THELADY@LXG: The LADY tries her first meal replacement!

 Day 1 - Weight: 56 kg
Because this is my first time taking a meal replacement of any sort, I sort of didn’t know what to expect, but I didn’t expect it to be so delicious! It comes in four flavours and I was given seven days worth of a mix of them to try.

Today I had strawberry with half a glass of full cream milk (sorry but skim milk just tastes so yucky) and half a glass of iced water and oooh it was so delicious that I could have a few more.


The strawberry flavor is formulated with freeze-dried Korean Strawberry extract, naturally sourced Korean rice and soy based and is suitable for lactose intolerant and vegetarians. It also has some bits of dried strawberry and a few seeds and I drank/ate them all. Its 6.30PM now, lets see how long I can last before getting hungry. Super excited to see the results of this one week trial/challenge!

Ok by 8PM I was quite hungry so I ate a persimmon and a handful of almonds, pecans and wall nuts. By 9PM I needed more food, so I had a boiled egg and a half glass of milk after which I was satiated until bed time which was at 1AM. Each sachet has only 150 calories, so I don’t blame it for not keeping me full until bed time. To be fair, it must be said that I took the sachet post workout, so I had already worked up quite a hunger, plus I am used to consuming many, many (think at least 800 to a 1000) more calories per meal.

Day 2 - Weight: 55 kg
I am super happy to have lost one-kilo. I know its most likely water weight, but it made me smile nonetheless. Today I had the chocolate flavor and tried to drink it a bit later in the day, so instead of 6.30, I stuffed my face with nuts and a banana and guzzled it at 7.30PM.  By 9PM I felt a bit faint so had another boiled egg (yes I have a thing for boiled eggs). The chocolate flavour is made using the best Valrhona Chocolate extract, filled with yummy chocolate bits and US milk protein. I decided to make it with with full cream milk and it was so tasty but strawberry is still my current favourite!

Day 3 - Weight: 55 kg
Today I had the Grains Flavor, which is formulated with grains, chia seeds, spirulina extract, naturally sourced Korean rice and US milk protein. and it was really tasty.

I decided to use full cream milk instead of the half water / half milk mixture of day 1 and 2.

But I still got hungry after a couple of hours and had to eat two boiled eggs, almonds and some yoghurt and another glass of milk.


Day 4 - Weight: 55 kg
I decided to go with the Matcha flavour today, and to be quite frank, expected it to be my least favourite, so I was quite surprise by the fact that it was really yummy! Matcha Flavor is formulated with Japanese Green Tea extract, naturally sourced Korean rice and soy based is suitable for lactose intolerant and vegetarians. This basically means, that every single flavour is delicious, although Strawberry is still my favourite. Today I decided to use it as a pre-workout drink and it did a fabulous job keeping me focussed on my workout and not on what I would eat next. It also stopped me from gorging as soon as I walked through my door and actually helped keep me satiated until dinner.

Days 5, 6 and 7 - Weight: 55 kg
I have now decided to use this as a pre-workout drink and it seriously helps keep me energized and focused and being only 150 calories, it is easily burned in under an hour.

Its been about a month since I took the meal replacement and I must say that after just seven days and eating almost as much as normal, and basically using Ulti Trim as more of a pre-work out drink, I still not just managed to lose a kilo, but actually maintain the loss, which is absolutely fabulous! Does this work? I think it does. And if I had a stronger will and stuck to a strict diet, I could have lost so much more.

Ulti Trim™ is formulated and recommended as a meal replacement to be used at the very most twice a day.  As delish as it is, Ulti Trim™ should not be taken as a sole source of nutrition to replace all three daily meals and if you want to lose weight healthily, it is still important to consume at least one well-balanced solid meal and shift your butt and exercise for at least 30-45 minutes a day.

For people on long-term medication / diet allergies / pregnant / on lactation; please seek proper medical advice before taking any meal replacement / supplements.

Each box of Ulti Trim™ contains 7 sachets for one week’s consumption, and retails
For $48 a box and is available at:

Nishino Pharmacy Outlets
Shaw House| Liang Court | Takashimaya
Robinsons
The Centrepoint | Raffles City | Orchard | Jurong East Mall
John Little  
Marina Square | Plaza Singapura | Tiong Bahru Plaza | Jurong Point Shopping Centre
Pan Derma Clinique 
Great World City Level 2
Phillip Wain
Mandarin Gallery
Selected TCM and medical clinics

TASTY@LXG: Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations!

All chocolate lovers out there have probably already sampled every flavour of the Marvellous Creations range by Cadbury’s...

But if you have been living under a rock and haven't given your taste buds a much deserved treat, you must try this delightful range!

Imagine a chocolate bar filled with chewy jellies, popping candy and  chocolate buttons coated in crunchy candy shells in hodge-podge chunks and you have got the Marvelous Creations which is truly a delight to the senses. 

This range comes in three different flavours and two sizes. My personal favourite is the one with the jelly, crunchy chocolate buttons and popping candy. Sensation overdrive? Yes but I'm loving every bite !

Cadbury Dairy Milk’s Marvellous Creations retails at $1.90 50g bar and $9.90 300g and are available at all major super and hypermarkets and convenience stores in Singapore.

ME@LXG: A Finger Of Fudge...

It's amazing how something so small and seemingly insignificant can conjure up such happy memories...

Idling down the supermarket aisles today, I was thrilled to find a shelf full of Cadbury's Fudge! I never thought I'd see these little beauties again, well at least not on this side of the Globe...

 

As a schoolkid back in the UK, every morning my mum would diligently pack a finger of Fudge in my lunchbox, next to the apple and the peanut butter sandwiches, and off I would go to school, a happy chap.

I think almost all my mates did the same thing, and we would all sit around swapping our lunch items with each other, but never parting with our precious Cadbury's Fudge.

And here, some thirty years later, and thousands of miles away, I find my old friend once again...

I also remember a rather fun little commercial that used to play quite frequently back in the day:


The sudden appearance of such rare sweet treats in supermarkets here in Singapore has probably got a lot to do with the fast-approaching London Olympics: all things red,white and blue now becoming most fashionable...

Still its amazing how this little choc has got me all misty-eyed for Old Blightey.

Some Gentlemen never truly grow up... ;)

DINE@LXG: Spruce

In the chaos and confusion that is Orchard Road on a weekend morning, it really pays to know of some places where one can retreat to, when all the crowds and traffic jams in Singapore's Shopping Capital become too much.

And better yet, a place where one can also relieve mid-morning hunger pangs without having to resort to the 50-cent upsize options so easily available on every street corner…

One such retreat from the city can be found just a few minutes away from the centre of Orchard. Tucked away in the Phoenix Park complex along Tanglin Road lies Spruce, a hardwood hideaway surrounded by greenery and sheltered on all sides by trees and shrubs. Although just a stone’s throw away, all traces of the city are gone, and it’s a relief to just step into the restaurant’s open-planned entrance.

Originally created to represent the flavours and influences of classic American and European dishes, the menu has evolved to include more exotic ingredients into the mix. I’m here for Brunch, and at the top of the menu is the House Special, Spruce’s Signature Burger. But for all its popularity, I’ve been fore-warned that it’s a monster, and I’ve come here with the intention of getting through more than just one dish!  So I give that a miss and scour the menu for my favourites…

A sure sign of a good restaurant is the freshness of its seafood and the subtlety in the way it is prepared. Strong favouring is not required and of course over-cooking is to be absolutely avoided. And so, with this in mind, I choose my starter:  the Ahi Tuna Tartar…

This dish is served with chunky slices of Ciabatta and Avocado, but I first sample the tartar on its own. It’s literally a taste explosion – with the various spices and distinct flavours of lime, chilli and vinegar igniting on the tongue. The texture of the finely chopped tuna combines perfectly with the buttery avocado and chewy, freshly-baked bread.

This dish definitely goes into the ‘must-have’ list. The only problem is that it’s over too soon. But that was down to my own greed; the serving was a generous one.  

Carrying on with my need for seafood, the main course is soon decided: Cajun Prawns Eggs Benedict.  Served on a toasted Bagel, and drizzled with Hollandaise Sauce, a piquant Hot Sauce and a sprinkling of chopped Dill, a generous serving of juicy prawns shares centre-stage with poached eggs; the contents of which run wild as I eagerly dig in. The combination of texture and taste is wonderful, and no flavour outdoes the next. Again it’s a generous serving and I am left completely satisfied with my two choices… 

But of course… there’s always room for dessert!

My meal is finished off with another Spruce favourite – the Steamed Ginger Date Pudding with Chocolate Toffee Sauce.

This little piece of heaven is a contrast in hot and cold. Rich vanilla ice cream slowly melts and absorbs into a sandwich of warm ginger pudding. The chocolate toffee sauce adds further decadence to the dish. Just forget about the calories – it’s the flavour that counts here!

The Lunch and Dinner menus at Spruce build further on these combinations of texture and flavour, and ‘East meets West’ fusion.

In a drive to further whet the palates of their clientele, Spruce have also built an impressive wine collection, sourced from select wine-producers from around the world.

Spruce is open during the week from 10:30am to 10:30pm, and during the weekends from 8:30am to 10:30pm. They also have their own in-house bakery and even an outdoor Taqueria, serving tacos during the week.

Check out the complete Spruce menus at www.spruce.com.sg

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