24 June, 2009

HFB's Very Own "Much Effort, Little Effort" Video!

Almost a month has passed since HFB took on the SOYJOY GI-Joy Blogger's Challenge. It has been a tough but fun journey, and along the way, HFB even pick up the winner tag for Task 2 - "How I like to Enjoy SOYJOY Best" with his very own created Secret SOYJOY Salad Recipe.

With the challenge now coming to a close (yep, this is the last challenge), kindly allow me to present to you my very own "Much effort, Little effort" video. HFB dedicate this video to those who faced the same inner demons like HFB during noon in office, or at home. Hope you enjoy it!


And this is the last week to vote for HFB - so do remember to vote for him every 3 hours!!! And also do leave your comments if you love the video!


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15 June, 2009

Congratulations to Winners of SOYJOY & Glycemic Index - What Say You? Contest

Congratulations! The following are the prize winners of SOYJOY & Glycemic Index - What Say You? Weight Management Tip Contest. All winners will be contacted shortly.

1st Prize: Autographed copy of Celebrity Chef Bobby Chinn’s Wild, Wild East
dayanmei - "Place your fork down between bites and learn to appreciate your food."

HFB totally agree with this statement. Like wine, I feel that people should learn to appreciate food - the techniques, the style, etc. by the chef - not just merely consuming it.

2nd Prize: $40 Food Junction voucher
Benedict - "Why not have a soyjoy for lunch?"

Although HFB wouldn't recommend that since SOYJOY bar isn't meant to be a meal replacement - alas, his hard-sell tactics won him the prize!

3rd Prize: $20 Food Junction voucher
raz - "Its best that u break your fast with nutrition n low fat breakfast. no you tiao, no nasi lemak, no deep fried food. no high carbo food."

It reminded HFB to cut down on his high carb intake during breakfast. I like!!!


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11 June, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - Breakfast @ Cafe211

Cafe 211 located @ Holland Road Shopping Centre

Roof Terrace Café

Hidden Paradise - Discover the Magic!

Breakfast Set A ($7.00) - Choice of Egg (Sunny-side or Scrambled) w Crispy Streaky Bacon with Whole Meal Bread, Butter & Jam - Look at those Bacon. Yummy!

The Scrambled Egg

Breakfast Set B ($6.50) - Choice of Egg (Sunny-side or Scrambled) w Sliced Honey Baked Ham with Whole Meal Bread, Butter & Jam

Love the Ham!

The Whole Meal Bread with Butter

Cafe Latte ($5.00)

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09 June, 2009

SOYJOY & Glycemic Index - What Say You?

Dear HFB,

You are a food blogger, but how do you maintain your weight? Is it because of SOYJOY? What exactly is this SOYJOY bar, what does it consist of?

Well, SOYJOY bar is made of high-quality, non-genetically modified whole soybeans. And whole soy contains rich fibre and heart-healthy soy nutrients that is packed full of antioxidant isoflavones, high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fiber, and all nine amino acids essential to human nutrition. Plus, whole soy is low in saturated fat and cholesterol free, i.e. SOYJOY bar is THE choice for your body.

And what’s with all the talk about Glycemic Index (GI)? What exactly is it? And how is it helpful to our bodies?
The Glycemic Index is a numerical index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their conversion to glucose within the human body). The index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic Index (GI) of 100.

Your body performs best when your blood sugar is kept relatively constant. Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. If your blood sugar drops too low, you become lethargic and/or experience increased hunger. And if it goes too high, your brain signals your pancreas to secrete more insulin.

Insulin brings your blood sugar back down, but primarily by converting the excess sugar to stored fat. Also, the greater the rate of increase in your blood sugar, the more chance that your body will release an excess amount of insulin, and drive your blood sugar back down too low.

Therefore, when you eat foods that cause a large and rapid glycemic response, you may feel an initial elevation in energy and mood as your blood sugar rises, but this is followed by a cycle of increased fat storage, lethargy, and more hunger!

So what are some examples of low GI and high GI foods?
Refer to table below:


GL = GI/100 x Net Carbs
(Net Carbs are equal to the Total Carbohydrates minus Dietary Fiber)


Interestingly, nutritionists used to believe that all simple sugars digested quickly and caused a rapid rise in blood sugar, and that the opposite was true for "complex carbohydrates". But that's not always the case. While many sweet and sugary foods do have high GI's, some starchy foods like Potatoes or White Bread score even higher than honey or table sugar (sucrose)!

So what happens if you maintain a low GI diet?
- Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
- Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
- Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
- Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
- Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
- Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance

Also, switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals. So when you are really hungry in the afternoon, eating snacks high in sugar and low in healthful nutrients e.g. chocolate bars can cause an unhealthy spike and then crash in blood sugar. SOYJOY, however, is baked with a delicious combination of whole soy, real fruit and other all-natural ingredients that are converted to energy gradually by the body, making it the perfect afternoon snack!

***CONTEST***

Have a good weight management diet to share with fellow food lovers? All you have to do is to share your tip in the comment box with your name/nick and email address by 14 June (Sunday). Best three tips stand to win attractive prizes!

1st Prize: Autographed copy of Celebrity Chef Bobby Chinn’s Wild, Wild East
2nd Prize: $40 Food Junction voucher
3rd Prize: $20 Food Junction voucher


Disclaimer: Only one unique answer is allowed per user. Answer entered after 14 June 2359hrs, will not be entitled to the prizes. Winners will be notified by email. All decisions made by the publisher are final.

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03 June, 2009

Tetsu Returns with New Menu

After months of intense preparation, Tetsu is proud to present their exciting new menu. With the lunch crowd in mind, they have even offered a variety of items for those looking for a quick meal with their no-fuss Bento set and Katsu Curry Rice. The latter at $16.50 per serving isn’t exactly cheap, but certainly makes an ideal lunch dish. Specially created for the local palates, Tetsu’s version of curry is smooth and not too overbearing. However, HFB did find the curry a little too sour for his liking.

The Sashimi Salad ($9.80) is ideal for those interested for a quick and light lunch, as well as a refreshing appetiser for two to share. The generous portion of sashimi pieces consisted of Maguro, Salmon and Tako and nicely drizzled with Wafu dressing.

If one is keen for a little game of Russian roulette, you can do so with a mere $10.00 to savour the Fugu Mirin Boshi, or Dried Puffer Fish. The fish snack was chewy and addictive, akin to Bak Gwa, but otherwise lacked the wow factor.

The Renkon Chips, or Deep-fried Lotus Root ($4.00) was surprisingly delectable. Despite its humble appearance, the chef painstakingly prepared each chip by slicing with the finest, thinnest precision and fried at the exact temperature to achieve its crisp texture.

This was not the first time that HFB sampled a Kawa Ebi Karaage, or Deep-fried River Shrimps. For $8.00, one can pop a mouthful of entire shrimp into your mouth and enjoy the crunch. However, for reasons unknown to HFB, it just wasn’t as satisfying as my previous experience here.

The Kamasu Shio, or the Barracuda prepared with salt base ($18.00) was very sweet and fresh. A seasonal fish that Tetsu brings in on occasions, one has to be fortunate to taste it. However, the only irk was the numerous tiny bones within its flesh.

The highlight of the day was definitely the Special Tetsu Sushi Roll that was specially brought out by Chef Ken. An off-the-menu item, it consisted of a mixture of tuna and salmon that was fried and rolled within seaweed, coupled with the outer crust coated with sesame seeds and crispy crumbs. The whole package provided a crunchy finishing that was all but satisfying.

The Salmon Belly Sashimi was definitely not something new, but Chef Ken was generous enough when HFB mentioned he was actually craving for some raw fish. Thick, oily piece of fish – this is how every sashimi should be! Perfect.

The Yaki Niku, or Beef Tenderloin was hand-grilled producing a succulent piece of meat. It was good on its own, but HFB did find the accompanied sauce a little too overwhelming sweet, paralleled to that of char siew.

If beef is not your type of meat, one might opt for the Buta No Shogayaki, or Stir-fried Pork with Ginger ($13.50) instead. The meat was tender, but perhaps owing to personal preference, HFB did not quite take to the dish.

The Anago or Seawater Eel ($15.00 for a pair) came different from the usual sushi. Wrapped nicely into a ball, it came served with a spoon. Halved it and one could find warm flavoured rice instead of the usual cold sushi rice. It was definitely something different and another unique creation by Chef Ken.

The best way to round off a meal is to finish it with a dessert. And how wrong could one go with the winning combination of Macha Ice Cream with Azuki & Shiratama ($4.80).

However, if one preferred a palate cleansing dessert, the newly introduced Yuzu Ice Cream on Strawberry Sorbet ($5.80) would suit you instead. With a hint of tangerine, grapefruit and pine, one would be awed by the delicate and subtle taste.


163 Tanglin Road
#03-18 Tanglin Mall
Singapore 247933

Disclaimer: No ratings would be given, as this is an invited taste test. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Pris, Jason, Chef Ken and Tetsu for their generous hospitality.

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01 June, 2009

Secret SOYJOY Salad Recipe - How HFB Enjoy SOYJOY Best

How you would enjoy SOYJOY best? Enjoy it over a cup of hot brew coffee? Or snack at it in the cinema while watching movie, when others are munching over their popcorns and nachos? Well, if you ask HFB, he enjoys his SOYJOY best over his healthy serving of salad. In fact, it’s so yummy that he is going to share his secret SOYJOY Salad Recipe with all you readers out there!



Ingredients
  1. 2 bars of SOYJOY Bars (flavours pending individual’s preference)
  2. 50-100g of Steamed Chicken Breast, Shredded
  3. Small Servings of Cherry Tomatoes, Halves
  4. Small Servings of Strawberries, Halves
  5. Thinly Sliced Onions
  6. Mesclun Salad (Can be purchased ready-packed from supermarket)
  7. 10g Sunflower Seeds
  8. 10g Walnut, Roasted & Crushed
  9. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
  10. Salt
Method
  1. Cut (1) into cubes. Set aside.
  2. Mixed (3), (5) & (6) evenly with (9). You can be slightly generous with (9).
  3. Add (2), (4). Mixed well.
  4. Sprinkle (1), (7) and (8).
  5. Add a dash of (10) to taste.
  6. Can serve for two.
If you must know, HFB prefers using SOYJOY Raisin Almond for this recipe. And he thinks SOYJOY Salad is good for breakfast, lunch, or tea break!

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