My #no cheat october journey

With October drawing to an close so does my health and fitness venture #No Cheat October, a movement instigated by Instagram encouraging followers to put shortly “cut the crap” and live cleanly if only for one month. However through this somewhat simple idea I discovered that both the physical AND mental benefits I received far surpassed any of my initial expectations. It has provided me with healthy new habits that I will not only carry into the next few months but for years to come.

The rules for #nocheatoctber were simple, and participants were to document their physical progress along with their clean eating culinary prowess, work-out regimens and fitspiration via their Instagram accounts;

Rule number 1. Clean eating – essentially just cut the crap, no junk food, no sugary sweets or drinks, heavily processed foods or bad fats. Clean and green all the way

Rule number 2. Work out – my personal goal was to do some form of exercise everyday whether it be a gym workout, yoga, a walk or bike ride… whatever but at least something daily.

And rule number 3. No alcohol – given my previous antics this was a hard one to kick.

In the end the ultimate goal for followers was to reach a new level of fitness, “great” I thought; Lose a bit of weight, tone up and feel a bit better…. Piece of cake (or not) and that was all I expected to gain out of it.

Lost Revolution

Once again today I was asked where my amazing adornments are from. This happens to me all the time so I’ve decided to finally share with you my latest jewellery obsession. Earlier this year I worked on the look book of jewellery line ‘Lost Revolution’, and I have been sporting it ever since. Designer Hannah Smith draws inspiration from the Earth's own raw, organic creations in oxidised hand crafted silver, with raw luminous crystal shards and black diamonds to create beautiful statement pieces. My personal favourites are the ‘In-between’ and ‘Black Silence’ Rings as well as my ‘Forget Me Not’ Ear Cuff. You can check out the entire collection and shop online at http://www.lostrevolution.com.au or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LostRevolution?fref=ts

xxFox

Blue Boy Vegetarian Food Market

This place was a little difficult to find but if your in the mood for some authentic Malaysian vegetarian food its defiantly worth it. Blue Boy is run by a lovely couple who took over the market and turned it into a veggie heaven some 20 years ago. I was greeted by the owner himself who is a very entreating character, to be honest I found the experience at first a little over whelming not being familiar with the style of food itself but he was more than happy to help, so I left it up to him. He brought over his favorite dish “fried kueh teow”. But you can find stalls selling burgers; they also have fully vegetarian nasi lemak, char kuey teow, mee jawa, yong tau foo, prawn mee, lam mee, curry laksa, and even assam laksa, among other vegetarian delights. Despite being a little oily (as is all Malaysian food is so beware) the dishes were amazing. All for around rm 4 (that’s on $1.30 aud!!) a dish

Although vegetarian is not so hard to find around KL it was the compassion and love for what they were doing from the owners and staff that really touched me about this place. Their awareness and caring way of life that made you feel instantly welcome. Blue Boy also holds a small vegetarian store for you the check out.

xxFox

Blue Boy Vegetarian Centre


No 6001, Blue Boy Mansion


Off Tingkat Tung Shin


Kuala Lumpur

Open daily, 7.30am-9.30pm

Pinterest

who isn't addicted really? 

xxFox&Bear

Jan Powers Farmers Market

Powerhouse Farmer's Market

Jan Powers Farmers Market is a colorful open-air market, selling farm fresh produce, artisan products, beautiful flowers, organics and other local wares. You can pick up some tasty treats to eat there or take home such as cakes & pastries, organic cheeses, jams, antipasti, dumplings, yakitori, fresh fruit juice, specialty brewed coffee & the best bagels I’ve ever tasted. A lot of the stores are run by the farmers or the producers themselves, so you can really get to know where your food is coming from, and fully understand the time & care that has gone into producing it. The stores are always changing, so there is always something new and exciting to try.

Today I picked up some organic strawberries & a little sweet treat from the chocolate store, and I fell in love with all the vintage home wares. I find that the general standard of produce at these markets is a little higher then some of the publicly run markets. The markets are held in various locations throughout the month, including the Powerhouse every second Saturday, Queen Street on a Wednesday, Mitchelton and Manly. I just moved offices into the city, so I will definitely be hitting up the market for a healthy lunch & something yummy for dinner on a Wednesday.

For more info & locations, head to http://www.janpowersfarmersmarkets.com.au/index.php

xxBear

Body Balance

Incorporating a mix of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, Body Balance is a workout class that builds flexibility and strength and leaves you feeling centred and calm. Controlled breathing, concentration and a carefully structured series of stretches, moves and poses to music create a holistic workout that brings the body into a state of harmony and balance. Other benefits include;

•  Improve your joint flexibility and range of movement  
• Increase your core strength 
• Improve your cardio-vascular function 
• Burn calories
• Reduce your stress levels
• Provide a lasting sense of well-being and calm
• Focus your mind and raise your level of consciousness

The class has 45 minutes of exercises then 10 minutes of relaxation. It’s low impact, and as with all Les Mills classes there are options for beginners right through to the most advanced yogi’s! We took our mummy dearest along a couple of weeks ago and she loved it -Which considering she has never been to a gym & has some lower back pain is definitely a great testament to the Body Balance class. We try to go to this class at least twice a week for a good stretch & to clear the mind, but it is also nice if you are looking for once in a while de-stress. Be warned the Pilates-based abs track in the middle is a killer!

xx Fox & Bear

Beautiful Junk

 

Today I found heaven…Or just book lovers heaven. Located near the busy Central Market of K, just 10 minute walk from the very popular tourist destination of China Town lays JUNK. Junk Book Store is known as the largest bookstore for second-hand and used books in Kuala Lumpur. Junk Houses thousands of book titles, magazines, comic books, and also LP records. Luckily for me Junk also has an extensive collection of foreign language books, including everything from classic favorites to recent best sellers. Among the millions of books are many specially selected rare, out-of-print and collectables to discover. Needless to say I spent awhile digging through the musty shelves, totally caught up in the ambiance of this magical place’s old library feel. Then of course did not leave empty handed, picking up a few titles from my summer reading list. At only $6 AUD each…It was hard to say no. 

xxFox

The perks of being a wallflower

Recently I re-read one of my favourite books from my early adolescence. ‘The perks of being a wallflower’ is an epistolary novel written by Stephen Chbosky. The letters are written by an alias named Charlie, a character who at the time I felt highly akin to. They detail his experiences as he tries to navigate high school years, focusing on introversion and the awkward times of adolescence in truthful detail. During the course of the school year, Charlie has his first date and his first kiss, deals with bullies, experiments with drugs and drinking, and he makes friends, loses them, and gains them back. He creates his own soundtrack through a series of mix tapes full of iconic songs and through his close relationship with his English teacher Bill, reads a huge stack of classic books. So in honour of the ‘The Perks of being a wallflower’ film adaptation release in September, I’ve decided to read (or re-read) each of the books passed from Bill to Charlie as my own summer reading list.

And here they are:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

 This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

      Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

    Walden by Henry David Thoreau

     Hamlet by William Shakespeare

     The Stranger by Albert Camus

     The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand  

The film is set to be released in September 2012, starring Emma Watson. I am very excited to see how this awkward wallflower comes to life.

xxFox

Chet Faker

Chet Faker

One artist we absolutley can't get enough of right now is Chet Faker. Hailing from the tight-knit deep disco scene in Melbourne, Australia and taking elements from an acoustic past, Chet faker makes smooth sexy tunes that have been ruling the internet for the past 12 months. His cover of Blackstreet's classic No Diggity is a stand out, as is Terms & Conditions, Ciggaretes & Chocolate and my personal favourite I'm into you which is perfect for Sunday chills. You can catch Chet at St Jeromes Laneway festival which is touring Australia, New Zealand & Singapore in January and in the mean time listen to this wonderful bearded man's EP at his website http://chetfaker.com.

  xx Bear

Milk From A Thistle

In February this year I had the pleasure of working with Sydney fashion label Milk From A Thistle on their latest Spring Summer collection. The shoot was filled with stunning prints, bright pops of colour and classic stripe screen prints all on 100% silk and cotton. Not to mention they are designed and made in Australia, by the absolutely delightful Danielle Atkinson.

The super wearable cuts include flowing maxi dresses, light tunics, breezy skirts and button up shirts as well as blazers, tanks and shorts to mix and match. All perfect for the hot summer ahead. Naturally, I’m obsessed with everything in their “fox field” print. Will definitely be adding plenty of pieces to my wardrobe.

If your in Brisbane you can check out Milk from a thistle’s latest collection at blonde venus, in the valley. As well as many of other stockists around Australia OR online at http://www.milkfromathistle.com

xxFox

Homemade breakfast booster

As my time in the morning is often limited, I wanted a way to save me some time and still make sure I was having a healthy nutritious breakfast. I had come across “Pura Veda” some time ago and have been enjoying it, however it had became a bit of a pricey habit not to mention I couldn’t always get it while travelling.

So I decided to come up with my own blend of seeds, grains and dried fruits as a new substitute. Prepared once at the start of the week and ready to go when I need it has been saving me so much time. Its perfect for sprinkling on top of my mourning Greek yogurt & Oatmeal or blended into smoothies and baked into breads

My blend includes an omega mix off seeds containing 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, vitamins E, B and D and rich in protein for your healthy well being :

Raw certified organic sunflower kernel

pumpkin seed

flax seed

sesame seed 

organic chia seed

As well as a mixture of ancient grains containing essential nutrients, fibre, protein, amino-acids and vitamin B :

organic buckwheat

organic millet

organic quinoa

organic amaranth 

mixed in with some yummy goiji berries, organic sultanas and psyllium husk. I keep stored in the fridge and its ready to go!

xxFox

National Nude Food Day

As part of National Nutrition Week, Today is National Nude Food Day, an event created in 2010 by Nude Food Movers that encourages individuals to make their lunch a healthy, nutritious and environmentally friendly meal by filling it with fresh food and eliminating all unnecessary wrapping! 

 Nude Food Day is also a great opportunity to take a closer look at what you’re eating for lunch. The aim is to create more awareness about healthy foods and healthy lifestyle choices so there can be more happy and healthy bodies on our healthy planet! The day encourages people to change their eating habits, and draw attention to the amount of land fill that is generated from food packaging. 

I’m taking part & today I’ve packed a banana whose skin I will put in the work compost bin, and a yummy salad in my BPA free lunch box (although it’s not too far from my usual daily lunch). Last year over 1million Australians & New Zealanders took part in the event. Jamie Oliver is also a ambassador for the movement.  Head over to http://www.nudefoodday.com.au/ for more details, and to pledge your allegiance to Nude Food!

xxBear