Healthiest Places to Eat Out: Part One

Our ancestors had it good. Every meal, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner was home-made. E-additives, artificial coloring, xanthan gum and artificial preservatives were as mythical and unheard of as men who wear womens' clothes. 


Fast forward to the 21st century. Not only do men now sport skinny jeans, we now also preside in a world which places speed above all else. "Slow food", once a staple, has now become  a luxury for the upper echelons of society. As a consequence, the food we ingest today is hardly what it seems. 


When you munch into a seemingly pedestrian cookie, you're munching along with it numerous artificial flavors, colors, synthesized chemicals and preservatives. A McDonald's burger is much more than just mayo, a beef patty, vegetables and a bun - it's also laced with various artificial additives, preservatives, food conditioners, flavoring agents and a myriad of other chemicals a Harvard graduate would have trouble pronouncing. Asian food is no exception - generous toppings of salt and monosodium glutamate (supposedly a major reason for premature hair loss) to do away with the need for hours of marination and tedious preparation techniques in order to bring out the food's true flavor. Copious amounts of oil and fat are also consistent stars in a large proportion of commercial food products across the board. 


The list goes on. 


"But what can I do about it?" I hear you ask. True, a vast majority of us simply do not have the time or resources to painstakingly prepare and cook each and every meal, to hire somebody to do it for us or to eat out at organic restaurants on a daily basis. Thus, I've painstakingly prepared a list of the healthiest eat out joints for your perusal, for your convenience and most of all, for your health. 








Nando's/Kenny Roger's Roasters




Two of my favorite eats - both Nando's and Kenny Roger's Roasters opt for the grill/roaster over the fryer, and the results are... healthily yummilicious! (permission to be lame requested). 

Grilled/roasted chicken is insanely better as compared to Kentucky Fried Chicken-esque fare, not only because the grade of chicken used for grilled chicken is usually higher (as lower-grade chicken can be easily camouflaged with breaded flour and flavoring) but also because grilled/roasted chicken is significantly lower in fat, free radicals (from deep frying), cholesterol and many other nutritional boo-boos.  

Nando's Quarter Grilled Chicken Meal

Opt for the 1/4 chicken meals offered in both restaurants. If you're dining in Nando's, I recommend the couscous or the three-bean salad (both potent sources of protein) along with a side of grilled vegetables to complete your food pyramid. 


Kenny Roger's Roasters has an option of 3 sides and a muffin with every chicken meal. What I usually do is tell them to hold the muffin and replace it with a 4th side dish. With your allowance of 4 side dishes, you'd be wise to choose a potato salad, garden salad, Tomato Cucumber Onion salad and a serving of fresh fruit for a meal bursting with flavor and goodness (ho ho ho). 

Kenny Roger's Quarter Roast Meal

Wendy's




As controversial as this may sound, I am hereby making a rally-call for all fast food (read: McDonald's) lovers to make the switch to Wendy's chain of restaurants - the least evil minion of the fast food empire. 


Wendy's did not pay me to make this statement nor do I have any vested interest in the said company. (Vincent Tan*, can I have my free-burgers-for-a-lifetime coupon now, sir?)


That being said, Wendy's Old-Fashioned Burgers contain the least saturated fat and calories when compared to McDonald's and Burger King offerings.  Also, instead of frozen preserved beef patties, Wendy's only uses patties made from nothing else but fresh ground beef seasoned with salt (as indicated on their international website - but whether this applies to restaurants outside the US and Canada is yet to be confirmed).

For a great protein packed lunch, order the 1/2 pound Double Burger (without the french fries and soft drink) and customize it as follows:

• no cheese (if you're looking to cut down on sodium)
• no pickles
• no mayo
• no mustard
• no ketchup
• no butter (on the bun)
• beg the counter lady for extra vegetables

Your result will be two beef patties and a (hopefully) generous serving of tomatoes, onions and lettuce sandwiched between two slices of Wendy's Premium Bun. Eating the said burger will also bring you to an epiphany whereby you'll realize that a stripped down burger can actually taste as good, if not better, than the standard burger with all the works. Try it!

For more information, check out the official Wendy's International website, which actually has a nutritional counter which literally tells you what you're getting when you dine at Wendy's. 

The Chicken Rice Shop/Ipoh Chicken Rice




My staple food, I wouldn't be able to survive eating out in Malaysia if hundreds of years ago, some Hainanese gentleman (or lady - say no to sexism) hadn't decided to steam some chicken, serve it with rice and cucumber and call it "Hainanese Chicken Rice" - now one of South East Asia's most popular and (potentially) healthy offerings. 

I say potentially because the rice in Chicken Rice itself is actually rice cooked in pure chicken fat. Yep - for those of  you who didn't know, when you're downing a standard order of Chicken Rice, you're ingesting chicken blubber coated rice. For those of you who wish I hadn't told you that, all hope is not lost. The next time you drop by the friendly neighbourhood chicken rice store, ask the friendly neighbourhood chicken rice man (or woman, as above) for a meal of chicken rice customized as such:

• white rice instead of oily rice
• skinless steamed chicken breast without oil/sauce
• extra cucumber
• hold the soup (the soup that so notoriously accompanies chicken rice is, 9 times out of 10, laden with salt and MSG)

If eating bland chicken breast sounds gag-worthy to you as it does to many of my counterparts, eat it with the ground ginger offered at many good chicken rice outlets (two of my favorites being The Chicken Rice Shop and Ipoh Chicken Rice Restaurant). 


The Ipoh Chicken Rice Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur have the added bonus of offering Village Chicken (also known as Kampung Chicken), which, as its namesake indicates, is literally meat from chickens that are raised in villages/a village environment, that is to say the chickens are allowed to roam free, are not injected with dangerous antibiotics or hormones and have lived relatively fuller and happier chicken lives (which in turn translates to yummier, natural tasting chicken meat with significantly less fat and cholesterol content). 

Purple Cane Tea Restaurant/Ying Ker Lou Hakka Restaurant

Despite the fact that I am a true blue chinese man, I'm very much anti-Chinese Food. Contrary to the stereotype that anything we Asian people eat is healthy, light and delicious (with the exception of the Koreans and Japanese), Chinese Food is actually one of the un-healthiest cuisines in the world - copious amounts of sodium, saturated fat, artificial additives - you name it, Chinese Food's got it. 

However, in the ugly sea of Chinese eat-out establishments, I have found two restaurants that have restored my faith in the Chinese chef. 

Presenting... the Purple Cane Tea Restaurant! 

Where traditional Chinese fare is prepared with a variety of heavy sauces that will have you screaming "heart-attack" faster than people playing the aforesaid game do so, Purple Cane Tea Restaurant is a pioneer in the Healthy Chinese Food movement. Purple Cane Tea Restaurant prepares its food with tea leaves as the main flavoring ingredient, doing away with the need for MSG, excess sodium, sugar and all other nutritional no-nos ever present in every Ching Chong restaurant (I'm allowed to say "Ching Chong" because I'm Chinese). 

Offerings in Purple Cane Tea Restaurant are also made up of relatively more fresh ingredients and vegetables.

The result is a delightfully light yet mouth-watering palette of wonderful Chinese dishes that are as tasty as they are healthy. Words cannot adequately describe the taste of tea-flavored Chinese cooking, thus the only way I'm going to do justice here is to urge you to drop by Purple Cane Tea Restaurant for a taster session. 

The vice-president of the Healthy Chinese Food Movement is Ying Ker Lou Hakka Restaurant, a restaurant that serves your everyday Chinese fare. In fact, I wouldn't have included the said restaurant on this list if I didn't see the sign on the front door that said "NO ADDED MSG"  when I made my maiden voyage there a couple of months ago. The food is noticeably lighter and healthier than the average Chinese restaurant and is worth a sampling.

Yogitree @ The Gardens

If you've got cash to blow, bring all your hos and let's go

to... 

Yogitree - The Big Daddy, The Prima Donna, The Shizzle Nizzle of Slow Food.

My new favourite eat-out place of all time, Yogitree serves food that I could eat each and every single day of the rest of my life here on earth and then some. Heck, I'd probably live to 120 if I ate here everyday. It's too bad an average meal here will set you back upwards of RM50 a pop (including drinks). Thus, living to 120 will have to wait... till I'm droppin' stacks, hanging with my Gs cruisin' round downtown LA in a Bentley with 20" reeeeeeammmzzzz. 

Yogitree serves food that Hollywood A-List celebrities eat on a daily basis to look the way that they do. Everything is made from fresh, organic ingredients that are so addictive-ly bursting with flavor, you'd have sworn the food was laced with illicit substances. I personally recommend the steaks and the surprisingly authentic paella. 

In the words of Yogitree itself, there's pretty much no other place to get your  fill of some fine-tastin' "naturally good food".

To be continued...

*Vincent's Berjaya Group franchises Wendy's restaurants in Malaysia.

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How To Look Taller

It's a fact - the world we live in glorifies tall people.


Tall people on average, make more money, get the best view at the concert, look better in clothes, make millions playing basketball for a living and generally, have it easier in life.




If Adam hadn't taken a bite at that apple and we were all still naked and stuck in Garden of Eden, all hope would be lost for the vertically-challenged portion of mankind. But because he did take a swipe at the forbidden fruit, we now have the phenomenon we call clothes at our disposal. Yes, while adopting the right posture is the most immediate, effective and optimal way to increase your height immediately, it's no myth that dressing correctly can make you appear taller. And although the following will not get a 5'6" man mistaken for being 6 feet tall, I'm sure most people will agree that every added illusory inch of height is a Godsend. But please remember - in 99% of cases, breaking your legs is not the answer. 








Hi, Heels


Rather than being an advocacy of cross-dressing, wearing man-heels can add valuable inches to your stature. A few go overboard by wearing crazy 4 inch heeled boots a-la Prince, but all that does is just end up making one look insecure and desperate. Instead, employ subtlety - a standard dress shoe heel will already bump up your height by 2 inches. Look for shoes that do not have a large heel, but rather, extra padding in the insole such that it wont appear as if too much of your newfound height is coming from the heel itself. 

High heels - IMO still the exclusive territory of the fairer sex.

That being said, I must say that there's really nothing wrong with being below average in height. As many will agree, confidence comes from within, and how you carry yourself is ultimately the most significant determining factor when it comes to your level of attractiveness - a confident short man can easily be much more attractive than a tall gangly man who doesn't carry himself with the same grace as the former. 

Furthermore, wearing excessively large heels/lifts may end up running you the risk of looking desperate and insecure. All I can say is, if wearing heels/lifts really makes you feel better, then proceed. But do so with caution. 

                                          

Fit


I've said it thrice and I'll say it again, the most important factor in how good your clothes look on you is F-I-T. Not the color, not the decorative detail, but how the piece is cut, how its shaped, how well it conforms to your body. 


A well fitted pair of trousers and a form-fitting (not body-hugging) shirt works in the same way as vertical stripes do - they create a slimming silhouette, which in turn makes you appear leaner and longer. On the other hand, wearing two-people-can-fit-in-here baggy clothing only serves to make you look like a little boy who got lost and ended up in his father's wardrobe. 


Look for trousers with minimal break at the ankles and for shirts that do not have overly long bunched sleeves. The length of the trouser leg and shirt sleeve should measure such that there is no bunching (accumulation of extra material) at the ends. 

Vert


Vertical stripes carry the advantage of creating a streamlined optical illusion of elongation. In other words, wearing vertical stripes can make you appear slimmer and taller. Veer on the side of smaller vertical stripes with minimal in-between spacing as opposed to large stripes, such as to not look like you just stepped out from the set of the latest Godfather spin-off.  

Mono


Another way to work illusory magic with your audience is to dress in monochrome - ie. wearing a similar/identical shade all throughout your outfit. For example, black trousers paired with a navy blue shirt, white linen slacks with a white shirt. The idea behind this method is that wearing the same color avoids a break/sectioning of your body, thus drawing attention away from the length of shorter individual sections of the body and making the human eye view the person as a whole instead. Opt for darker monochrome shades to appear leaner and longer. 

I'm telling you - it's the clothes

A High Head of Hair


I have a friend (Hello there Sean) who sports a 6 inch hairstyle. A 6 inch tall hairstyle to be exact (think Fonzie and think hairspray). Sean himself isn't extremely tall (171cm, was it?), but he appears a good few inches taller than he is, by virtue of his hair. 

This isn't Sean.

While to some, having "good hair posture" may be a rather comical way of breathing the air up there, I don't believe that taking on a slightly and of course, subtly augmented hairstyle will do you much harm. If anything, it'll help you stand out in a crowd. Oh, how I love mildly unfunny puns. 

On a somewhat related note, if you're a minor - start drinking milk and loading up on the protein before its too late. Caucasians are generally larger than Asians, and I infer that a major reason for this is because the Asian diet is notoriously high in carbohydrates and low in calcium and protein - hardly the best diet for optimal growth. 


If you're no longer at the age of vertical expansion, keep your head up. Height is undoubtedly an advantage, but its not everything. Building your confidence, charisma and being well-groomed can do way more for you than a couple of extra inches will. 


Just ask Sean.

Till next time, this is Straight Eye for the Straight Guy.

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Style Tip #257: How to Wear Cologne

There may not be anything more deal-breaking in this world than a person who smells funky.

How good you smell actually sends subconscious signals to members of the opposite sex as to how healthy and suitable you are as a potential mate. There are many ways to change the way you smell (and ultimately, your overall attractiveness to the opposite sex):

• diet (yay Indian food!) 
• a shower 
• and of course, cologne 

Or pheromone spray, if you believe in that stuff. 

I wrote an article a while back about the different species of cologne available. And now, for your exclusive perusal, a little 101 about how to wear it. 

How much?

Never more than 2 spritzes.

Nobody outside a 4 feet radius of you should even be able to detect a hint of your cologne. You want to smell like a hint of olfactory bliss, not like you bathed in liquid air freshener. 

Where?

The best areas to apply cologne are on the base of the throat, the inner wrist, and the back of the ears. These are your pulse points, ie. areas with a high concentration of blood vessels, thus optimizing the intensity of your cologne. 

An alternative method of applying cologne is to get naked (not so fast), spray 2 spritzes into the air directly in front of you, and then walk through the mist. 

When?

The best time to apply cologne is right after a nice, warm shower. Not only would you have prepared a clean fragrance free (avoid using overly scented shower gels/soaps) canvas for your cologne to create a masterpiece on, applying cologne after a shower also helps to keep the fragrance lasting longer. This is because the tiny little pores all over your body dilate after a warm shower, thus maximizing the rate of fragrance absorption afterwards.  

"Since I discovered cologne, my life has never been the same!"

Which?

I'm not exactly a tour de force on colognes, but over the years, I've found that the following three classic fragrances work for almost any man - Acqua di Gio, Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Ralph Lauren Blue. 

Why?

What do you mean why???

Ha ha. I know you weren't gonna ask that, I just had to end with something less serious.

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Life Tip #123: Sorry

So you messed up.

Big deal. 

We're human and humans mess up.

But next comes the apology... and this is when we inexcusably mess up.

This is how not to apologize:

"Alright fine I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose *babble* *babble* *babble*"

When somebody is mad at you, the last thing that person wants to hear is excuses and reasons as to why you shouldn't be blamed. An emotional person whose emotions are clouded with disappointment and anger is unlikely to respond to any logical reasoning. At times like these, applying logical reasoning is akin to deepening the dagger. 

Instead, real men employ the most effective pacifying technique in the universe - a heartfelt sincere "I'm sorry." complete with accompanying remorseful body language. 

Kinda like this but more human-ish-ly.

And if you pissed off a mute person.

Though if you really feel the need to justify yourself, do so in the  following manner:

"Mortimer, I really didn't mean to run over your cat, but in any case, it's my fault and I'm sorry."

Last words matter. In any apology, end with "I'm sorry". Stating excuses after "I'm sorry" merely nullifies any effect your apology had in the first place. 

Happy apologizing!

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Workout Day Three

You'd have rested on Day 2 after the Shoulders & Biceps Day 1 routine.


I now warmly welcome you to - 


Day 3: Chest and Triceps


Superman had a big one. Countless women want a big one. 


I'm talking about a big chest. 


Forget those pansy pulley-operated machines you see in the gym. The key to obtaining a well-developed physique which boasts strength and stability in addition to size is truly by using free weights. Not all gyms will have the benefit of a free weights bench press bar, thus the following is a portrayal of a bench press you can do with nothing but dumbbells and a basic bench. 


You're going to go heavy with this move, thus if you're a beginner, it's highly advisable that you get somebody to become your spotter, ie. somebody to make sure you're lifting correctly and safely. 








Dumbbell (I'm referring to the weights) Bench Press

Place the weights on your thighs for support.

In a smooth motion, lean back and brace the weights at the sides of your torso. 

Using the power from your pectorals (your chest muscles) push the weights upward in a slow and controlled motion.

Return slowly to the starting position, making sure to pinch your shoulder blades backward as you lower the weights. 

The strength for a bench press should never come from your back. Do not arch your back to assist the rest of your body in performing this move, as doing so could have serious consequences. Instead, if the weights feel too strenuous, it's perfectly okay (and a much more admirable alternative to the pain and humiliation that comes from a gym accident) to step down your weights. 

Perform 3 sets of 12,10 and 8 repetitions, using a heavier set of dumbbells with each set. 

Incline Bench Press


Really nice man-boobs are built in different directions. With the move above, you concentrated on the mid-pectorals, and now with the incline bench press, we're working on our upper pectorals, to give you that comic-book-superhero-chest-jutting-out look. 


Adjust your bench to a 45 degree, diagonal angle. 




The same rules apply as above: do not arch your back. Power comes from your chest. Pinch your shoulder blades backward as you lower the weights. Slow and controlled motion.


The pictures will speak for themselves. 

Perform 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 reps. Use slightly lighter weights than you would with the basic bench press. 






Dumbbell Fly

I personally don't enjoy doing the dumbbell fly, but many bodybuilding enthusiasts swear by it. With arms extended, hold the dumbbells parallel to your chest and bring the dumbbells in towards each other without bending your elbows.  3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions and you're good. 








The Dip


Also the name of a popular dance move, the dip is inserted into this routine as a 'bridging' move - a move that transitions your workout from the chest area to the triceps. The dip is another fantastic compound exercise belonging to the same family as the chinup and the pushup and is probably one of the few compound exercises without a direction in its name. 




My gym doesn't have a dedicated dip station, thus I improvised as shown below. Make sure the gym attendant doesn't catch you doing this. Make double sure if you weigh 300 pounds and above. Your gym's insurance might not cover broken treadmill handles from strange gym-goer behavior. 

Keep your back straight and taut. 

Slowly lower your torso until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Slowly push back up into the starting position.

Do 3 sets of 8 repetitions. If you cannot manage 8 repetitions, start lower. As your body acclimatizes, you should be able to complete 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions eventually. 

Triceps Pull-down

Most men want big arms but neglect their triceps and go crazy on bicep exercises. The oft-neglected triceps is actually the secret to nice large arms that every woman will want to grab. 

The gym I patronize is also devoid of a dedicated triceps pull-down station. But a man's gotta pull what a man's gotta pull. Make use of the lat pull-down station (almost every gym has one). 

Keep your arms tucked tightly by your sides. Your upper arms should remain stationary throughout the pull-down. All the effort must come from your triceps, with your elbow as the fulcrum. Keep your knees bent and your back straight to prevent any unwanted interference from other muscle groups.  

3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions with increasingly heavier weights. 

Two handed dumbbell behind-the-neck lift

As with every standing exercise, keep your knees bent and back straight and bust 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 repetitions.

Bent-over Triceps Pullback

The last in the triceps building family of maneuvers, you'll be using light weights here as this is a muscle-defining move that focuses on muscle tone rather than size. 3 sets of 16, 12 and 10 repetitions should do the trick.

A little something on diet

After you're done, go and get some protein (eggs, nuts, meat, fish). I read somewhere that eating protein right after/before your workouts maximize muscle growth. If you want to become a bona-fide muscle-head, eat 2.2grams of protein for every kg of your target body weight. For example, if you're currently 60kg but would like to bulk up to 65kg, start ingesting 65 x 2.2 = 143 grammes of protein daily. 

Note that a 100g piece of chicken thigh is not equivalent to a 100g of protein. A 100g peice of chicken thigh contains approximately 20 grammes of protein. I'm not advocating eating 7 chicken thighs a day (though that was what I used to do in my more inexperienced body building days). Rather, my personal recommendation is to adopt a healthy balanced diet of meat, fish, eggs, nuts, whole-grains and copious amounts of fruit and vegetables. 

You're definitely going to have to take in more protein than you have before, but you don't necessarily have to go nuts on nuts (nice pun, aye?), eggs (20 eggs a day? Are you kidding?) and meat. Despite the 2.2 grammes of protein per kg of body weight recommendation, I've found that eating the equivalent of one whole chicken breast (approximately 35 grammes of protein) per main meal in addition to your whole-grains, fruits and vegetables is sufficient to obtain a lean toned body with decent size. It's also immensely more practical and sustainable considering the damage a high protein intake can potentially wreak on your liver and kidneys. 

Then take a breather on Day 4 and brace yourself for the culmination.

Day 5 - Back, core and legs

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