The Flying Fit Foodie

Having been lucky enough to spend a considerable amount of time in Singapore over the last few years, and in response to the many requests for recommendations, I have compiled a list of my favourite places to eat in the city.

Singapore is well known for it’s amazing food scene. Traditional Singaporean food is easy to find, however I am here to show you where you can find the healthiest places to eat in Singapore – once you’ve had your fill of chilli crab and dim sums of course.

So, here they are; my tried and tested cafes and restaurants where you can find something different at each, from cooling açai bowls to big hearty breakfasts.

After Glow, by Anglow. 24 Keong Saik Road.

Plant based meets modern and sexy. If I could have “date night” in Singapore this is where I would go. This is not your average vegan restaurant; After Glow has an intimate and cosy atmosphere, with an open kitchen and dishes so delicate and thoughtful you won’t believe it’s all plants. Make sure you book a table for evening dining, this place is always busy and you’ll understand why.

Kitchen by Food Rebel, 28 Stanley St.

At the top of the healthy list, Kitchen by Food Rebel’s dishes are created with care and passion for clean eating and organic living. Free from artificial colours, flavourings, MSGs and additives, Kitchen really takes care with every ingredient used, and sources everything locally. Great if you have dietary requirements or you need fuel to supplement your training. They can provide you with what you need, including customised meals for weight loss, recovery or muscle gain.

Real Food, 181 Orchard Road.

Green grocers turned restaurant this all vegetarian dining experience is one of my favourite places for lunch or dinner. With a huge menu of healthy options including, fresh juices, smoothies, pastas, salads, grain bowls and raw desserts. Even though all vegetarian, the dishes are filling enough to satisfying the hunger of most carnivores too.

Limaa, 51 Haji Lane.

Haji Lane is full of quirky places to eat and drink, it’s hard to pick just one. But for me, I was won over by Limaa’s fresh juice bar – their date and banana smoothie did not disappoint. They also do gluten free nachos, açai parfait bowls and raw treats too.

Common Man Coffee Roasters, 22 Martin Road.

With a 7-hour time difference from the U.K I am always looking for somewhere to get brunch in the city. CMCR’s coffee is the best in town and this is confirmed by the amount of local hipsters you can find hanging out here. My best breakfast award goes to Common Man and their ‘Veggie Wonderland’ complete with halloumi, avocado, pesto tomatoes, sourdough and a choice of eggs how you like.

Grounded by CMCR, Level 2, 22 Martin Road.

Attached to one of my favourite studios Yoga Movement it’s the ideal space to hang out before of after class, with a cooler or coffee. The menu here is much small than CMCR downstairs, but each dish is beautifully put together, healthy and refreshing. Also open until 9.30pm so great if you want breakfast for dinner #jetlaglifestyle

CooCaCa, Orchard Road.

Take a break from shopping and swap your ice cream for an açai bowl. CooCaCa is right on Orchard road so it’s an ideal place to stop for a cooling bowl of frozen blended açai berries, topped with a choice of fresh fruit, granola or nut butter. Açai berries are rich in antioxidants and are packed full of fibre and healthy fats, they also taste amazing! Making them a smart and healthy substitute from traditional ice cream.

 Privé Wheelock, Orchard Road.

If you’re looking for a nice alfresco dining experience, Privé is the perfect spot for lunch or dinner. They have dishes including fish, chilli crab, burgers, soups and salads, so there is something for everyone, great if you’re in a group. My go-to dish is the Med Salad, which is packed full of roasted veg, nuts and humus, it’s also a great place to people watch as it’s right on the bustling Orchard Road.

How I conquered the only potato chip that doesn’t make you fat!

Easily accessible from San Diego by car in less than 40 minutes, this hike is the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, even if like me you do not have a lot of time to spare. It also has possibly the most satisfying summit picture of all (besides Everest!) if you can pluck up the courage to tip toe your way to the edge of the precariously placed and suitably titled “potato chip” rock.

I heard about this hiking trail and strange rock from a friend. I was curious to see exactly how this rock looked in real life, and also to test myself a little too. I have always been scared of heights, anything involving ledges or precarious floating balconies are my worst fears, and so this was perfect. I love to stay active too when I am down route wherever I am, so failing I didn’t make it onto the rock I at least will have enjoyed the hike.

I found some willing participants on my flight over to San Diego who were keen to come with me, so after a well deserved nights sleep after our 10 our flight we headed off at 6am, hoping to beat the heat. California suffered horrendous wildfires this year, so it was important to check if it was safe and that we were not walking in the peak heat of the day either.

Where we started the hike was from Lake Poway, which is roughly 35 minutes away in an Uber from the city center. It turned out our chatty driver was a keen hiker himself and explained that the biggest thing to look out for when hiking in California are snakes, and not to step over a rock unless you can see what is on the other side of it. I forgot to mention my second biggest fear; snakes.

The hike itself is easily mapped out. You follow the “Woodson Mountain Trail” signs and you can take an “easy” route or “difficult” route, we took the latter. Although steep it’s not the hardest, there is no climbing involved, just a lot of glute busting steps and not much flat terrain. As it was early, we were mostly surrounded by cloud, it wasn’t until we must have been around 3/4s of the way up that the fog started to clear, revealing to us the panoramic views of our surroundings.

The landscape was very different to anything I had seen before, mountains, with few trees and huge perfectly round grey boulders, which looked like they had been dropped from the sky scattered everywhere – very different to the rolling green hills of English countryside where I am from. Soon enough, we saw the tip of the potato peak through the clouds; complete with a couple of small children perched on the ledge. Surely if they could do it, I could.

We passed only a handful of people during our walk up in the 2 hours it took us to reach the Chip. When we arrived at the top there were around 10 people, taking photos and watching others climb on the potato chip. We didn’t mind waiting our turn to climb, as it was fun to watch other people’s reactions from below. My legs were also turning to a jelly like consistency; I’m not sure what from, the hike or my nerves.

I let my two crew members go first, happily playing the all-important role of the photographer. I gauged the safety of the rock by the visitors who I followed in the queue, 3 people all at once. I figured, if he rock were suddenly to break it would surely do it with the weight of three whole humans and not just me. So, when my turn came I decided to jump from its neighboring rock into the Chip, (you can either climb up a crevice between two rocks or jump onto it from the adjacent rock) I caught myself by surprise, I was not as scared as I had expected.

The ledge does feel very precarious and you absolutely would not want to fall off it, or for it to break either. Which I guess one day it most likely will with the weight of all the visitors it attracts. But luckily for me that day was not today. Whoever named this rock “The Potato Chip” was spot on, it is such a unique looking rock, which does look exactly like a crisp (the English name would not do it justice or sound as cool) The only way it must have come to be shaped like this is that the bottom of a part of huge round boulder cracked and the majority of the underneath fell away. Leaving the top layer left, almost like a nutshell. Either way, it’s a wonder how it came to be this way or how it has stayed like this for so long.

For our return walk the clouds completely cleared, showing us some of the views we had missed on the way up. With no cloud cover, the sun was strong, so we were pretty glad to not have been walking up at that time. We stopped at Lake Poway Concession for some snacks and a well-deserved break, to relax and take in the serenity of the lake before heading back to San Diego, all before 1pm.

My tips:

• Go early – cheaper Ubers, less traffic means less travel time. Also there are less people hiking at this time, which means not so many people at the Potato chip too.
• Take plenty of water, I got through 2 litres but could have drank more!
• Make note of the last bathroom stop – you do not want to be looking for somewhere to go to the bathroom off the beaten track. I was mostly scared of stepping on snakes!
• Take snacks or stock up at the Concession, it’s very reasonably priced too.
• Wear sunscreen or a hat, the sun comes out of nowhere and it’s intense. I wore a hat, which I was thankful for because I sweated a lot!
• Watch out for snakes – don’t step onto ground you cannot see.
• Stop and look up – we saw some amazing birds of prey overhead, but when you’re watching your feet these can easily be missed.

 

Key Stats

Start: Lake Poway, Poway

Distance: Roughly 13kms/8 miles around trip.

Duration: 3.5-4 hours round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Cost: Free (Taxi/Uber fare $40 roughly each way to CBD)

Recommend/Go again: Yes, loved it.

 

A few months ago I stumbled across a mini 50ml pot of Vita Coco’s Organic Coconut Oil and it got me thinking – how much space I could save in my liquids bag with coconut oil and how many other products could this replace?

 

I get just as frustrated as the next person when it comes to limiting my liquids in my carry on (the same rules apply to us crew). I often don’t need to check in a case for a short trip or tour around Europe, so I am always looking for ways to condense my luggage and replace items with more sustainable and multi-tasking products.

 

From skin care to sweetening my morning coffee, this oil is a flight attendants best kept secret. Packing light has never been so easy.

1. Makeup Remover– ditch the make up wipes, not only are they not very environmentally friendly but the author of The Skin Bible Dr.Anjali Mahtosays that using make up wipes spreads bacteria around your face, meaning that your skin is more likely to breakout. I like to use a small amount of coconut oil, applied to my top eyelid, which I then wipe away with a soft tissue or cotton pad taking the make up with it. It’s great if you have sensitive skin too and it also acts as an anti aging moisturiser! Win, win.

 

1. Pre + Post flight moisturiser– We all know how flying can cause your skin can dry out, so I like to prevent this by moisturising with coconut oil before and then after showering, post flight. The oil is solid at room temp, but when rubbed into warm skin soon becomes easy to spread evenly, it also smells great!

 

2. Shaving cream – because shaving foam is such a waste of space in our liquids bag, and the cheap hotel shower gel just wont cut it. I have used coconut oil for years to shave my legs and underarms! Not only is it great for sensitive skin like mine, it helps lock in moisture too. Smooth a thin layer over clean and slightly damp skin – I use plenty when shaving to get that extra smooth finish. Rinse away the left overs or simply pat dry.

 

3. Coffee creamer– If you’re like me – can’t drink black coffee and cannot stand the mini UHT milks that hotels provide then just ½ a teaspoon of coconut oil will add a sweet and silky texture to your coffee in just a few stirs. Remember though coconut oil is high in saturated fat and adds calories too, so be mindful how much you are using if you are watching your energy intake.

 

4. Teeth whitener/ Breath freshener – As a natural antibacterial, coconut oil is great for getting rid of smells, including in your mouth! I like to use it as a mouthwash between brushes, and it also helps remove stains naturally.

 

5. Homemade Exfoliator– No need to pack all of your cleansers, or exfoliates.Simply combine coconut oil with one of your complimentary hotel sugar sachets or coffee grounds to create a chemical free homemade face and body scrub.

 

6. Shoe polish – sounds strange but when “looking the part” is vital in your job, this one is a great little trick! Simply rub some coconut oil onto some cloth or tissue to give your dull leather shoes some shine again.

 

Coconut oil recently got a bit of a bad reputation, however when consumed in moderation can be healthy oil for cooking and baking. Whether you are team coconut oil or not, you cannot deny how versatile it is!

Calling all current and previous cabin crew/flight attendants!

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are collecting data to help understand how occupational exposures impact the health of crew. This is REALLY important for anyone who flys as the long term impacts on occupational health are still not fully understood!

The survey is completely confidential – it is IRB security protected so your identity is not known and all of your information will never be shared with the public or your employer.

Why am I telling you this? The last Harvard study conducted in 2007(in the U.S) highlighted that cabin crew had several major health related issues, which became more prominent the longer they remained in the occupation.

These included:
• The prevalence of respiratory disease amongst flight attendants was approximately three times that found in the general U.S. population.

• In addition, sleep disorders, fatigue, depression and heart disease were greatly increased in female Flight Attendants compared to the U.S. population.

• Female flight attendants reported 34% more reproductive cancers.

• Health conditions that increased with longer job tenure as a flight attendant were chronic bronchitis, heart disease in females, skin cancer, hearing loss, depression and anxiety, even after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, education, and smoking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would encourage crew to take the survey, it doesn’t take longer than 30 mins, and with enough participants it could lead to changes in legislation around flying and hopefully improved working conditions!
🔍You can download the full report taken from 2007 to see the results for yourself and to fill in the survey here..

 

 

I’ve teamed up with the publishers at @aerophotographs to bring you my 24- hour city guide to one of my all time favourite destinations – Cape Town!

I am lucky enough to have flown here over 10 times in the last few years with my airline, but with only 1 local night to spend here on each trip I have managed to narrow down my “must see” to-do list!

From sunrise to sunset, from where to eat and where to find the best views I’ve got you covered!

To read the full guide head over to:

https://www.aerophotographs.co.uk/single-post/2018/04/10/24hrs-in-Cape-Town-With-theflyingfitfoodie

 

 

 

Never in a MILLION years did I ever see myself featuring on such a huge fitness platform as BodyBuilding.com but here I am!

The article is about motivation and staying fit in the most unlikely of places. As you know I love to think outside the box when it come to my training. But for the other two athletes mentioned alongside me (Alcindo Soares and Jacques Sayagh) – well, I will let you see for yourself the extremes they have gone to, in very surprising circumstances to ensure their fitness remains a top priority!

To read the full article and hopefully feel a little inspired and make the most out of any situation click here…

https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-world-is-their-gym-3-athletes-who-stay-fit-in-the-unlikeliest-places.html

 

Since my flying career started I’ve been on a mission to live the healthiest life I can, whilst still having fun travelling the globe! Along the way I’ve been asked by so many of my colleagues, friends and family how I stay on track with my health and fitness, so it got me thinking.

If you already follow me on here and also on my Instagram @theflyingfitfoodie then you know that I am always sharing what I am up to, what and where I’m eating, and what work outs I’m doing! I share all my tips and experiences with everyone who wants to hear it!

So I kept asking myself, how can I put together something that can help others like me stay healthy, in a fun and easy way?

With the help from my partner in crime, P.T @seanellison and his brother @samellison (tech wizard!) we have created the perfect program that we love to use ourselves and hope others will too!

We’ve called it ‘The Lean Life’ because we don’t believe in diets to ‘get lean quick’ we believe that if you consume the right foods and live an active lifestyle you should naturally find yourself feeling a lot lighter and have more energy. You’ll be confident enough to hit the beach any time of the year, like me I never know where I am going next, so I love being able to throw on a bikini and feel body confident any time! Which this program enables me to do and can for you too.

I am a massive foodie (the giveaway is in the name!) and don’t agree with restriction or eating foods you don’t enjoy just to look a certain way. So we created over 50 delicious healthy recipes to go with the program. I like to have food with me when I am flying, so lots of the dishes are travel friendly, can be annoyed at altitude and still taste awesome.

Whats included?

√  Each week for the first 6 weeks we’ve created a small module to help you learn something new about this lifestyle, to help you swap your old habits that are holding you back for new ones. You’ll learn the basics about nutrition, hydration, sleep and how to keep up your progress.

√  Over 50 Omnivore, Vegetarian and Vegan meal options.

√  X4 workouts a week, including at least one a week that can be done with no equipment, perfect for when you’re travelling or doing anywhere.

√  After the first 6 week the program splits into two, one for male and one for female. Because realistically, we both want different things, so we modified the workouts to suit everyone!

√  Progress tracking; you can do your own little fitness check up, to see how you’re improving!

√  We have set up www.theleanlife.co.uk to offer everyone who downloads the program  24/7 support.

√  New workouts posted each week to work out to and more healthy meal inspiration.

√  A FREE 7-day taster for you to try before you buy!

√  User friendly PDF to download to your iBooks to use anytime.

Want more info?

Check out the website for yourself and download our free 7-day taster to get you started.

You can also sign up to regular updates via our Facebook page for recipes and workout inspiration!

 

With Bangkok’s reputation for parties and dodgy street food, I never thought it would actually end up being on my guilty pleasures list of places to visit.

After school I never made to pilgrimage around Asia to ‘find myself’ or have a ‘Gap Yahh’ to explore Buddhist Temples and rave at Full Moon Parties. Instead I moved to Melbourne, I worked there and travelled as much as I could for two years before returning back to the U.K. Bangkok was never really on the radar for me or on my most wanted list, but when I saw the code BKK appear on my roster, I was intrigued and excited to be exploring a new corner of the world.

I have been to Bangkok 3 times now with my airline, for six days in total. Each trip has been completely different and I’ve seen a different side to this crazy city with each visit. My first trip was shortly after their King, had passed away last year. The country was in a state of mourning (a whole year to be precise) but it didn’t really affect me as a visitor, only that a few roads at the time were closed for processions, meaning I had to catch a boat up the river instead to see some temples, which ended up being a really great way to see another side of Bangkok, and to see some floating markets, something I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. In terms of culture, Bangkok is brimming with temples and shrines, but if you’re only going to see one make sure it’s the Sleeping Buddha. A huge golden Buddha who is led down “asleep” it is a pretty impressive sight, and a little different to the more commonly seen seated Buddhas.

My advise to you if you want to get around Bangkok is try and use the train line wherever possible, it’s super easy to use and the by far the cheapest way to get around. Yes, a Tuk Tuk is fun and definitely a must if you’ve never had a ride in one but save them for short journeys not during rush hour, otherwise you may as well walk if the traffic is bad. I’d never seen a city whose traffic jams are comparable to London, until coming here – yes I’m ashamed to say I still haven’t been to NYC! If you were thinking about cycling around this city, I would reconsider your options, the pavements are fairly ropey and at times the roads non existent, even sticking to the main roads you still have the pot holes and crazy local drivers to contend with!

Walking is the best option for short distances, but keep your belongings safe and don’t wear flip-flops! My first two trips went fine, until my recent trip I was out walking in flip-flops when the heavens opened. For over an hour it poured, I couldn’t hail a taxi and I was miles away from my hotel. The roads quickly became rivers, which meant that crossing them in flip-flops became near impossible because you’re essentially wading through a river full of rubbish and dirt

One thing that will never leave me is the smell of Bangkok, which is especially pungent when it’s hot and wet, which is most of the time.

For all of Bangkok’s weirdness I have really enjoyed each of my trips, by looking beyond the typical tourist attractions of the red lights and pingpong shows I’ve managed to find some peaceful corners of this crazy city.

I am strangely proud to say that (so far!) each time I’ve managed to not get food poisoning, be robbed or mugged off too badly as a tourist – well at least I think I haven’t on that last one. I also think that going vegetarian has also helped me out hugely too on the food poisoning front. In two out of three trips I have returned home with one crew member less, with one often falling victim to Bangkok Belly.

With that said, I’ve compiled a list of fun things I like to do in Bangkok, and a couple of my favourite places to eat too if you’re looking for somewhere tried and tested!

Get A Thai Massage

An experience I won’t forget in a hurry… At the most authentic massage parlours you shouldn’t expect to pay much. Leave your shoes at the door and slip into some linen PJs for a full body experience for only 150BKT – around £3.50 (not including tip). Be prepared to get into some funky positions, clicked, cracked, elbowed and not to mention stood on. Your personal masseuse will leave NO stone unturned, so get ready for those knots in your neck to have some serious attention, by attention I mean borderline torture.

Drop In Cross Fit Class

If you wanted to escape to smog of the city and really get some air into your lungs, check out Aspire Club, conveniently placed right by the Asok stop on the BTS Skytrain. They have a range of classes including Cross Fit, which they host on the roof! The setting makes a challenging workout more interesting, but being outside also means there’s no aircon and Bangkok is humid! Be prepared to get sweaty and don’t forget to strap your hands and chalk up!

Yoga Fly @ The Pilates Station

Take the weight off with this super fun class that combines yoga, acrobatics, Pilates and dance. Don’t be fooled by the petite Thai instructor she means business, with no slacking under her watch – you will feel the burn and your balance will be seriously put to the test  in this hour long class designed to strengthen and stretch your muscles.

May Veggie Home

Keen to try out some authentic Thai food with a difference? Then look no further, May Veggie was the first ever all vegan Thai restaurant in Bangkok. The animal product free menu has so many local flavours to try, the food is fresh and colourful. I loved the Thai green curry, rainbow spring rolls and baked tofu with a classic satay dipping sauce.

Shopping at The MBK Market

I’m not a huge shopping fan but this market has it all; handbags and sunglasses to the elephant print pants that you can pass off as originals from your gap year back in 2010. Wow that makes me feel old. Plus if you fancy your hand at bartering for a good price, you are sure to get a bargain for your souvenirs.

An Inversion Yoga Class

Get upside down in more ways than one at Yogatique’s intermediate class. Set to some soulful tunes and the empowering voice of Minh your inspiring instructor, you are mentally prepared for a decent class; the other give away is the full to the brim studio of regulars. You will get into some funky variations and explore some alternative head and shoulder stands, as well as working on your overall strength and stamina. Without doubt one of the most testing yoga classes I’ve been to.

Broccoli Revolution

Another all vegan restaurant but this one might offer a sweet escape if you’ve over done it on the scorpion skewers. Broccoli Revs is my ideal food joint, yes we are talking smoothie bowls, quinoa burgers and green juices galore. It’s also just a pretty cool place to hangout if want to relax with a coffee and escape the passing deluge.