If you’re reading this, I’m still in Hong Kong for business and already experienced so much culture and authentic cuisine. A few days ago, I learned about an interesting Chinese herbal remedy to fight colds: Boiled Coca Cola with Ginger and Lemon.

What!

Chinese medicine revolves around the observation of the human body and nature and alternative medicine using herbs, accupuncture and massage.  Chinese medicine is not necessarily science backed, but more based around theories and practices. Some remedies may show to be effective, while others may only be placebo. 

I believe in the power of the mind to heal and repair the body but I don’t know if anyone can convince me to drink boiled coke, ginger and lemon! Ha ha ha..

Let’s take a look at some crazy Soda facts!

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coke into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing” sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminium foil dipped in Coke.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coke over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coke to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coke into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminium foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coke will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

For Your Information

1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry coke syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!

Oh boy! Until now, there is no cure for the common cold, just herbal remedies to soothe the symptoms. Instead of high fructose corn syrup Coke, try some hot tea, proper nutrition and rest.

Do you know of any other crazy remedies that we might all find interesting?

As you know, I’m still in Hong Kong and have been indulging in traditional chinese dishes. Instead of drinking my Vita-mix blended Green Monster shake (kale, ginger, apple & protein), I have been having healthy soups and veggies for breakfast instead. Buk Choy and mushrooms are nutrient rich and contain cancer-fighting compounds that are very popular items on the chinese menu, so I thought that I would showcase a similar like recipe for you to try as well.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 bok choy , chopped
• 5-6 scallions (green onions), sliced
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 2 tsp sesame oil

Preparation:

• Saute garlic and mushrooms in sesame oil and soy sauce for a few minutes
• Throw in your buk choy and scallions for a few more minutes
• Pour vegetable broth and ginger on top and lower heat
• Simmer for 10 minutes

As you can see from this recipe, Asian cuisine takes minimal time and provides so much nutrients. I love this dish alone, but feel free to top it over some whole grain rice or even some rice noodles.

If you haven’t been following the HBO series True Blood, then I highly suggest you make some time to do so.

True Blood is a show about the co-existence of humans and vampires that takes place in a small town in Louisiana. Unlike other cheesy vampire shows, this one always seems to keep me on edge with its twisted plots and amazing character development.

Speaking of characters, the True Blood cast are all in amazing shape and I can’t help but be inspired to hit the gym after every episode. I was so impressed with everyone’s physique that I decided to do a little research on how they stay fit!

Let’s check out a few of my favorite characters and how they maintain their hot bodies!

Ladies, I’m going to start off with showcasing my favorite character Ryan Kwanten aka Jason “Sexy” Stackhouse.’

Ryan loves prefers training outdoors and focuses on functional strength over body building. His philosophy is that there is always time to workout. He utilizes every free minute even on the set by sneaking some pushups, stretches and shadow boxing. Instead of hitting the treadmill, Ryan loves running on trails and beaches. Ryan is a big believer in challenging his body “There’s a lot to be said for muscle confusion,” he says. “The moment you have monotony, your muscles can fall asleep. Variety makes you much more balanced.”  He loves weight training using his own body weight like pushups, pull ups, sit ups and jump rope. To prep for his shirtless scenes, his stripped his diet down to protein and veggies, cutting out refined carbs and alcohol.

Rutina Wesley aka Tara is built like a brick house! She doesn’t even have to flex her muscles for you to notice her beautifully defined arms. She makes sure she gets 20 minutes of cardio in every day. She is also a huge fan of dancing and enjoys hip hop classes because they give her the freedom to create her own routine while feeling the burn. She used to eat heavy meals like turkey and gravy until she noticed that she felt better eating lighter. She now opts for more salads and snacks. This stunning beauty also makes de-stressing part of her lifestyle and to do that, she joins her husband at the batting cages.

Let’s not forget the most important two characters Bill and Sookie! These two hot stars seem to showcase their almost perfect physiques in every episode.

Stephen Moyer aka Bill Compton is a beach bum who loves to skateboard and do the rings at Santa Monica Beach, which is like the monkey bars for grown ups. He is also a fan of the Wii Gold’s Gym Cardio workout.

Ana Paquin aka Sookie stays in top condition by following a regiment that includes “several times a week of one to two hour-long sweat sessions combining boxing, plyometrics (exercises including bounding and jumping) and weight work with longtime trainer Clay Burwell at his High Performance Gym in New York City.

I can’t wait to get to the gym again!

If you’re reading this, I may have boarded and already in the air headed to my final destination, Hello Kitty world AKA Hong Kong! I am flying non-stop from Newark airport to Hong Kong and the duration of the flight is 16+ hours.

Even though 16 hours in the air might sound crazy to some people, it’s actually relaxing for me. I consider this 16 hours of “Ghada time” when I breathe, relax and collect my thoughts on life.

My bag is always filled with goodies that keep me occupied throughout the flight

I always bring my dorky neck pillow to avoid stressing my neck if I feel like napping or laying back to catch the in-flight movies.

I always seem to go crazy with buying fitness magazines at the airport. I enjoy reading Fitness, Oxygen, Men’s and women’s health, and Clean Eating to get more cooking ideas.

In-flight meals are not appetizing to me so I usually pack my own snacks. I usually pack protein bars, mixed nuts, and veggies to munch on during the flight. Since this is a long flight, I will purchase a few salads to take on board. Hot meals are great but they stink! I’ve learned my lesson after taking baked salmon and broccoli on a flight once and had to endure hours of people snickering at me. Sorry again

My little sansa clip is always traveling with me and filled with the my favorite songs. I love it all from rock to soul.

Flying is fun but it can definitely cause me to get dehydrated from the inside and out. You can spot me at the airport because I’m the girl with 6 bottles of water. I also make sure I heavily apply moisturizer on my face and body. I love my MEG 21, an amazing cream that was discovered through diabetes research.

I tend to always book an aisle seat because I can’t sit still and I’m always going to the bathroom. During this flight, I will be walking back and forth to the bathroom and even sneaking in some exercises and stretches. I’ll be doing arm stretches, calf raises and maybe some arm circles.. lol… I’m serious!

One of my favorite in-flight experiences is making friends. Sparking a conversation with a new person always puts a smile on my face and makes the time go by faster. I even don’t mind sitting next to little kids. I find them amusing and quite relaxing because they’re so innocent and pure. Even their cries don’t irritate me.

I can’t wait to arrive on the other side of the world and indulge in a new culture! I look forward to posting many pictures of my experience and sharing my stories.

Wish me the best! xoxo

My favorite room in the house is my kitchen because I just love to cook! I’m a huge advocate for at-home meals versus dining out. Not only can prepping my own meals keep me on track with my diet by controlling portions and calories, but it also saves me a lot of money.

My kitchen is fully equipped with everything I need to make my food prepping easy and fun. My health is priceless, so sometimes I don’t mind spending a little more money on things that will benefit my body and mind.

Come into my kitchen!

My favorite appliance in the whole house is my baby the Vita-Mix Blender. This little guy cost me some change, but he was worth every penny! Plus, the blade is guaranteed to last up to 15 years.

He’s my protein shaker, fruit and veggie juicer, onion and tomato chopper, ice cream maker and soup creator… I adore him! If you want one of these, here’s a SPECIAL CODE for the smallworld beauty discount 06-004383. You can order it online or call my friend Sue @ 180084822649 X2308. If you watch Chef Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen, you would have noticed that he gifted the entire girl’s team with blenders. Yup! Even Ramsey knows the best of the best when it comes to blenders.

As far as food storage, I invested a little more money in glass pyrex containers to store my food. It’s healthier and lasts forever unless you drop and shatter them, but they’re pretty heavy and I haven’t broken any yet. They’re so easy to clean too. With plastic tupper ware, I notice that certain foods like tomato or balsamic vinegar stains them.

A cutting board is very essential for cutting my fruits and veggies. I prefer a wooden grain cutting board because it’s cuter but it does need special care because if they’re not cleaned properly, then germs can linger. I usually rinse and wash right after use and I even sprinkle salt on it to kill any left over bacteria then rinse again.

One of the most stressing things for me, is trying to cut a vegetable with a dull knife. It raises my blood pressure and takes forever! So, sharp knives should always be handy in the kitchen.

If you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight, it’s really important to control and measure your portions. Measuring cups are always accessible especially when I’m making egg white omelettes, brown rice or even measuring fruit for my shakes.

Instead of wasting money buying cases of plastic water bottles, I’d rather buy a filter jug that last years. All I have to buy is the replacement filters every few months.

Plus, studies have shown that bottled water isn’t as safe as we first thought.

Since I’m a protein and smoothie addict, I’m always in need of ice! My freezer doesn’t make ice so I have ice trays that I fill. Oh! Vita-mix recently sent me a popsicle maker gift! Check it out!

I can’t go a morning without my cup of coffee, and afternoon green tea so a hot water kettle/ coffee maker is definitely a necessity.

Other essentials are my pots and pans, strainers for steaming veggies, stainless steel cutlery and more…

Even though most of my kitchen items may cost a little more than average, I can count on them to perform and last years. Besides, this is not a diet that I’m following, this is my lifestyle

Do you have anything exciting in your kitchen?

Sometimes your taste buds just can’t stop craving sweets, but you feel guilty reaching for those fattening muffins because you just worked so hard at the gym. No fear fitness friends! I have just a sweet surprise that will satisfy you and keep your waistline small.

I’m a coconut junky and I’ve always loved MACAROONS! I recently came across this guilt-free, low carb, zero sugar macaroon recipe that tastes delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetener: splenda, stevia or equal
• 2 tbsp water

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Apply parchment paper on baking pan
• Mix all ingredients well and let concoction sit for a few minutes
• Form your little coconut balls and place in pan (about 14)
• Turn down heat to 325 and bake for 15 minutes

Each little macaroon holds around 80 calories, 2 grams of protein and 1 gram of Net carbs.  I love a little macaroon with some unsweetened chocolate almond milk! Mmmmm

Enjoy!

Guess who I met up with recently?

Yup! I met up with the gorgeous international Dance Hall star,

SEAN PAUL

This picture was taken last week at a secret location in Pennsylvania where Sean Paul performed a private concert to promote his NEW album.

IMPERIAL BLAZE hit stores this week and I was one of the first in line to purchase this must-have record that features his new single “so fine” which has been one of my top favorite workout songs. Another great butt-blasting song is “don’t tease me”.

When I’m burning out and getting close to exhaustion, Sean Paul’s music always revs me up and gives me that extra boost to finish my workouts.

My ipod is never SEAN PAUL free.

Want to hear how I first met Sean Paul?

I met Sean Paul over 9 years ago when I was an 18 year old college girl working with a club promoter for a reggae show. I accidentally ended up back stage with all the reggae bands and since dance hall didn’t hit MTV yet back then, I only knew the artists by their name. I stood among a bunch men and looked and felt awkward. I quickly sparked a conversation with this Middle Eastern looking guy next to me to feel more at ease. A few minutes later, this Middle Eastern person introduced himself as the multi-ethnic mixed with Jamaican, Sean Paul.

The superstar was down-to-earth and welcomed me to hang out all night, introducing me to his road manager Steve Mystic Urchin (me and steve on the left. Love ya Steve!) and the rest of the crew. Since then, we’ve been in touch and they have definitely earned a sweet spot in my heart forever! I appreciate their kindness and genuine efforts to welcome little ol’  me whenever they’re visiting the area.

Since smallworld beauty is a health, fitness and beauty blog, I wanted to share some interesting FITNESS facts about Sean Paul!

Did you know that Sean Paul was and is very athletic?

Yes! Both of his parents were athletes and passed down the talent to Sean too.

Sean Paul represented Jamaica playing water polo and was on the swim team.

Sean Paul still works out everyday and values his health and life. He quotes “Life is a gift and you must treasure it. We’re all here for a certain period of time, and we’re definitely gonna leave one day.”

I love that philosophy!

Ladies! Did you know that Sean Paul worked as a chef after college? Well now you know! Maybe I can get him to feature one of his favorite recipes for a Sunday recipe. I’ll keep you posted.

Anyway, if you haven’t already picked up IMPERIAL BLAZE, make sure you do and upload it to your ipod.

It’s a perfect workout album! Your butt will thank you.

xoxo

There is no doubt that exercise has plenty of benefits for both your body and mind. We understand that cardio is necessary for a healthy heart, and resistance training is beneficial for strengthening bones and building lean muscle.

The more muscle you build, the more fat you’ll burn throughout the day!

That statement is true, but can you guess how many extra calories you actually burn for every pound of muscle?

According to an article published in ACE Fitness Matters:

“[M]uscle tissue has been observed to burn roughly 7 to 10 calories per pound per day, compared to two to three calories per pound per day for fat. Therefore, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you can expect to burn only approximately four to six more calories a day. Given the fact that the average person who strength trains typically gains approximately 3 to 5 pounds of muscle mass over a period of three to four months, the net caloric effect of such a training regimen is very modest—only 15 to 30 calories per day (the equivalent of a few potato chips).“

So just because you’re building more muscle doesn’t mean you have an “all you can eat” card. At the end of the day, it’s the amount of calories burned vs the amount of calories consumed.

Don’t let these facts deter you from lifting weights, because personally I think lean and defined muscle tone is quite sexy on both men and women.

Keep up the great work!

A few weeks ago, Fox Channel premiered a new reality show called “MORE TO LOVE“. The show revolves around Luke Conley, an average overweight successful 26 year old who is searching for his voluptuous Cinderella.

The intro to the show starts by pointing out that the average size of a reality TV star is a size 2, then goes on to state that the true average woman wears a size 16 and then shows images of the curvy contestants.

Now that I have briefed you on the show, I would like to share my thoughts on whether I feel that this show is positive or negative towards overweight individuals.

Since I used to be a voluptuous size 16, I can sympathize with how the contestants feel about their self confidence and lack of hope in finding love because of their weight, BUT I do not feel like this is a positive program and here are a few reasons why.

THE BACHELOR. Choosing a bachelor that is overweight to search for his unfit princess sends out the message that only heavier people will find other heavy individuals attractive. I think the bachelor should have been more slim to showcase that overweight women can catch a man that is thinner than they are if he is truly ignoring physical appearance. There are plenty of thin men out there that appreciate sexy curves. 

THE CONTESTANTS. All the ladies are overweight and insecure and I feel that this show is exploiting them. Their weight and height is displayed on the screen and their constant cries are about how this is their “only” chance of finding love, is saddening. I wish that there was more variety among the contestants ranging from thin to overweight. That way, true reality kicks in and we can really evaluate if the bachelor will go for a curvy woman.

Question… If there was a gorgeous model in the mix, would Luke go for her? Many men will have to answer YES, Luke would definitely pick the Victoria Secret model. If not, then is he truly looking deep beyond the exterior or does he feel unworthy of being with an individual that he thinks is beyond his league?

So with that said, shouldn’t we be concentrating more on reinforcing the importance of selfworth, promoting self confidence and motivating people to be more healthy instead? A show about learning howto truly love yourself and body is more interesting than a negative show like MORE TO LOVE.

Yes, big can be beautiful and I can appreciate that but having experienced being overweight myself, I can attest that it can also be unhealthy. Over 50% of Americans are obese and this is the time to step in and lower that rate through education.

I love shows like the “The Biggest Loser” that prove that regardless of your body shape or size, YOU can transform it to a healthier and smaller shape. However, I can see that the “Biggest Loser” can be overwhelming and unrealistic to overweight individuals who work long hours and have children to attend to at the end of the day.

I would love to see more positive shows that realistically show and help people drop the weight over a 6 months period through “moderate” exercise and healthy eating instead of a 3 hard core months filled with ours of pain-inflicted workouts.

All the female contestants of MORE TO LOVE are beautiful but they definitely need to lose some weight. From experience, I know that by shedding some pounds they will boost their confidence, become happier and have better self-worth.

With all the accessible information on health, nutrition and fitness, the only excuse that I will accept from someone is that they are lazy and don’t care to feel better. Other than that, there is no excuse that we can’t all make healthier choices and fit in 20 minutes of activity throughout our day.

It’s never too late to start loving your life more!

Yay!

As I mentioned on Monday, I will be traveling to Hong Kong soon where I will be indulging in both the culture and cuisine. Inspired by my trip, I figured why not showcase an easy low-carb Chinese recipe:

Lobster Egg Foo Young. It sounds good already

If you’ve followed me enough, you know that I love eggs! And lobster, forget about it!

Get those chopsticks and woks ready! Here we go!

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs or 1/2 whole, 1/2 whites
• 1 cup shredded string beans
• 1 cup shredded celery
• 1/2 cup boiled and chopped lobster
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onions
• Salt n Peppa

Preparation:

• Throw all ingredients in a mixing bowl
• Turn heat on high under skillet and coat with oil spray
• Scoop a little at a time (1/2 cup – 1 cup) and fry until golden brown
• Continue until you have finished with the mixture

There you have it! You just made an omelette, Chinese style! It’s healthy, veggie & protein loaded and tastes mm mmm good.

sihk juhk! (eat up in Cantonese)