Coach Wawa Najwa: Healthy Lifestyle During Pregnancy

Posted on November 22, 2022 by Sarah Razif

On the 2nd trimester, I was still having the nausea but I didn’t want to take it too serious and skip the feeling. Eating after vomit is pretty hard for someone who has just lost their appetite. What I’d do is I’ll drink milk for the baby to consume just to make sure I don’t leave myself and the baby hungry after an empty stomach. Alhamdulillah, I don’t have any weird cravings.

My tips, along the pregnancy I really kept myself living a healthy lifestyle, just exactly how I’ve lived before my pregnancy. It helps a lot in terms of energy level, stamina and when it comes to delivering my baby it was easy and less tiring. I avoid pickles or junk food and fast food replacing them with more vegetables and fruits. For beverages, 99% of caffeine is cut off from my diet. The intake of milk, juices, plain water and soy protein is a must. Eating outside is not my

At the edge of pregnancy, the hunger of eating seafood was inevitable, knowing that too much seafood consumed isn’t healthy for the baby. One thing I would like to stress on. I rarely eat outside as I prefer to cook myself healthy meal and this has been going on before my pregnancy.

As a coach, do you still workout?

Yes, I still teach yoga, HIIT, Boxing, and PT for my clients. I’m quite active during pregnancy, some of my students even told me my energy level isn’t like pregnant woman at all. Lol.

Fun In The Sun: Stop Being Bored

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Nura Arabi

Salam to all my beautiful ladies.
I pray this blog finds you in your best forms of health and wellness.

Many people are trying to live a healthy lifestyle now more than ever before. Many are looking for that circle of friends that will support this healthy lifestyle. As you know, if we want to build a healthy community and have more health aware circles then we should start with raising healthy children.

As a physical education teacher, I have been searching for the right way to approach my students and encourage them into living a healthy lifestyle and learn how to make healthy choices. The best way I have found is to make fun videos for them and it has done wonders in my teaching so far.

Here is a little fun video I made for my students.
Of course, I never do sports without Nashata being involved. The ultimate meaning if comfort.
In this video I wore the following for the two different characters presented.
– Athleisure and Azza topletics Modest Sports Shirts.
– Hooda Ellipse and Raazglove Sports Hijbs

Enjoooooy

5 tips on how to wake up early to work out

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Weekend Runner

I admit I am not a morning person. On my off days I could stay in bed all morning and my only motivation to wake up is a good breakfast. However, through out the years, I have learnt that I need to manage my time better and appreciate that we get only 24 hours in a day. There is so much to do in so little time.

I have also learnt that there is no “right time” to work out. I prefer to work out first thing in the morning before I go to work. One of the benefits of working out early is that you get it out of the way as soon as possible, freeing up time for you to proceed with your daily routine, such as going to work, run errands, or spending time with family and friends. I have also noticed that I will feel more energized after working out. My mind is more alert and I will be in a happier mood.

However, you do need to sacrifice other aspects. I had to give up watching TV at night and I am not hooked on to any TV series, so I do feel a little bit left out when people talk about Game of Thrones or the latest Korean dramas. I have also sacrificed my late night ‘lepak’ time because I am just too sleepy to socialize and eat at 10pm.

In the end, it is all worth it. Fitness is a lifestyle, not a trend or a seasonal thing. In the long run, I trust that I will be able to reap the health benefits and work towards my fitness goals. So how do you wake up early and still feel like a champ?

Weight Loss – Tips for Dieters

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Nura Arabi

Weight loss journey is more of a mental challenge. Being mentally prepared is key that will help you stick to your journey on the long run and adapt to a healthier lifestyle.

Here are some tips that you need to tap into to make your weight loss journey manageable:

Think of your self as a think healthy person. Skip all the negative thoughts about feeling that you don’t deserve to be in this journey or how will you achieve your goals.
Eat health food that will feed your body not the food that will feed the fat.
Avoid dinning outside at least the first two weeks of starting your journey. This will help you to tap into a healthier lifestyle.
Plan meals ahead of time. This will help you to avoid dinning outside and will get you prepared.
When eating, eat slow, as you are sitting down and chew your food well.

Healthy lifestyle : Tips for Busy Women

Posted on July 10, 2017 by eliza noordin

Busy with work, chores, family, cooking or studying? The list goes on and everyday, we struggle to find time to be THE superwoman who is fit and healthy-looking at all times. But everyday we go through battles – being tired, having daily conversations with ourselves on delaying or postponing work, sometimes salah/solat, and working out. We allow ourselves to dwell into unhealthy meals, snacking and drinking sweetened beverages.

About a year ago, my weight reached 51 kg and body fat percentage was 33%. The past months, I manage to keep my weight at 45kg, BMI 19 and body fat percentage 25%. I eat the most, alert and fastest at work. Working out and eating healthy are routines in my life. I am not a health expert – just an average jane who wants to improve health condition and loves to share.

The battles between making emotional and logical choices are always there. While we know we need to make logical choices, we are all emotional vulnerable beings. One way to avoid emotional choices is to embed healthier choices in daily routines. Here are 8 simple steps to keep a healthy lifestyle, which I practise on a daily basis.

1. First of all, know current body condition

Know your current:

Weight
Body Mass Index. A normal BMI ranges from 18.5 – 25. If you don’t know your BMI, here’s the calculator
Body Fat Percentage. The acceptable rate is 20%-25%. Here is the calculator

Know your ideal numbers and set your targets. Working towards meeting your targets.

2. Find an activity you can do on a daily basis
Just like praying and eating, make working out your daily routine. Once it is a routine, you need to be able to perform the activity anytime, anywhere. Find an activity that you enjoy and that motivates you to be be good at. As for me, even though I love swimming, I choose to run on a daily basis because it is faster and easier to perform. I perform other types of activities if I have extra time.

Find an activity that suits you and enjoyable

3. Find at least 40 mins/day to workout; 5 mins warm up, 30 mins workout, 5 mins cool down

You can find time to workout,

Before Fajr
After Fajr
Before Work – After Work before Sunsets
Before midnight

As for me, I plan to work out before shower or meal times ?. I cook or prepare meals while cooling down. It saves time.

Plan your day, make sure you workout in a safe environment if you are alone. If you cannot find a gym or unable to workout outdoor, tabata or yoga indoor instead. Make sure your family members know your whereabout when you workout outdoors.

Time is precious, so is your health. Plan your time well.

4. Dress smartly, suit up in comfy activewear if you are NOT at work

Changing from office-wear to activewear can be time consuming. Therefore, always be in your activewear so that you can quickly run or work out when you have a 40 min window. ?‍ You spend lesser time changing clothes and more time sweating out. ?Make sure your running shoes or workout attire and gears are accessible at all times. ? Leave them in your car if needed.

5. Eat healthy
Fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts offer you vitamins, protein and minerals to provide good nutrition for your body. It helps reduce body fat level. When you train your body to eat healthy, it will naturally reject unhealthy food over time. Healthy, balanced meals may not look fancy, but they are easier and faster to prepare. Tastier too!
Tips to eat healthy:

Make and pack your own meal
Fill up your kitchen with fruits, vege and nuts, especially those you can eat raw like carrots, banana, apples & grapes
Baking or grilling brings out the flavour from meat, and they are healthier & easier to make
Pick healthy menu when dining out
Make healthy choices : Fresh & Nutritious

If you are eating healthy, ignore what others have to say about it. What you consume affects your body, not theirs.

6. Get 6-7 hours of good rest or sleep everyday.

Studies show that exercise helps you sleep better. When you sleep, your heart & blood vessels get repaired & healed. Hydrate your body well. Drink a glass of water before and after bedtime.

Take a nap if you have to make the numbers

7. Track your weight, Body Mass Index(BMI) & Body Fat Percentage & achieve your targets

Don’t let your measurements slip! Make it a daily check if you can, even though it is not recommended by medical practitioners. It is harmless. Do invest in a good weighing machine that tells your BMI, Body Fat percentage & muscle mass. Then you will know how to balance workout and food intake that help you keep a healthy weight, BMI & Body Fat. Workout & eat healthy daily and watch these indicators improve.

Weigh Daily and understand your body better

8. Tweak your activities & food intake accordingly to achieve your targets. REPEAT
It is a slower process, but sustainable as the routine would help you understand your body and achieve a healthy and active lifestyle.

Don’t forget to visit, update, talk to and get feedback from your doctors on regular basis on your overall fitness condition. They are the best in giving medical and health advises.

Have a healthy lifestyle and fight all the excuses that delay you from achieving ideal fitness level. I hope the above sharing helps. I am just another lady who wants to keep healthy. Good luck & enjoy your routine!

Stay Fit & Be Happy!

Skin care for active ladies

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Weekend Runner

As active ladies, we never allow sweat, mud, and temperature fluctuations to get in the way of our work outs. We love the outdoors and being close to nature. Therefore, we must take special care of our skin as we are constantly exposed to the sun and pollutants.

Being out on the sun is great, but beware of UV rays

1. Beautiful on the outside

Basic:

Cleanse – tone – moisturize

It might sound basic, but the key to mastering these 3 simple steps is finding the right product for your skin type. Plus, as we age, our skin will have different requirements too, so it is always important to adapt and change along the way according to your skin’s requirements.

Finding the right cleanser, toner, and moisturizer will do wonders for your skin

Sun protection

Use sunscreen with at least SPF 30, and reapply every 2 hours or after swimming/ sweating. Not only will this prevent sunburn, but it will also minimize wrinkles, dark spots, and uneven skin tones.

Thanks to the new swimwear, most of your body parts are covered from sunburn. Now all you need is sunscreen for your face!

Bonus:

Weekly face masks

Home made and natural

If you don’t have time for a professional facial session with a dermatologist or a beautician, an inexpensive face mask is the fastest and cheapest way to give your skin some TLC. You can make some at home by using natural ingredients such as honey, raw sugar, coffee, and lemon. But there are plenty in the local drugstore too, read the ingredients carefully.

Serums/ essential oils

Argan oil can be used on your hair and nails too.

Contrary to popular belief, high grade essential oil will not leave the skin oily. It is quickly absorbed into the skin, and is best left overnight. My favourite is tea tree oil (for pimples and blackheads) and argan oil (all over the face to maintain youthfulness, minimize pores, moisturize, and reduce scars).

2. Beautiful on the inside

Basic:

Well-balanced diet

A healthy diet doesn’t have to be boring or bland

Omega-3 fatty acid from salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds. It improves skin elasticity, giving a youthful appearance to your skin.
Antioxidants. Colourful fruits and vegetable such as tomato, blueberries, and spinach contain antioxidants that can help fight free radicals (molecules that harm the skin and cause signs of aging)
Drink enough water
Quit smoking and minimize caffeine intake.

Bonus:

Supplements

Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, helps to fight radicals that are formed from exposure to pollutants, sun, and the natural process of aging. It is found abundantly in oranges, however, swallowing a 1000mg tablet is more convenient than eating a few oranges. It is also an immune system booster.

Collagen.

Collagen is a protein that helps to hold our skin together, giving it a ‘bouncy’ appearance and maintain its elasticity. After the age of 25 years old, our collagen production slows down so the skin starts to sag and wrinkle. It is also boosts your skin’s natural repair process, so it helps to reduce scars. Nowadays, there are plenty of collagen supplements and you will be spoilt for choices. For muslims, check the ingredients and ensure that it is halal-certified because collagen can come from bovine or porcine sources. When in doubt about the safety of the ingredients, check with a medical professional before consuming.

Biotin for hair and nails.

Biotin are also found in avocado too

More study is needed on this matter, however since there are no negative side effects on biotin there is nothing wrong in consuming a tablet, as long as you stick to the recommended dosage. Biotin helps strengthen hair and nail, so they are less brittle, thicker, and more shiny.

Until next week,

The Weekend Runner

Health & Wellness Gamified by AIA Vitality

Posted on June 3, 2016 by eliza noordin

Great news for health enthusiasts. AIA Vitality – an integrated insurance, health and wellness program was launched today by AIA Bhd. Malaysia is the 5th country to have AIA Vitality launched in this region, after Singapore, Philippine, Hong Kong and Australia. AIA Group CEO and President Mark Tucker was here to launch the program together with Anusha Thavarajah, CEO of AIA Berhad.

The Wheel of Wellness?

AIA Vitality encompasses 3 pillars; Know your Health, Improve your Health and Enjoy the Rewards. Gamification of these pillars started the moment I walked into the launch. I was asked to complete AIA Vitality Health Review. After answering a few questions, it turned out my AIA Vitality Age is 2 years more than my actual age. That is good to know for a start. A familiar face Marcella Mihanovich from CitiBank was also going through the questionnaire on a tablet.

Marcella midway doing health review

Next, I get to improve my health by making my own juice. I chose oranges as I needed a good doze of Vit C. I was given a cup of cut oranges and it turned out – I had to cycle to blend the oranges. There goes my contribution to clean energy. I got to burn a couple of calorie & consume something healthy. Ultimately, it is about setting personal health goals be it in managing and preventing diseases, food intake, physical activities, and mental health. With AIAVitality, you get to earn points when you engage in activities to achieve health goals.

Cycle to Make your Juice

Finally, the Reward. I got to play a game that seemed to be easy for others, but not me. Grab a flying ping pong and get lucky. Yay, despite not being good at it, I still get some vouchers to shop for sporting goods

Vertically Challenged to Catch Ping Pong Ball .

Indeed the science-backed program encourages people to make healthier choices in life. Let’s make healthier lifestyle choices; bake instead of fry, walk up the stairs instead of taking the lift, spend lesser time on screen and pivot for sweating out time. With AIA Vitality, you get to build your AIA Vitality Status that starts from Bronze followed by Silver, Gold and Platinum level. You can get better benefits as you improve your status. Rewards are provided by AIAVitality partners like Air Asia, Berjaya Hotel & Resort, Emirates, Marriott, MedKlinn and Men’s Health and Women’s Health Magazine.

No, it was not a cooking demonstration. They were making music!

Three weeks ago, AIA shared info on Healthy Living Index that shows 55% of Malaysian adults are either pre-obese or obese (with Body Mass Index 23 and above) and many are not sleeping enough. It is important that we are always motivated to take care of ourselves. With the rise of chronic disease and sedentary lifestyle, programs like AIA Vitality that focus on educating, motivating and rewarding people to take better care of health can nudge us better. Anusha, the CEO of AIA Berhad shares the target of 30,000 people to enroll into this program this year. What I like about her approach is that she recognizes that each and everyone of us as an ambassador for the program. Now, let’s have an active lifestyle and be discipline to set and deliver our health targets.

Mark Tucker & Anusha Thavarajah

Bare Faces – Authentic, Everlasting!

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Sarah Razif

Bare Faces in Sports!

No make-up or bare faces trend seeped in Spring last year and the trend seems to continue among netizens. With high quality cameras on phone, filters and editing apps on mobile phones, women are more confident wearing a naked face and share with friends on social media. People nowadays prefer something natural without make-up or less make-up. This shows authenticity without having to cover up their appearance. Make-up here means those who wears a heavy total-covered make-up with mascara, eye-shadows, red hot lips, and etc. Thin layer of make-up made of mineral oil are acceptable as long as it does not block pores.

Why Make Up?

People who wears make-up tend to be afraid and have less confidence in themselves whenever they’re in public without make-up. A study shows that majority or 65% female wear makeup to attain self-esteem. In this reason,women believe that through makeup, they could gain confidence, self-assurance, self-trust, social competence and comfort in terms of interpersonal relationship.

The good news is that more and more women who embrace active lifestyles are confident with their looks. Look at these fresh faces and full of confidence. Take heed and mark in mind! Attaining confidence is not all about you look on the outside. It’s about how happy and joyful you are when engaged in any sports activity. The more confident you are bare-face, the more beautiful you will become. Just take care of your skin, groom well & stay healthy!

Embrace who you are

What do Men Say?

“It is the person, not the make up”, says Yahya Iskandar, also known as Fat Old Man Running

“Natural beauty is my preference” added All Rasid Shariff, a yoga and fitness trainer

We also asked a few other men who are in fitness and active in running about their thoughts about make up and their perception of ladies with:

No Make up – Natural, Relaxed, Low Maintenance
Make up – Formal, She takes Effort, High Maintenance
Too much Make up – Vain

The general senses we get from a few guys in sports is that a clean face & natural are well accepted by them. So stay authentic, groom yourself naturally, stay healthy & build your personality!

What to do?

Think twice, what attracts more is your personality not your outside looks. Nonetheless, few women likes to wear make-up during sports. But we all know wearing make-up during sports activity is not good for the skin.

Why is it not good for the skin?

It blocks pores causing the pores to expand wider.
It causes blackheads which might leads to acne.
You’ll get frequent breakouts.
Last but not least. You’ll learn to be grateful and love your natural face

The question is how do you stay confident without make-up on? Simple, you take care of your skin. Here’s how to beautify your skin naturally.

Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated
Eat lots of vitamin C enriched food
Get enough sleep
Get enough exercise every week
Clean your face after a good workout

#BeautifulBareFace Challenge

Are you confident enough exercising with your bare face, not a single touch up on your face? Whenever you snap a picture of yourself with no make-up on whilst exercise, tag @nashatadotcom and add #BeautifulBareFace. We will repost your beautiful pictures!

Your courage could be an inspiration to someone to just become naturally yourself. It could also be inspirational to those who are not confident to exercise outdoor because they are worried to work out bare face.

After all, we are all beautiful!

Canadian Purple Wheat recovers your energy at WOW RUN 2015

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Sarah Razif

Hey Runners, good news for you! Gardenia Bakery is sponsoring Canadian Purple Wheat for our run.

100% natural whole grains plus the added goodness of Canadian Purple Wheat which is extremely rich in antioxidants. Unique in taste, low in fat and very high in fibre and vitamins.

Prophet s.a.w’s Favorite Dates

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Sarah Razif

Which will you choose first to break the fast with a variety of dishes spread on your dining table? Drinks? Cakes? Fruits? Rice with fish? Biscuits? Dates? Or other than those listed?

Of course the dates, right? That’s what our Prophet encouraged to break the fast with. Dates contain high amounts of natural sugars, but they are low-glycemic index food and do not increase blood sugar levels after they eaten. If there is no date, plain water is the second best. Basically, the scientific name for dates is Phonex dactylifera and can be eaten cooked or raw. There are many benefits that can be found in dates:

1. Preventing Chronic Disease like Diabetes and Heart

2. Help in growth and mind alertness

3. Prevent Stroke Attack

4. Stimulate and increase the potential of pregnancy

5. Increase patience, polite and smart thinking

6. Easy to digest and energizes body

7. Take blessing at new born baby

8. It’s our Prophet’s favorite fruit

Dates contain lots of nutrients and vitamins that are needed by our body. The taste is so naturally sweet that it is always misinterpreted as an artificial-sugar-contained.

The amount of protein contain in a date is approximately 1.8 to 2.0%, for fiber is 2.0% to 4.0%, while sugar contains 50% to 57% glucose. This high amount of fiber High is good for bowel system. Dates are also rich in potassium and several other minerals. Potassium is an electrolyte that will re-balance the water in our body when we are insufficient of water, especially during fasting. Potassium also helps in maintaining the nervous system and building muscles which, includes the heart muscle .

There are varieties of dates that you might not know yet:

Picture source: Mybaitullah

Ever wonder what type of dates you are eating? Now you can differentiate each kind of dates. There are jumbo, dry, wet, no seed and so on. Dates are also durable and not prune to stale. Dates are popular in Ramadhan. They sometimes prepare deserts or cookies that are made from dates for Eid Day. Not just that, cakes are also one of the popular food that includes dates as one of the ingredients. Try replacing sugar with dates, you will never regret it.

Nashata

Empowering Active Lifestyle

Tag Archives: healthy lifestyle