life”, is the beneficial bacteria already found in the human gut. The good bacteria play the crucial role of fighting the bad bacteria that enter our bodies through the digestive system as we are eating and drinking during the day. The types of bacteria in our bodies vary greatly, but simply we can say that good bacteria work to keep the bad bacteria at bay. In the long run this could mean prevention of inflammations and diseases such as Crohn’s disease, arthritis, and maybe even certain types of cancer. Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria are the most common types of microbes used as probiotics. Both are found in the gastrointestinal tract as well as in the vagina, and make up a significant part of the human gut flora. Live cultures of lacto bacilli in yoghurt will not remain in your digestive tract unless you continue eating yoghurt regularly on a daily basis.

Apart from eating yoghurt with live culture of these bacteria, kefir makes up another good alternative. This is a fermented dairy drink which is sold with a variety of tastes, an absolute ideal source of probiotics – even for the lactose-intolerant person! Kefir is a lactose-free yoghurt which makes it optimal for anyone who wishes to include good bacteria in his or her diet. Kefir is also an energy booster and health promoter in the sense that it contains many nutritional elements (vitamins and minerals) such as calcium and magnesium, phosphorus, folic acid, B and K vitamins. Because there are naturally occurring sugars in kefir, this dairy product further supports and assists in the regulation of blood sugar in our bodies. In fact, just a few spoons per day could result in significant differences in blood sugar levels.

Thus, by eating the right products on a daily basis it is possible to affect the gut flora of bacteria in your body. Promoting an optimal bacterial flora is furthermore synonym with boosting your immune system and digestion process, and it involves a consideration of both prebiotics and probiotics in your daily diet. Prebiotics, as separated from probiotics, are the non-digestible food ingredients that stimulate the growth and activity of bacteria in the digestive system. Well-known, popular dietary sources of prebiotics include: soybeans, raw oats, unrefined barley or wheat, beans, seeds, spices, tea, vegetables, and nuts for instance. They are usually consisting of carbohydrates like oligosaccharides naturally found in fruits and whole grains. Also, many prebiotic oligosaccharides are increasingly added to foods for the sake of their health benefits: fructooligosaccharides, xylooligosaccharides, polydextrose, and galactooligosacchardies.

Be friendly with yourself and your body. Through your diet you have every possibility to create a healthy and balanced environment within yourself that will have significant effects on your well-being, both on an everyday life basis as well as throughout your life.

Positivity Journal

2009-09-29T05:15:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a positivity journal today. I used to keep a dairy (with a lock on it of course!) for 4 years throughout my high school years when I used to write everything from my hopes and dreams to boys, my summer loves and bad dates...girl friends, silly fights, sad days, etc. I was listening to a Soul Series that Oprah did on her XM radio last night and how she recently started a positivity journal and it's helped her tremendously to live in the present and manifest positivity. Ever since the books "The Secret" and Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now" and "A New Earth" were published, the world seem to be awakened to a new enlightened way of thinking. I have been reading quite a few things on this topic and it's really been such an exciting journey! While I was taking a power walk around Djurgarden today during lunch time, I made my decision: I will be writing down five positive things in my life each day...it's private of course! (the picture is from my friend and the super brilliant Gilles Bensimon)

Super Foods for a Super You: Feeling Hungry? Natural Appetite Suppressants Part III of V

2009-09-22T03:37:00.001-07:00

With all this buzz around appetite suppressants including a new lip gloss I tried call “Huge Lips Skinny Hips” (yes there is a lip gloss out there that claims to plump your lips and suppress your appetite to help you get skinny hips!), I decided to do some investigation!

Why natural appetite suppressants?

- To reduce cravings and emergency hunger without adding more calories

- A natural way to control your appetite

- To help you cut out snacking and sudden sweet tooth cravings

How do you suppress that sudden emergency hunger and craving for food without adding more calories? Is it even possible? Yes, definitely it is, with the aid from natural appetite suppressants. Divided into two major groups, food supplements and whole foods, these foods can help you regulate problematic appetite swings during the day and keep you on track still. Important to know is that a sudden feeling of hunger is usually not of such immediate emergency as you think in the first place. More important though; don’t move into that ridiculous habit of starvation, it won’t do you good on a long-term basis, and it might even result in you gaining weight instead – starving makes your body want to protect your fat stores and hence slow down the process of burning fat. Keep a diet based on variety, and turn to the natural appetite killers when the immediate need for something to chew on appears. Also remember that regular exercising and workouts is an excellent habit to keep your appetite low. An active lifestyle will help you from overestimating your hunger.

The benefits of such natural appetite suppressants are more than merely reducing your desire to eat. In the long run this means an improvement of one’s health in terms of reducing the risk of heart disease, helping to lower blood sugar levels and thus risks of diabetes, also improving the digestive system and the immune system, increasing your energy and thus promoting a healthy lifestyle.

The choice between turning to supplements or whole foods is personal. Two well-known supplements are the Hoodia Gordonii and whey protein. The former is a cactus-like plant, which has been used by hunting men in South Africa for centuries. Only a small piece is needed to prepare for long hunting hours, the story tells. Hoodia cannot be found as a raw food, but can be purchased in the form of Hoodia pills.

Whey protein provides your body with many essential amino acids, often used by athletes to repair and build muscles after heavy workouts. They are made from natural whey which is a complete protein, i.e. including the maximum amount of amino acids. You can find whey protein in the form of bars, concentrate, shakes, drinks, and powder depending on your preference and taste. I often get a shot added to my Jamba Juice in the morning after a tough workout!

In terms of whole foods as an appetite suppressant we might turn to high fiber foods such as whole grains (oatmeal preferably), beans, apples, salads, water-based soups, grapefruit, and fish. Usually it’s a matter of filling your stomach to get rid of that scream from the brain telling you to eat something quickly. Ways to keep your stomach full while drinking includes primarily green tea, water, and lemon juice, only to name a few. Drinking water is probably the cheapest way to suppress hunger. Drink frequently during the day and this will help to curb those immediate attacks of hunger in a natural way. It’s a well-known fact that hunger and thirst go hand in hand, implying that your brain believes you are hungry instead of thirsty. Some recommend a glass of water before each meal; this will naturally reduce your appetite.

Green tea is my personal favourite. You can drink it both before and after a meal. Matcha powders tea is what I usually have for that energy boost! Preferably you should skip the milk to cut down further calorie intake, or you might substitute with low-fat milk. Plus adding milk to a nice cup of loose leaf Chinese green tea is committing a serious sin! My new favourite team spot in London is called Yumchaa . A visit there reminds me of my MIT days sipping tea at TeaLuxe on Newbury Street during the cold months of New England! I have yet to find a nice tea shop in Stockholm, please do share if you have suggestions!

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, and all forms of lettuce are great appetite suppressants in their natural form. They are extremely low in calories and a great source of fiber. There’s a saying that these vegetables works as “negative calories” in the sense that the digestion requires more calories than the actual calorie content of these vegetables.

Apples. They only contain about 100 calories each, brings you those good fibers, and are definitely low in carbs. They are a good snack instead of those calorie traps you might fall into by eating candy bars, cookies, or potato chips. Also, eating an apple means chewing, chewing takes time and hence signals to your brain that you are in fact eating. It takes 20 minutes for the brain to realize satisfaction after a meal, so the longer it takes to eat the better it is and you will never feel too full.

Natural food suppressants generally help you regulate and control your appetite during the day. They save you from falling into sudden traps, when you feel like you’re losing the grip, you can’t think, you’re so intensely hungry. Usually it’s about routine, habit, and a little manipulation of the brain. Just give it a try – have some of the foods or beverages mentioned here next time when you’re considering a fast chocolate bar or candy bag. Natural appetite control foods and beverages make your brain think your stomach is full, when in fact you haven’t added any significant amount of calories at all.

For your reference and knowledge, let’s compare the effects on hunger and calorie intake between a cup of cashews and a cup of cabbage. Regardless of which one you choose to eat the hungry feeling will go away after a couple of minutes. What is important here though is the calorie content involved in achieving this feeling of satisfaction: cabbage carries approximately 20 calories versus cashews which contain up to 900-1000 calories. Huge difference!

Super Foods for a Super You: Part II of V: Super Berries

2009-09-02T13:43:00.000-07:00

I have a wonderful little routine. I love those small energizing meals that make you feel fantastic, put you back on track when you believe you’re about to loose focus, or just simply have the effect of making you a happier person. My Casall colleagues probably think I’m a little freak of blueberries and well…yeah, they’re so right. My morning booster consists of a wonderful mix of Kesella Lätt (it’s the new cottage cheese: only 75 calories with 13 g of protein, found only in Sweden I believe. I was introduced to it by my fabulous Swedish PT, Magnus), those big fresh blueberries you buy in a little plastic box from Coop, and a spoon of Ezekial cereal and a sprinkle of Salba (make sure to read Super Grains, Part I just below). Or I could equally well just delve into that little box of blueberries without any additives – I love them in their pure, natural form and I just can’t get enough of them!

What’s more, you can eat as much as you want. No limits, no bad feelings. Small nutritional powerhouses are what they are, invaluable to my spirit and health – both for the quick, short-term good feeling as well as for the long-term healthy me. Research supports the fact that berries are among the fruits highest in antioxidants. The antioxidant buzz has been huge recently; still many people seem unable to explain why in fact we should eat them. Why are they such a good friend of our bodies?

Super berries, including blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, goji berries, acai, pomegranate, camu, lucuma, mulberries, and many more, carry a high content of antioxidants. Apart from this, they are also a rich source of minerals, vitamins, and fibers – however, my focus here will be on the important feature of antioxidants in their role as health promoters long-term. Low in fat, good for your cholesterol levels, and low in carbs and calories, these small miracles of nature definitely gives you more than their size or appearance would suggest. Just to give you a quick understanding of their nutritional value: one cup of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries gives you more than the recommended amount of Vitamin C for a whole day. So besides the delicious taste, eating berries is one of the best long-term nutritional investments you could probably do.

Antioxidants. These are substances that reduce oxidative damage such as those caused by the release of free radicals in the body. Shortly, antioxidants are chemical compounds of various minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and phytochemical antioxidants. There are hundreds of different types and versions; however they share a common capacity to reduce the oxidative damage to our cells and tissues. They hence help our bodies to counteract the natural oxidation that contributes to the ageing process and many chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, cardiovascular illnesses, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. So, this is where the so-called super berries, implied by the epithet itself, enter the stage: they bring you those important antioxidants in various degrees, and even small amounts are needed to cover the daily intake recommendation. I’ve understood many people rely on those food supplements in tablet form, and of course this is better than not ingesting any of those vital substances at all. However, this is not as effective as eating them in their pure, natural form, and me, personally, can’t see why it would be a difficult choice having the real berries instead of some artificial unattractive pills on your tongue.

Measuring the antioxidant capacity of foods involves using ORAC values. It stands for Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity and measures how well the antioxidants in the specific food neutralize free radicals. To get a clue about the antioxidant content of different foods, I’ve listed some of the super berries and some other foods for you to compare and understand what products are high in antioxidants and which are not. The ORAC value is expressed in the unit of micromoles per 100 grams servings, which is commonly used as a standard.

Gogi Berry 25,300 (seriously? Yeah..seriously)
Acai Berry 18 500 (obviously a true super berry)
Prunes 5 770
Raisins 2 830
Blueberries 2 400 (2x that of raw spinach)
Blackberries 2 036
Mulberries 2036
Cranberries 1 750
Strawberries 1 540 (2x that of broccoli florets)
Spinach 1 260
Red grapes 739
Salba 7000 (yes, not a berry but I can’t go off enough about this little miracle. Read Super Grains post below)

Goji berries, tops the list by a landslide! Recently it has become an extremely popular health beverage known as goji juice. However, eating the berries as they are in their pure form is both less expensive and probably a better health-carrier. Goji berries are commonly found in Chinese herbal stores, whereas the juice can be purchased through several channels, ranging from health food stores to online stores. In terms of its health benefits, goji berries have played a central role in traditional Chinese medicine, where they are eaten raw, soaked with tea or added to soups. Antioxidants are again one of the main reasons for ingesting this berry; this time we are particularly dealing with carotenoids, such as zeaxanthin. This type of antioxidant is involved in reducing the risk of age-related vision loss and blindness at a later stage in life.

Goji berries

Acai berries are super berries which have gained a lot of attention in discussions of dietary supplements for quite some time now. They can be found in many forms, including tablets, smoothies, drink powders, and whole fruits. Its nutritional value can be examined in terms of its importance to traditional populations in Brazil where acai berries have constituted more than 40% of total food intake per day. Acai berries carry the omega fatty acids that help to lower harmful cholesterol, while maintaining the beneficial one, giving it unusually similar characteristics to olive oil. Speaking about antioxidants, a popular reference is often made to red wine, “one glass per day…”. Listen and remember: acai is rich in antocyanins, which is one crucial antioxidant type that helps combating premature ageing, and acai berries do in fact carry 10-30 times more antocyanins than a glass of red wine does.

There are plenty of possibilities to mix the super berries with other ingredients to make awesome meals, breakfasts, etc. This is my friend’s recipe for a nice smoothie which I love to make for myself. It takes like 10 minutes to prepare and serves around 4 people:

1 cup of washed, chopped strawberres
1/2 cup washed, chopped blueberries
1 cup orange freshly squeezed juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup ginger piece (further adds to the antioxidant content)
Some mint leaves
1 tablespoon honey (only if the berries are sour)
2 pinches of black pepper

Of course, as in all other instances of picking the optimal parts of a healthy diet you should go for variety. Merely eating berries is definitely not a recommendation I would give; Hollywood rumours of a Victoria Beckham eating a cup of blueberries in the morning, some salad for lunch and an almost non-existent dinner is in no way in accordance with my recommendation of eating berries. Just to make it clear enough.

I shared a yummy Swedish blueberry pie with a Swedish friend the other night – awesome! Vanilla ice-cream works fine, but I’d rather go for the Vaniljvisp – fluffy, yummy, and light! I know most Swedes can do the blueberry pie by heart, but this standard recipe is for anyone who stands outside of that group:

Blueberry Pie

125 gram butter
225 gram sugar
1.5 tablespoon baking powder
140 gram flour
1 egg
200 gram blueberries

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Melt the butter and let it cool for a while. Beat egg and sugar until fluffy. Add the butter, and beat to incorporate. Add the flour and the baking powder, and stir until batter is uniform. Spread into a greased pie dish, and scatter the berries on top. Bake, low in the oven, for about an hour.

Enjoy!

Super Foods for a Super You, Part I of V

2009-08-17T01:57:00.000-07:00

My visit to the Ashram last year taught me one important lesson, consciously eat nutrient dense foods (have a look at my old blog post about me and my whole grains: http://mycasall.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html). Food should count and provide you the maximum nutrients with the minimum amount of calories. When your body has received the nutrients it needs, you are less hungry. I’m going to do a series of blogs on this subject. Here’s my outline so you know what to expect and I would suggest following this blog so you don’t miss these posts!

Part I: Super Grains
Part II: Super Berries
Part III: Natural Appetite Suppressants
Part IV: Good bacteria
Part V: Algea

Part I: Super Grains

I decided to investigate and compare and contrast my top three favourite super grains:

- Quinoa
- Ezekiel
- Salba

Why eat Super Grains? Rich in protein and fiber, low in fat, and an excellent source of energy – super grains can really change a lifestyle! They are a great source of the B complex vitamins which promotes a more efficient release of energy in the cells, also the high fiber content helps to slow down the release of glucose into the blood which stabilizes the energy level and makes you less exposed to booms and busts. Making a long story much shorter, super grains are undoubtedly a terrific treasury of nutrients and unbeatable substances that are just screaming for your attention!

Quinoa

Correctly pronounced, “keenwa”, this super grain type is a very good vegetarian source of protein, also rich in minerals, vitamin E and several of the B vitamins, and the essential fatty acids which are particularly crucial for a good-looking, healthy skin and hormone production. The preparation instructions are simple: cook the quinoa like ordinary rice, for approximately 15 minutes, and the small disk shaped seeds turn into a fluffy consistency with a delicious nut-like taste. Before cooking, the seeds should be rinsed thoroughly to eliminate the bitter taste of the saponin (a natural insect repellent usually found in the seed coat). Quinoa makes a lovely presentation, especially in combination with a variety of vegetables and seasonings to make terrific dishes, and they also make a good substitute to almost any other grain in any recipe. Vegetable or chicken stock can be used instead of water when boiling, adding flavour. Quinoa can in fact also be found and purchased as a dry product, like corn flakes, and hence serve as a high-protein, exceptional breakfast food when you mix it with almonds, berries, and honey.

A quick look into my refrigerator and I just run down to the supermarket to complement with a couple of ingredients: try this simple but oh-so-fresh quinoa salad!

2 dl quinoa

1 vegetable stock cube

Olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cucumber

3 tomatoes

1 small red onion

1 teaspoon mineral salt

black pepper
a bundle of parsley

2 cans of crayfish tails

Ezekial

I find it particularly interesting that the name of this super grain originates from the Bible, verse Ezekiel 4:9: “Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it…” The Holy Scripture gives us the recipe straight out!

Ezekiel whole grain products are organic and flourless with complete protein content. Sprouting the whole grains ensures that all the vital nutrients stored in the whole grains are released. With the right amount of water added to the organically grown grains crucial enzymes are activated causing the grain to sprout and become a living food. This sprouting process increases valuable nutrients including vitamin A, B, and C, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Furthermore, the sprouting treatment results in a lower carbohydrate and calorie content than what was originally in the grains.

There are several products of Ezekiel that might attract your taste. Have a look at http://www.foodforlife.com/our-products.html. For instance, there is this wonderful Ezekiel whole Grain cereal in Cinnamon Raisin – perfect with yoghurt and a great start of your day! Breads made from Ezekiel are also delicious, naturally flavourful and bursting with nutrients! It’s hard to imagine these products are so healthy to me and tastes so lovely at the same time. After you tried them you will definitely realize it’s possible to eat the stuff you love and still keep onto a lifestyle that promotes your well-being. The rich nutty flavour adds to a quicker feeling of satisfaction. Terrific- try it!

Salba

This odourless and flavourless seed belongs to one of the most nutritional packed foods in the world. Also, it happens to be the only food that holds a medical patent. Of course there are reasons for this, just have a quick look at its unbeatable characteristics:

The Salba seed carries...
- 6x the calcium of milk
- 3x more iron than spinach
- 2x the potassium of bananas
- 3x the antioxidant strength of blueberries
- 8x the omega 3 fatty acids of salmon
- 2.5x the vegetable protein of kidney beans
- 15x the magnesium of broccoli

Honestly, this is an explosion of nutrients. Could anything you put on your tongue do you any better? Fantastic. I hate the feeling of getting tired immediately after lunch – my energy level just drops like that. It’s the carbs’ fault. What makes the Salba seed so healthy is the fact that in combination with water, the seed gels up in your stomach and can be processed at a slower rate, and this eliminates the enervating effect after your meal. Try it out for a period of time and you’ll see that you have more energy to finish your running loop. So basically there are huge energy benefits from eating this super grain. In 2007, the Salba seed was awarded the alive award of excellence for its nutritional benefits. What’s more, the anti-ageing/beauty industry also seems to have acknowledged the positive effects of ingesting this little seed; Salba promotes your energy and vitality and in this sense “keeps you younger” so-to-say.

Keep it simple – just add a tablespoon of the Salba seed to your yoghurt in the morning. There are plenty of possibilities for the Sweet Tooth as well: the thickening effect of the Salba seed is similar to that of eggs so just replace the eggs for the Salba when baking your delicious brownies! Life’s too short to stay away from lovely sweet desserts, there’s no doubt about this, but why not make a smart choice when you’ve got the chance? There are almost no limits to how you may incorporate the Salba seed into your diet; just add it to soups, cereals, wraps, fruit dishes, pan cakes or salads and you will easily get access to this invaluable source of nutrients without making life more complex than it is.

From Heavy Finance to Passion for Fitness

2009-08-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

After a nostalgic chat with one of my dear friends from MIT the other day I thought I wanted to devote this week’s blog post to her. Meet Tingting Peng – a fascinating and lovely person who decided to start her own business after a few years in the intense finance industry. Iron Lotus is the name of her training concept and fitness philosophy, you can read more about it at www.ironlotusfitness.com. This is part of her story:

What were you doing before starting Iron Lotus?

I was working as a financial analyst with a US-based hedge fund, researching trade ideas for a Hong Kong-based portfolio manager. Prior to that, I spent half a year at a start-up hedge fund and two years as an investment banking analyst with Morgan Stanley.

What inspired you to start Iron Lotus? What’s your fitness philosophy?

The concept of Iron Lotus came from several directions. My fitness philosophy is that the most effective exercise program is one that consists of a balance between building strength, endurance and flexibility while doing something that you enjoy. I picked up yoga practice to destress from work and to complement my stretching regimen post running competitions and immediately felt an improvement in my overall health, endurance and was able to breathe easier especially during longer runs. From this experience, I saw a disconnection between the muscle building weight-based resistance training and machine-based cardio exercise at the gyms and the grace, agility, and mental clarity offered by a strong yoga practice. Iron Lotus Fitness aims to integrate all of these aspects of exercise on a strong foundation of body awareness introduced through yoga postures. Also, I am a huge fan of the outdoors and Hong Kong is actually a great place for people who enjoy being in nature, though most people I know rarely ever venture outside the city center, which is why I hold some of my classes outdoors. My ultimate inspiration is to be able to share my experiences and hope to offer anyone, who is looking for a change in his or her lifestyle, the tools and knowledge to live better, healthier and happier lives!

Goddess pose. "My fitness philosophy is that the most effective exercise program is one that consists of a balance between building strength, endurance, and flexibility while doing something that you enjoy."

So how does your MIT education help you with your new life?

Looking back on my MIT education, I think all of the late nights I spent studying really taught me the importance of staying motivated through difficult situations (all those exams, projects, deadlines, and papers...). The Management Science classes I took also taught me creative thinking in addition to strong quantitative skills. Starting Iron Lotus Fitness has thrown a variety of challenges my way daily, but I feel I am more than prepared to handle them because MIT's "fire hose" trained me to be a creative problem solver who's able to succeed under pressure. Those tough classes at MIT taught me not to be scared of failure, so I am really approaching growing the Iron Lotus business with the same energy and passion that got me through the Institute.

"Those tough classes at MIT really taught me not to be scared of failure"

What about food? From what I recall, you used to eat lots of junk food when we were in college. How do you eat now?

Yes, I definitely went through my Freshmen 15 phase. But these days, after working in finance the last few years, I have learned the importance of a balanced diet to my overall health and energy levels. I eat three regular meals everyday, starting with a power breakfast (fibrous cereals, multigrain breads, with yogurt, and fruit smoothies infused with whey protein), followed by a satisfying lunch (fish or a little meat, vegetables and some carbs), then a light dinner (usually vegetables and some soup). I also snack throughout the day, carry healthy nuts (walnuts/almonds) with me when I'm on the go, eat apples or bananas between workouts and meals for energy, and stick to one coffee per day.

Do you have a favorite superfood?

I love bananas for a quick energy pick-me-up and also walnuts for muscle recovery after working out.

Did you recently do a triathlon? How was it? What advice do you have for someone who’s thinking of doing it?

I did a triathlon last November; it was an amazing experience and so much fun! Not only was it a physical challenge, having to train all three disciplines (swimming, cycling and running), but it was also a huge mental challenge, pacing myself, believing in myself to maintain stamina and endurance, and getting over the hump of wanting to give up when there was some pain. I trained and competed with a few girl friends, which I would recommend to anyone who's thinking of doing a triathlon, because having the constant motivation from your friends, even though you are all competing separately really keeps you going! Also, my motto for training for endurance events is "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional". This is where the mental hurdle comes in. Just remember to take one step at a time, eat right, sleep well, listen to your body, rest as necessary and have faith in your own ability to achieve.

"My motto for training for endurance events is 'pain is inevitable, suffering is optional'"

Do you want to learn more about Tingting and Iron Lotus Fitness? See Tingting in action, showing some of her training recommendations on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9qkCNYS7Gc

China Road Trip: Defy Gravity, Strange Slope of China

2009-07-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

After our last blog post about holiday stress, I just got back from a phenomenal and unplanned 2 week trip to China! Even though I visit China at least 2-3 times a year, I haven’t had the luxury of staying there for more than a week since I was still in single digits. This trip was a mix of business and pleasure that finished off with a one week road trip together with my parents, my aunt, two of my uncles, my 84 year old grandmother and my cousin. The road trip was rather spontaneous. My mother had talked about it casually but it was really last minute we actually decided to do it and planned each day of the trip the morning of. I left for China with the basic expectation of spending some quality time with family but ended up with a rich experience filled with love, laughs, soul searching and adventures!

My grandmother, my mother and my aunt were born in the Liaoning Province of China. My grandfather used to be the Head of Finance of AnShan’s Steel factory, the largest factory in China. My grandfather was then relocated to Inner Mongolia to run another large steel factory. It’s been 50 years since my grandmother, my mom and my aunt visited their home town. This trip was such a unique opportunity for three generations to go back to our roots. My grandmother couldn’t recognize a single thing in AnShan except for the actual steel factory that still exists. The Liaoning Province is located in Manchuria (where the Manchu people lived. The Manchu people ran the last dynasty in China and my grandmother is of the Manchu ancestry).

We visited several sites and these are my top recommendations:

Shenyang Imperial Palace built in 1625, the only other palace outside of Beijing’s Forbidden City.

The largest jade Buddha in the world in Anshan sculpted from a single piece of jade.

Go for a hike at the Qian Shan National Park.

Have a delicious organic meal at a local farmer’s home and eat fresh fruit picked right from the trees.

Take a boat tour through the Benxi Water Cave.

My favorite place that TOTALLY shocked me and probably the strangest experience I have ever had in my life was a visit to Strange Slope otherwise known as GuaiPo:

This is a slope where gravity is the opposite. What do I mean by that? Well, we drove down the slope and put our car on neutral with the engine off, immediately the car rolled UP the slope backwards at a pretty decent speed… This totally did not make sense so I got out of the car and rode a bicycle down the slope…I felt like I was riding uphill or just extremely out of shape! Then, when I got to the bottom of the slope and going back up, I didn’t even have to pedal, the bike naturally rolled up the hill! I am not joking, I know it sounds crazy but you have to experience to believe it! Many scientists have visited the strange slope and there is still not a clear explanation. If you have a chance to visit China for the first time or again, I highly recommend the Liaoning province.

Facing Holiday Stress

2009-07-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

I’m posting from Inner Mongolia to introduce a guest blogger this week: Andrea Frigell, a Casall ambassador and summer intern from Stockholm School of Economics. More importantly, she just spent half a year studying in Milan! How amazing… Enjoy!

So, July arrived and most of us go on vacation or at least see the holidays approaching. Suddenly we are supposed to cram all those desirable holiday activities into a couple of weeks of freedom. Hmm, well the truth is freedom may not be an appropriate synonym to vacation, especially not if listening to the general opinion. How to plan this free time? Who to meet? When to do what? When the planning begins, usually we realize time just flies and it’s basically time to get back to work.

I was sitting on the train a couple of days ago, I was really on-the-go, reading some important papers from work, checking my phone constantly, and waiting for, well let’s say a dozen of calls with important people. For some reason, in the middle of this stressful chaos, I opened a magazine someone left in front of me and my eyes soon fell on an article discussing the phenomenon of summer holiday stress. Interesting, I thought, particularly as I realized my own vacation was approaching and I was still in the middle of so many projects, to-do-lists and commitments…

When you google “semesterstress” or “holiday stress” you are overwhelmed with readings on the subject. Mental coaches, career consultants, blogs, lifestyle magazines…they all appear to have a word of wisdom or some thoughtful reflections to share on this.

Best, or at least most relevant, pieces of advice that I came over:
- Reduce expectations: relaxation is about facing life as it is, and too high expectations will ruin the process of getting in a relaxed mood
- Change mobile signal: a subtle but very effective help on the way. You want to be disassociated with your everyday life, hence you should also change those small details that remind you of it.
- Plan your work before so that you don’t have an excess amount of work the week before your holidays start. Remember it takes time for the brain to calm down and relax.
- Consider your acceptance level in terms of how available you want to be when you are away and plan for this. Hard, you may think, but make sure you inform people at work you will be away.

For some reason, the phenomenon of holiday stress seems to be coming back constantly, especially when the summer hits us. The general recommendation seems to be to lower expectations and make sure to calm down at least a couple of days before the holiday starts.

The constant haunt for prestige and built-in expectations plays a huge part in creating the stress factor. We want to return to work after our holidays and tell the world what fantastic experiences we had, what interesting places we visited, and how many activities we managed to cram into these few weeks. And of course, for the sake of our own satisfaction, we expect our holidays to be something extra, something above our everyday life routines and experiences. Not surprising, we get disappointed when these expectations aren’t fulfilled. Such a small thing as bad weather could cause us great anxiety and dissatisfaction. “I could equally well have been working” is a common attitude that results.

This is where the major problem comes in. We are unable to truly relax and appreciate life as it is, in its simple form.

Just like in so many other instances of life we are faced with the challenge of finding a balance in anything that we put our mind or body to, and it’s definitely not an easy challenge. It’s easier working with the extremes than the “fair enough”. You do need planning in your life, for the sake of managing time, but life also needs spontaneity to make it interesting (slash worth living). Somehow Italy taught me this, to better grasp the moment and reject part of my Scandinavian ambition for too much planning and structure. How do I find the best recipe blending planning and spontaneity? Well, your recipe is probably different from mine, but let’s call it Carpe Diem with a little bit of good planning. The art of planning for a longer summer holiday lies in the ability not to plan overwhelmingly and still make sure you do get the chance to fill your time with the things you love and may not have time to devote yourself to during the rest of the year. Keep in mind what the basic reason for going on vacation is for you, where most people would probably argue it’s about capturing new energy and inspiration. For one person this means to see the world in three weeks, for another it’s equal to staying in the summer house reading books all day long, not brainstorming on any larger projects than what to have for dinner or which next great novel to delve into. Keep it simple, listen to yourself, and make it simple when it isn’t. Most importantly, stay honest with yourself and your needs.

Whatever it might be, take a moment to think again; what really makes you feel good? Find the valuable moments when you do enjoy yourself and feel inspired. Most often these situations are the most simple ones. I see the clichés flowing here, it’s a pity isn’t it, but for some reason I got the impression such clichés were needed just to remind you (and myself) of their importance.

My source of inspiration. I love this pic from Casall’s SS09
catalogue, particularly since it combines the sport and the place that I love:
running on the island of Gotland.

What’s your recipe for relaxing during the holidays? Please feel free to send me an e-mail at andrea.frigell@casall.se or share your opinions with me on facebook.

Back to basics: Muesli

2009-07-06T00:14:00.000-07:00

Muesli is probably the most common cereal at the Swedish breakfast table. The number of brands and flavours in any grocery store seems endless.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so eating a super nutrient-dense meal is very important! Most branded cereals are full of sugar and additives, so switching to natural muesli mixes is something the Swedes have perfected.

Muesli is great to eat with yoghurt, milk or as we do in Sweden with “fil”. The base of muesli consists of rolled oats with numerous additions such as rolled rye flakes, wheat flakes, nuts, seeds, berries and fruit. Whole oats are great source of iron, dietary fibres and antioxidants. Here are some ingredients that are super healthy and great to mix up to keep things always interesting:

Seeds and nuts:

Flax-seed: very rich in Omega-3, beneficial for your heart and helps avoiding cancer.

Sesame seeds: a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fibre.

Sunflower seeds: an excellent source of dietary fibre, protein, Vitamin E, B vitamins, and minerals.

Nuts: nuts can be super beneficial for your health and the characteristic that most nuts share in common are richness in fibre, antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium, fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (e.g. omega 3) great to lower cholesterol, and protein.

Fruit:

Bananas: super rich in potassium

Peaches: rich in carotenes, potassium and gives a sweet taste

Apples: great source of dietary fibres and vitamin C

Berries:

Strawberries: a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants

Raspberry: High in ellagic acid, a phenolic compound that may help prevent cancer, inhibit the growth of cancer cells and stop the growth of some cancers. Also high in antioxidants and vitamin C.

Blueberries: called the antioxidant powerhouse

A great way of enjoying muesli in the summer is roasting your own muesli, and adding the seeds of your choice and then adding fresh berries and fruit. You can also add some honey for a sweeter taste. A breakfast tasty enough to be a dessert! But when fresh berries and fruit are scarce here is a great recipe for home-made muesli, a great way of avoiding the unnecessary additives in the processed ones:

2 tbs reseed oil
0,5 tbs liquid honey
1 tbs cinnamon
5 dl rolled oats
5 dl rye flakes
0,5 dl crushed flax seed
0,5 dl peeled sesame seeds
0,5 dl sunflower seeds
1 dl pumpkin seeds
100 g roughly chopped hazel nuts
100 g roughly chopped apple rings

Mix oil, honey and cinnamon. Pour the rolled oats and rye flakes in a spacious bowl and add the oil mixture. Mix well and scatter over a roasting pan with oven paper. Roast in the middle of the oven in 225 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. Stir the muesli a few times during the roasting. Let the muesli cool off and then add the rest of the ingredients and put the muesli in a jar with a tight seal. If you put in a vanilla pod the muesli mix will absorb a nice flavour.

Enjoy!

Hottest Chef

2009-06-30T02:23:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest girlfriends is on the cover of the Evening Standard magazine!! Meet Suzanne Pirret, sexy, confident, witty, and top chef.

I met Suzanne on a ferry boat in Thailand while leaving Koh Phi Phi and onto Koh Lanta. We instantly hit it off and bonded after an awful- and brief stay at Pimalai Resort…great if you want to experience golf carts and an Americanized experience of Thailand.

Suzanne has worked in the restaurant industry since she was a kid and completed the Grand Diplôme from Le Cordon Bleu. She also completed the graduate theatre program at Harvard and is an award - winning voiceover artist. Suzanne now lives in London and has recently published an amazing cookbook called The Pleasure Is All Mine - a hilarious memoir/cookbook with a hundred recipes - all for one serving and using practically no equipment. Aside from being an amazing chef, a published author, and an artist, she is in tremendous shape - truly an inspiration!

Last time I was in London, she taught me how to cook this incredible and super easy New Season Grilled Lamb with Lemongrass dish and a Chocolate Fondant for one - although we doubled the recipes, which turned out perfectly.

Cooking for one is a joy and her book is brilliant. When you can enjoy incredible food and still look like her…that’s amazing!

To stay fit, Suzanne loves to do a great mix of different activities. Here she tells us about her way of staying fit and healthy:

I've been an athlete my whole life. Mostly running - competitively when I was younger, but now just to clear my head. Nothing longer than four or five miles because my knees tend to give out - so it's just slow and steady with lots of steep hills (even if I crawl up them). I've also enjoyed dancing over the years but would hardly call myself a dancer. I'd take jazz classes and pretend to be a Bob Fosse dancer. As one ages, it's difficult to find non-competitive dance classes - so you just become the old lady in the back of the class trying to keep up. Not a good look.

I must admit, I get bored very easily and crave sports that make me sweat profusely. I started boxing and jump roping about ten years ago, which I love - it’s a great stress-reliever. I recently hired a personal trainer here in London who's known as Cathy "The Bitch" Brown. She's the third feather - weight boxing champion in the world and is seriously hard-core. She kicks my ass with a combination of power sprints and intervals for 20 minutes, then followed by another 40 minutes of boxing, kickboxing, weights, and tons and tons of squats and lunges all throughout. It's brutal but you feel like a champion when it’s over. And it certainly alleviates the occasional hangover from a previous evening of decadent food and wine (which I will never deprive myself of). I also try and incorporate a session of pilates each week with another excellent trainer/physio-therapist named Maggie Perez-Claiden. It's just the opposite of boxing but equally as powerful. The exercises are very controlled and intense - the focus being on body alignment and posture. If I can get in a combination of three to four workouts a week - it keeps me very sane.

She also loves Casall! - here’s her favorite outfit from SS 09 collection (still in stores until August).

So, go out and get this book, cook decadently for yourself, and go work out afterwards!

Passion for Business and Casall

2009-06-12T07:37:00.000-07:00

We had a really successful event at the Stockholm casall store together with Passion for Business, a Swedish magazine dedicated to women in business. It is quite amazing that this magazine type of magazine exists and can be easily found throughout Sweden. Despite the thousands of magazines in the US, we do not have something similar to this that I know of. I only wish it was translated in English because I really think there is a void for this type of publication. Here is a picture of Carl-Axel Surtevall, the incredible founder and CEO of casall holding a pre-released issue of the magazine.

Here is a picture of Pingis Hadenius, an editor of Passion for Business (wearing our gorgeous casall Botanical tunic from AW 09, to be released in August) and her colleague Helene Thunander the marketing manager.

Pingis and I first met when she interviewed me for an article of this magazine (In the new Summer 09 issue to be release June 16th). The event was widely attended and focused on “An Evening of Wellness”. It was co-sponsored by Blueberry (a new health food retailer in Stockholm), Naked Juice and Face Stockholm (a very cool make-up brand that gave one-on-one makeup consultations throughout the evening).

We also invited my super fit and knowledgeable personal trainer Magnus to speak about health and fitness tips.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event! We did a poor job of taking pictures at the event but here’s a lovely picture of two of my new friends: Emilia de Poret (fabulous talented Countess of Pop and Pyret Maria Millqvist J:son Berg (owner and of Spoil Concept a luxury PR company in Sweden).

Catwalk Confidence

2009-06-08T02:18:00.000-07:00

This is my latest discovery that I plan to try out on my next trip to New York in a couple of weeks. Outside of my workouts, I am always in stilettos with a minimum height of 3.5 inches. Emily Splichal, aka “Dr. Legs” created this series of workouts to help women gain strength, flexibility, comfort and confidence when they walk in high heel shoes, along with lean and defined legs.

Supermodel Blog Correction!

2009-06-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Anthony Ferkel is an incredible (and very unique) Manhattan personal trainer and also super hot model

wrote me the following message on BBM the other day (blackberry messenger for all you non-crackberry addicts out there): “Hey, I was reading your blog... You should probably change that your pants prevent lactic acid:). Lactic acid is actually a good thing it binds to hydrogen ions and removes them and is reusable. Lactate is a product of the rapid breakdown of glycogen or blood glucose. The fatigue associated w/ lactate accumulation actually comes from an imbalance of ATP use and its resynthesis:). Just looking out. No pants, massage or anything on the outside can prevent lactic acid... Its internal and it has to do w/ molecules and hormones.”

Okay casall running tights do NOT prevent lactic acid!! Thank you Anthony. Below is a guest post from Anthony about his philosophy on training:

Five years ago, I decided to change my workouts because I realized how busy everyone is. In addition to that, I have to take into consideration figuring out what works for each individual’s needs and how everyone's body is different.

The biggest change was reducing the frequency of exercising. I thought I had to do more cardio to get results; I was working out six days per week (sometimes twice a day), five days of boring cardio and split body parts lifting four days per week getting zero results. I weighed about 200 pounds with 16% body fat. It was frustrating! Since, I only train clients one to three times per week, I had to figure out how to get the best results in less time by making my workouts more efficient - a contradiction to what I thought was the correct way to train. Wow, was I wrong!

The inspiration for my newly developed workouts are "The Sculpting Bible For Men" and "The Body Sculpting Bible For Women", which focus on doing super sets and elevating the heart rate. This is also referred to as periodization training, "a training regimen done a specific way for a specific period of time and then modified and done a different way for a specific period of time." Simply put, changing the sets, reps, and weights every two weeks for an evolving 6-week program. It sounded interesting so I tried it.

It worked as far as burning fat, but I became too bulky. I modified the program again; instead of super setting with the same muscle group, I focused on two different muscle groups back-to-back without resting. I started putting more core workouts in and targeting the smaller muscles. I was really starting to see results! I was down from 200 pounds to 187 in one year with about 11% body fat, and stayed at that weight for about two years. I was still spending way too much time doing boring cardio five days per week and lifting three days per week (three sets each with super sets). However, I wanted to get my body in better shape and become a great trainer, giving my clients the results they wanted. I then came across some studies on interval training and the affects of Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC).

As a result, I dropped cardio for interval training three days per week. Once every two weeks, I will do a five-mile run instead of one interval day which can take anywhere from 30-50 minutes. Every fourth week, I will do two days of interval training (remember, my work outs really consist of interval training with weights). I started to see immediate results, but noticed I still felt sore and tired.

In 2006, I read an article from "On Fitness" for men and women about the importance of Pilates and yoga. I dropped one more day of super sets and designed my own 30-minute core Pilates workout using light weights. After a few months, I started feeling great and full of energy. At this point, I realized the importance of rest - less really is more! You truly get better results with less time by working out efficiently!

Lastly, I read the book, "Eat to Live", which is what I attribute to my healthy lifestyle. The main things I took away from this book are the importance of consuming high fiber foods and the power of raw, leafy greens (normally referred to as "salads"), the most nutrient-dense of all foods. I now weigh 175 pounds with 7% body fat and am more fit than ever.

The solution on how to reduce belly fat, came about after years of trial-and-error and research. I have broken it down to three rules in conjunction with my workouts:

I. Eat vegetables and other high-fiber carbohydrates with every meal and snacks. Seriously! The goal here is to control your blood sugar. This is the key to fat loss!

II. Start working out four to five days per week and eventually add one extra day:

A. Two days per week of full body work outs with weights and your own body weight, targeting the core in every exercise.
B. Two to three days per week of interval training (total 8-12 minutes of all intervals). Each interval can be broken down according to your preference. Example: First interval for three minutes, resting as long as it takes to repeat the next one with the same amount of exertion. The second interval for two minutes, and repeat until you do 8-12 minutes of total intervals. Ask me the next time you see me to explain this in further. Optional: one long-distance day no more than 50 minutes... My workouts usually consist of lifting days (45 minutes), interval days (30 minutes; and one long cardio day can be up to 50 minutes every once in awhile), and pilates/yoga (up to one hour; see below).

An interval can be anywhere from 45 seconds to 5 minutes... on a scale of one to 10, the entire interval is about an 8-9 exertion level. End the interval with a nice 10-12 minute run or cybex elliptical machine. Exertion on this should be around six to seven.

High-intensity workouts should and will push you beyond your comfort zone, but be sure to take short rests if you need to, and adjust exercises as you see fit. The ultimate goal is to not only generate great fat burning results, but also be left feeling accomplished!

C. One to two days per week of Pilates or yoga.

III. Rest and pay attention to your body during the exercise! Sufficient rest is really when you get results. During any workout, you are tearing muscle fibers and breaking down cells. When training too hard or too much without proper rest your body simultaneously is building cells and muscle fibers, as well as repairing your joints/injuries. In essence, you are working against yourself when you over-train.

We should push ourselves as hard as we can, but not harder than our bodies can handle. Example, if you are on a treadmill, and you feel yourself leaning over and can't keep yourself up, your body is telling you that the exercise is faster than the core can support during the movement. If you feel pain or pressure in the knees, lower back or neck during an exercise, something is wrong and your body is trying to tell you something.

Rest plays a key role in determining the effectiveness of working out. This is the vital time when muscles, bones and vessels grow, improve, strengthen and thrive. Not only do rest days improve performance and exercise outcomes, but they protect against over-training and lowering your immune system.

In conclusion, the two most common questions I am asked really go hand-in-hand. I have tailored my workouts and diet to answer both questions. Each workout should be efficient and include enough rest. A diet high in fiber and raw, leafy greens outside of each workout will increase your overall fat-burning effects, as well as help you toward getting a flat stomach.

Articles supporting high-intensity interval training and the importance of rest are available upon request.

Fil Milk and Chocolate Covered Licorice

2009-06-03T03:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve made several references to how much I miss Wholefoods in Sweden. In fact, that is the one place I consistently visit on my monthly New York trips. What I love the most about Wholefoods is the variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc they offer.

However, the typical Swedish grocery store does beat Wholefoods in 2 different foods categories.

Dairy Products

Between Fil milk, Kefir, Onaka, it’s all a bit confusing to me…

Candy

Walking into any Swedish grocery store feels like a day at the FAO Schwartz Candy Shop!

For a lactose-intolerant woman with Diabetic tendencies in my family history…I’m not sure where this takes me.

My Couture Form of Exercise: Gyrotonics

2009-05-28T05:04:00.001-07:00

My dear friend and talented couture designer Zang Toi introduced me to Gyrotonics/Gyrokinesis. Above is a picture of Zang Toi together with Lance Armstrong. Zang has always been a huge inspiration to me and has put together several fundraisers and events for the Lance Armstrong Cancer Foundation. We actually met through our personal trainer Dave Janik and have always shared our mutual passion for exercise and wellness. About a year ago, we were grabbing afternoon tea at the St. Regis when I started talking about getting into pilates. I used to be a dancer when I was younger and wanted a form of exercise that helps me build smaller muscles and create a longer, leaner body. Zang Toi wrote on a napkin “Jackson 2124593369” and told me to make the call…

I’ve been doing Gyrotonics with Jackson for about a year now and it is truly amazing. It is a beautiful and intense full body workout that I am constantly improving upon. After each session, I feel a true difference in my body and I only wish it was more widely available. I’ve tried pilates as well and although people often compare the two, they are definitely different. Gyrotonics is made up of 360 degrees and three dimensional movements that engage all of your muscles throughout your body as the same time. The machines are fascinating to me..they make look like medieval torture devises but it’s the closest I feel to being on an adult playground.

Created by ballet dancer, Juliu Horvath, who after seeking asylum in the US from Romania, developed Gyrotonics as “Yoga for Dancers”. Gyrotonics/Gyrokinesis integrates movements from yoga, swimming, gymnastics, and tai chi. Gyrotonics uses a series of machines that are developed and designed by Juliu Horvath. Today, it is a living practice that is constantly changing, improving as Juliu and the gyrotonic community grows and evolves. There is a very rigorous training program that one has to go through in order to begin teaching Gyrotonics. I took classes at Gyrotonics Manhattan run by Sebastian Plettenberg who also at one point trained Ari Weller, the Philosopher of Fitness that I blogged about.

Here’s a video of me doing a series of arm exercises. It is filmed by my friend Zang so I am unable to explain why he decided to tilt the camera 180 degrees half way through it.

Here’s a video of Zang doing “arches and curls”, the basic exercise that typically starts a Gyrotonics workout, to open your spine and chest.

Finally, here’s a video of Jackson, our superb trainer doing a series of leg exercises. You must watch this, it’s really incredible and I’m working on getting there!

For more information go to: http://www.gyrotonic.com/

Celebrity Boot Camp

2009-05-27T00:57:00.000-07:00

This past January, I went to the Ashram, this famed super intense healthy vegan boot camp just outside of LA in Calabasas known of regular guests such as Oprah Winfrey, Cindy Crawford, etc. There have been flocks of celebrities that have attended this camp and some of which did not last the entire weak. I figured, this was the best way to start off 2009! With a waiting list of over 300 guests, you have to book on average one-year in advance. Each week, they take on 12 guests, prepared to get beaten down, re-energized, lose 5-15lbs and walk away with new friends and perhaps a new way of living. When I showed up, 8 of the 12 guests were return guests, some who have attended the Ashram annually for over 10 years!

The place was founded by two Swedish women in the 1970’s Dr. Anne Marie Bennstrom, who invented the Thigh Master made famous by Suzanne Sommers.

Actually you can use the Casall pilates ring in the same way by placing it between your inner thighs…great to do while watching your favorite TV show!

The Ashram is run day-to-day by Cat Hedberg, a vivacious Swedish woman who immediately makes you feel at home when you meet her. With 12 guest per week, for 364 weeks a year, it’s incredible that she remembers everyone’s name and personal story. Cat is the common link that makes everyone feel part of the Ashram family. The 6-day week is super intense and here is a typical day at the Ashram:

5:30 wake up

6:00 start yoga in darkness and watch the sun rise

7:30 breakfast (usually Ezekiel sprouted organic cereal with home-made hemp milk)

8:30 hike for about 15 miles with lots of up-hill climbs (snack is usually 3 almonds and 1 prune)

13:00 lunch (soy bean sprouts, arugula, avocado salad with manna bread)

14:00 one of massage

15:00 water aerobics

16:00 weights and resistance training

17:00 Core training, Lotte Burke method

18:00 Evening restorative yoga

19:30 Dinner (zucchini chopped in slices with vegetable stew)

20:00 Meditation or just hang out with other guests

21:00 Bedtime

The entire week is mostly organic vegan and after I have returned, I have maintained the nutritional values that I learned from the Ashram. I have most given up red meat, ex the occasional Chinese home-made dumplings or steak tartar. I am much more conscientious of consuming highly nutrient dense foods like anything that is sprouted. And the daily 15 mile hikes?...not so much…

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who’s looking for an INTENSE jump-start on a healthy lifestyle. My favorite Ashram moment? Not being a morning person at all, 5am yoga on day 5 watching the sun rise and feeling lighter, more toned and energized!

Things I miss about New York

2009-05-04T01:34:00.000-07:00

Okay it’s been about 2 months since I officially moved to Sweden. The sun is out, which has this really strange effect on Swedish people. First off, Stockholm seemed to have doubled in population in the past month. Secondly, I notice that that people are sitting outside even when it is freezing (at least freezing for me). I find it really interesting that people are outside with blankets just to get some sun! Thank you for the suggestions on the various running loops. I have found a couple I like and just did the Djurgården loop earlier today.

Here are a few critical things that I miss about the New York. If you can help me locate these items or similar services in Stockholm, I would be so grateful:

1) Wheatgrass shots

These are widely available at practically every juice bar in New York, at every Jamba Juice

and at Equinox gym food bars. I am so used to taking them on a regular basis. I have heard they are available at one health store in Stockholm but when I tried to visit on Sunday after my run, it was closed… should I start planting my own?

2) Blueprint Cleanse

This company delivers sets of 6 freshly squeezed juices to your doorstep daily for 3-day, 5-day, 6-day detox cleansing. I am a personal believer of detoxing about 3 times a year and this service is so convenient. After a cleanse (I usually do Level 3 for 5 days), I feel totally revitalized and full of energy with the added bonus that you typically lose some weight.

3) Wholefoods

This is my favorite grocery store. In fact, it doesn’t even belong in the class of grocery stores because it is a whole experience of its own! Here’s my short list of foods I can’t find in Stockholm that is readily available at wholefoods (link as many of these as possible): Ezekiel cereal, coconut water, Bragg Liquid Amino, the entire Kashi line, Matcha Japanese Green Tea powder, Lärabars, freshly cut and cubed watermelon, Manna sprouted bread, Fage fat-free Greek yogurt, Tofutti Ice Cream…

4) Starbucks

I miss being able to order my daily “Grande Soy, 3 pumps of Vanilla, Free-Pour Latte” in the winter months and in the summer months, my “Ice Venti Passion Ice Tea”. Ice tea is hard to find in Stockholm and many coffee shops do not have soy milk here…Don’t get me wrong, I can certainly enjoy an authentic cup of real coffee, whether it’s Italian or the really strong Swedish coffee. But I spent my adolescent years in Seattle and my first job in high school was as a Barista at Starbucks so I am unfortunately addicted to this branded corporate coffee.

5) Pinkberry

Pinkberry, please expand to Stockholm! I love their frozen yogurt! Okay, it is definitely overpriced and has great branding but I am still willing to pay $3.95 for my little slice of healthy heaven for 98 calories. When the chain first opened in New York (originally from California and a copycat brand from the true original Red Mango from South Korea), the line used to be as long as a 45 minutes wait. Now they have expanded to more locations and it is a convenient pick-me-up!

Chasing the runner's high!

2009-04-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Just went for a 6-mile run today…it’s my 2^nd day in a row! I think I am getting into the groove of things. When I lived in Boston back in college, I used to do a 7.8mile loop around the Charles River from MIT 77 Mass Ave to the Museum of Science bridge across to Boston and back around the Harvard Wheatstone bridge. I would consistently hit runner’s high every time at about 3.5 miles into the run and I was so addicted that I absolutely had to run each and every day, including days when I had to pull all-nighters studying for some insane electrical engineering exams. Running for me is one of the rare times when I can be totally alone with myself in my busy lifestyle. I never listen to music, I sometimes think about my day or my life-issues, or just get lost in the rhythm of it all. One day, after I finished my 7.8 mile loop, I was so energized that I wanted to do it again and I did (a total of 16.6 miles)…this was in May in Boston (probably the only month during the school year when it’s NOT snowing outside) and the sun was setting (my favorite time to run because I’m not much of a morning person and I don’t want to get that sports bra tan) and there were many beautiful white sail boats floating on the Charles River. I was on such an incredible high that when I finished my 2^nd loop, I stopped only because my brain told me “okay this is ridiculous if you actually do an impromptu marathon”. I really miss that adrenaline and am still in the search of the perfect 7 mile loop in Stockholm…let me know if you have any suggestions.

I tested the Casall ergonomic support tights for the first time today on my run.

They are absolutely amazing. First off, they really made me look much tighter and firmer. I’d also like to rename these pants as the “Make me look thinner and super toned” Pants. Throughout my run, I almost felt weightless, they held my muscles in place and but felt super comfortable. I have tried so many different running tights over the years and highly highly recommend INVESTING in these tights. After rigorous designing, analysis and testing, Casall has created these unique high-tech running tights with both muscular Compression and Shaping in key areas. These tights were designed exclusively for women to optimize the running experience.

This is what the tights do for you:

Muscular Compression:

· Reduces lactic acid and assists blood circulation

· Controls muscle vibration

· Lowers risk of injuries

· Shortens muscle repairing time

Shaping:

· Special panels with high-performance power stretch fabric were specifically cut and placed to provide extra shaping and support for a woman’s body.

· This garment is constructed with unique XLA® fibre blend fabric.

· This fabric has exceptional fit and hold of high-perfor mance stretch and lasts year after year while maintaining its shape.

They are not cheap but you will not regret this INVESTMENT. I also wear them when I travel with a comfortable hoodie.

This is my perfect after run snack. Ezekiel cereal mixed with fat free Fage Greek yogurt or Almond milk. I haven’t located this in Stockholm yet but you can buy it at Wholefoods in the states. Ezekiel 4:9. It is actually a bible version (no, seriously!) where it says “Take also unto thee Wheat and Barley and Beans and Lentils and Millet and Spelt and put them in one vessel and make bread of it…” I guess what happens is that when you mix these ingredients together, a reaction happens and they are sprouted. Sprouting is the only way to release the vital nutrients store in whole grains. Therefore, this cereal is a potent nutrient-dense food with beneficial enzymes that are activated to become a living food. It is also delicious, and you must try it! About ½ cup gives you 23% of your fiber intake and 17% of your daily protein intake. Together with either a cup of Almond milk (high protein, low calorie) or fat free Fage (because I love it and it always reminds me of waking up in the morning as the sun rises in Santorini Oia eating greek yogurt with honey and it’s also good for you), sprinkle a few Tibetan goji berries (I have been eating these since I was six years old when my grandfather used to give it to me soaked in herbal tea). You can buy goji berries in Stockholm at Blueberry, and it is highly dense in macro and micronutrients and phytochemicals.

Now that it is super nice outside, no more excuses not to run…so happy running!!

Press event in Finland

2009-04-28T06:04:00.000-07:00

I flew back from a quick NY trip this past Weds morning. Took a red-eye flight from Newark to Arlanda and landed at 7:30am and hopped right on a 9:10am flight to Helsinki for a Casall press event for our amazing AW 09 collection. I was totally exhausted but thankfully I was quickly energized by an incredible event.

As part of our press event, we did a demonstration with our two Casall Ambassadors, Hanna Kanerva and Elina Ikävalko. I filmed this great exercise below that shows Hanna (pilates guru) instructing Elina (champion golfer).

For this exercise, you will need:

Casall exercise ball

Casall yoga mat

This is an amazing and simple exercise that works on your; core muscles, especially your sides; tones your arms; improves your posture and stretches your hamstrings - all at the same time!

Now let me tell you a little bit more about these women. Hanna Kanerva, yes the tiny super fit instructor in this video has 3 boys (ages 8, 5 and 1)! She is a 25 time Finnish champion in Rhythmic Gymnastic, 5 times Scandinavian champion in Rhythmic Gymnastic and represented Finland in the World Championships and Olympic Games. Now, she continues to practice as a professional dancer and instructor as well as a certified Pilates instructor guru. Her methods combine traditional Pilates with all her years and experiences in gymnastics, dance and physiotherapy. I used to practice rhythmic gymnastics when I was a little girl and it is an amazing and very difficult training because it fuses all the fundamentals of dance and gymnastics AND you have to throw these balls in the sky, twirl and throw (and catch) these ribbons on a stick! Really really tough…

Elina Ikävalko is a champion golfer who has won several titles including SM- Gold at age 18. She will qualify for the USA Ladies Futures next Fall and begin playing as a professional and representing Casall in style on the golf course!

The event was co-sponsored by Bioforce, a pioneer in natural health started by Alfred Vogel. It’s a great Swiss company that manufacturers the freshest natural herbs, supplements and natural organic foods such as delicious muesli and organic fruit juices. All of their products are produced under strict organic protocol. Click here for more information on this authentic company: http://www.avogel.co.uk/index.php

The philosopher of fitness

2009-04-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve had the pleasure to train with Ari Weller, a truly unique personal trainer (actually the term doesn’t really do Ari justice because he’s really more of a philosopher of fitness). With Ari, I am constantly learning new ideas, gaining a deeper understanding of my body and realizing new insights on wellness and life. No matter what is going on in my life, I always leave each session with Ari, revitalized, energized and balanced…but I am also completely sore the next day!

Ari doesn’t just demonstrate the moves; he really explains to me how they work, why they work, how my body will react to them and the overall balance and unification of body, mind and spirit.

Ari has trained the likes of P. Diddy, super models and top Olympic athletes. I first read about him in W magazine and trained with him for a while before he left to run a wellness retreat in upstate New York for the past two years. But, he’s finally back in New York and Hamptons, training again, but unfortunately I am in Stockholm and only have the pleasure of seeing him on my short trips to New York.

We train in a small piece of heaven found in the flatiron district among the hustle and bustle of Manhattan in a tiny studio that is also occupied by Master Lee, a top qigong master and healer.

Unlike many other trainers I have tried, Ari’s technique requires no machinery but only simple fitness equipment that you can buy at Casall. I have my own little home gym that includes all the tools I need to do Ari’s unique one-of-a-kind workouts. Here are the basics you need:

After many years of bodybuilding, Ari realized that the traditional methods of training actually are not good for your body. In fact, it often results in making you less agile, less flexible and even weaker, especially in your smaller muscle groups. Ari has developed hundreds of unique exercises to target all of your muscles, beyond just the large muscle groups. Combining movements from gyrotonics (I love this btw and will blog about this later), yoga, pilates, core training, functional training, stretching, martial arts, Qigong, dance, interval calisthenics, Feldenkrais and more. Ari focuses on helping me develop a balanced, fit and agile body. He suggests thinking like a cheetah: fast, strong, agile and powerful. At the beginning of each workout, I start with gyrotonic undulations focusing on loosening my muscles, finding my center and breathing fully and deeply. Then we do a series of unique exercises that differ session to session, we often end with resistance stretching (part of the Meridian Flexibility System. I will blog about this later after further research).

It’s not easy to book an appointment with Ari as he has so many loyal clients that have been with him for years. However, with his expansion to the Hamptons in addition to Manhattan, there are some spots available. I am so excited to be able to show you the following videos: a series of four effective core exercises that I love. Ari also blogs at: http://ariweller.com/blog/

For more information go to http://www.ariweller.com

The Swedish flu

2009-04-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I haven’t been sick in years. Really, I don’t remember the last time… It was likely back in college at MIT when I would pull insane multiple all-nighters for 6.003 (my least favorite class at MIT and yes we use numbers for everything there). But unfortunately I got the Swedish flu after almost finishing up the winter having gone unscathed… It was awful and I couldn’t work out this past week.

However, I did move into a new apartment that I love. Having lived in the West Village, I have to say Gardet was a little too quiet for me... Thanks to my dear friend and colleague Katarina Forsberg (also our fabulous CasallWEAR sales manager), I found a beautiful apartment on Bragevägen in Lärkstaden, just parallel to Birger Jarlsgatan and about a five minute walk to Metropolis, my gym. I simply love it! Looking for good running loops around the area so please let me know if you know of any. So, I am now back on track with the Magnus workout. Flew in late last night, after a wonderful Easter weekend in London. It was tough waking up at 6am this morning for my 7am… But made it and feel great!

The Best of New York!

2009-04-01T06:27:00.000-07:00

I found David Janik through a very fit and fabulous friend of mine, Goce Zojcheski (a brilliant MIT physicist, hedge fund investor who still has a great job in this market, looks as if he strictly consumes protein, and forced my friend Yanni and I to go to one of the only gym on Mykonos to work out in between beach time).

Dave is a former fitness model and has appeared in several National and International magazines including Men’s Health and Maxim. He used to be a football player (American football that is!) and once believed that training was all about weights and running. Over the years, Dave has developed a unique and tailored program that blends the best of cardio, strength training, weights, yoga/pilates, kettle bells, boxing, core training, etc. Dave’s philosophy is NOT to follow trends and fads but to develop a balanced workout that also integrates nutrition, good sleep and a healthy mentality. He has always been extremely picky with his clients and works very closely with all his clients to give them the utmost personal attention to really achieve great and measurable results. Dave would often send me text messages when I was on vacation to make sure I was eating properly and exercising… Over the years, he has become one of my best friends and I miss him dearly in Stockholm!

I was slightly skeptical at first when I met Dave because I definitely didn’t want to be one of those hard-core muscle types. I asked Dave for references of other women he had trained with similar fitness goals as mine (get more toned, slim down, etc). He shyly mentioned that he has been training Nicole Kidman for several years. In fact, I lost him for almost 2 years when he moved to Australia to train Nicole for that movie (see picture below). I won’t comment on the movie but her body looked great!

When I first started training with Dave, I was super skinny from running about 8 miles a day, had very little muscle tone and suffered from the Asian girl “flat butt” syndrome. I wanted to work on building muscle in the right places without bulking up. I am sharing a video that I filmed last week when I was deported in New York of what I call “How to be Asian and get a Brazilian Butt” (I’m not there yet, still working at it!). I hope this inspires you to get off your butt and work out! Trust me, this routine seriously works if you do it about 2-3 times week, with a well-balanced and healthy diet and other exercise of course!

I am wearing Casall Basic Cotton Tank in Yellow (I like that they are longer in length than other brands and also more fitted), and Casall Wide Jazz Pants (I have four pairs of these btw, because they are so versatile for all types of training and I’m not always on top of my laundry). Also, if you don’t have Dave Janik to provide you resistance, these wrist and ankle weights are amazing and definitely do the trick to increase your workout.

For more information and to inquire about training opportunities with Dave, please visit: www.manhattanmuscle.com

First day with my new PT

2009-03-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

My new fab friend Ebba Bucht (super fit, tall, former model and runs House of Dagmar) introduced me to Magnus Lygdbäck, one of the top personal trainers in Stockholm. In the past 2 month, with my relocation, too many goodbye parties and drinks, etc, I’ve managed to gain about 5 lbs (I don’t actually ever weigh myself except at the doctor’s office so this is just a guess based on how my clothing is fitting me). Magnus is putting me on a strict 1 month program starting today. I will be blogging about my experience on a weekly basis and will keep you posted on my progress. This will hopefully keep me accountable!

My goal: get more toned and have more energy.

Day 1:

I just landed yesterday morning on a redeye flight from NYC. I was there for about 10 days, picking up my Swedish VISA... I knew that I was starting this program this week so last week I indulged in too many amazing dinners at Babbo, Morimoto, Freeman’s, Lure, Armani Ristorante (just opened in the new Armani flagship store on 5th and 56th, it’s amazing architecturally, click here to see pictures), secret sushi place in Tribeca hidden in a Italian restaurant and a few too many beers on Saint Patrick’s Day at The Perfect Pint. Last night I was totally jetlagged and couldn’t fall asleep until 1am… I was not excited about waking up at 6:30am for a 7am personal training session!

Prior to training: I ran out of time and grabbed a LÄRABAR (my favorite healthy bar made of 100% natural ingredients). This one was pistachios, dates and cashews. We’ve come a long way since those nasty Powerbars. But I recently discovered http://www.youbars.com/ a website that allows you to create your own bar, name it and they’ll ship it to you. You can add all these super foods like gogi berries, flaxseeds, etc. One bar costs about $3 and a case of 13 bars about $39. I don’t think they ship to Sweden yet though…

Today’s session:

6 minute warm-up on the rowing machine. I recently read that Halle Barry gets her amazing back from doing the rowing machines regularly.

3 super sets of cardio; 40 step lunges, 6 quick sprints, 1 minute alternating hops using a step board).

3 super sets of leg and arm power exercises using the resistance band/exetube (go to and you can order the exetube here by clicking on tools and then strength). Seriously the best and most versatile tool you can have and travel with
2 sets of 20 (on each side) side arm raises with a dumbbell in push up position and 15 abs raises.

How I feel after this session: totally exhausted but strangely energized!
Magnus is going to the Canary Islands and then skiing for 10 day… But he gave me program to follow. I’ll blogging about my progress so stay tuned!

How a sports bra can save you from saggy breasts!

2009-03-17T02:08:00.000-07:00

They come in different shapes and sizes, but they have one thing in common; gravity affects them all. Ladies, this is critically IMPORTANT and gentlemen, please inform the women you care about in your life.

I am a size B cup and used to hate wearing sports bras and thought they were unnecessary for my size. Until I learned the following...

The global lingerie market was approximately $30 billion in 2007. I checked my amex bill and realized that I had spent several hundreds of dollars last year buying lingerie... That nice lacy bra will be useless after some time if you do not take care of your lady lumps while working out. Studies show that breast movement is reduced by only 38% with an ordinary bra, while a sports bra reduces movement with 74%. The breasts are held in place by a very fine ligaments called Cooper’s ligaments. Excessive movement causes strain on these ligaments, and over time they will stretch no matter how big or small your breasts are...

Once your ligaments stretch there is no return. Unlike a muscle, they don’t firm up no matter what you do!

A couple more scary facts:

Over 50% of women experience breast pain when exercising, which simply isn’t acceptable.
A survey shows that 73% of women are not wearing a sports bra or the proper sports bra when they exercise.

A good sports bra is just as important as a good pair of trainers. It should be an essential item in every woman’s wardrobe and there is no place for compromises. Here is a list of considerations when shopping for a sports bra (but you should really have a selection of sports bras depending of the impact of your activity).

Not only should the fit and the support be perfect, the fabric should wick moisture away from the body and be quick drying so that the effects of perspiration are minimized.
A great sports bra should be comfortable. For high impact sports, it should almost feel slightly small.

The base band. It should be wide and wick off moisture effectively so that you don’t risk chafing in that sensitive area along the bottom of the bra.
After about 72 washes the elastic starts to lose resilience and it is time to invest in a new sports bra.
If you weight changes, get re-measured and replace your sports bras.
You know that sports top with the built-in sports bra..? Okay, seriously, doesn’t work for medium to high impact activities. You need to wear a separate sports bra!

The below guide shows you a selection of bras available at Casall for the specific impact level of the activity:

Från My Casall

Okay, my next blog will be about some the top trainers in Manhattan. Stay tuned and protect your breasts!

What is your Casall?

2009-03-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the unofficial Casall blog! I recently left a life in New York that consisted of intense 100+ hours weeks at Goldman Sachs in i-banking and private equity at the height of Wall Street, a beautiful apartment right on Bleecker Street, across from the Marc Jacobs stores and way too close to Magnolia’s Bakery in the West Village, an entrepreneurial venture into fashion consulting and advisory working with several top global designers to work with this seemingly undiscovered (at least in the US and to me) incredible Swedish activewear (CasallWEAR), fitness equipment (CasallTOOL) wellness company. I thought I was “in-the-know” but apparently I was 28 years behind in “discovering” this brand with an incredible and loyal cult-like following and already distributed in 18 countries.

I am just your typical end-consumer, I love to shop, I care about health and wellness and I want to stay in good shape/get in better shape. I try to work out at least a couple times a week but sometimes just feel uninspired. I got sick of shopping at Nike, Adidas, yadayada because they simply didn’t provide me the quality and style that I wanted in my cloths. I expect the top quality and design in my other clothing, why not have the same expectations in activewear? When I am working, I typically wear way-too-expensive high heels (definitely have a shoe fetish), business casual attire or the latest designer frock. On the weekends and when I am going around town in Manhattan, I always found it annoying that I had to change out of my hideous gym cloth into more appropriate comfortable attire such as James Perse, Ella Moss.... I have to admit I went through a really SHORT juicy couture phase.

Then one day, I discovered Casall at a trunk show at Equinox gym...I was first impressed by style of the clothing, beautiful and functional pieces with just the right touch of fashionable style...unlike Stella for Adidas, which to be honest, seems somewhat contrived and totally not functional to me or lululemon, which may be functional but misses the mark on the style for me. Upon further inspection, I loved the feel of the fabric, it wasn’t the usual polyester scratchy feel of most other brands, the fabric felt amazingly soft but a tag educated me that this was Casall Rapidry, an exclusive cotton-like fabric that wicks away your sweat to keep you comfortable and dry. After I tried on a pair of their classic jazz pants, I was then truly sold...we all know how difficult it is to find the perfect pair of pants...these pants made my legs look thinner and I have since learned from our talented and diligent design team that they strategically place seams and cuts to provide the best flattering fit and hold...

So here I am! Living in Stockholm, in a 2nd hand apartment in Gardet, and working with this incredible team of passionate, talented people with the main goal to create products, services and experiences that inspires you to perform your best, look your best and feel your best. Casall is not a brand that tells you to “just do it”, we want to inspire YOU to get off your butt, put on your stylish CasallWEAR, pick up your CasallTOOL and do some fun and effective exercises... it is also a company that truly cares, with high ethical standards to always do the best and minimize the negative impact on our environment. I was truly captivated by this brand and am soo excited for the opportunity to work with this company and want to make it my goal to spread the word.

Wellness is obviously beyond just the clothing and equipment you use. There is so much to learn about the types of exercises you do, how often, your nutrition, your mentality, your environment etc. This is a lifestyle that we refer to as Total Wellness Lifestyle and Casall ‘s mission is to provide the components you need, intellectually and physically to live it. Here’s where the blog comes in...I would like to research, interview, test and blog about the most talked about fitness trends in the active wellness lifestyle space.

Please comment and send me suggestions if you believe you are an expert or know of an expert that I can interview and test with...Also, send me questions on any fitness topics you’d like to explore and I will do my best to dig into them. This blog is met to be a casual and open dialogue where I hope we will all learn a bit to inspire us to live a healthier and happier life.

To learn more about Casall, please visit our new website and subscribe to this blog via any reader: www.casall.com