A few things you need to know before joining the rock climbing community: Learn climbing lingo Each sport has its own special terms and phrases. This happens naturally simply because in fast-paced and tiring situations, athletes don’t want to waste too much effort on talking. The same goes for rock climbers – they have developed […]

Hiking and spending time in nature has become more and more popular in recent years. It’s fun, a great experience, and you can take amazing photos. There are so many reasons why people are gravitating towards this sport. Recent studies have tested why that is. The results – remarkable health benefits, both physically and mentally! […]

  1. Improves cardiovascular health Running helps you build a strong and healthy heart. According to a study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, by building a strong heart, you can lower your overall risk of mortality by 30% and overall risk of death due to heart disease by 45%. Interestingly, you can […]

  Today we wanted to talk about the easy choices we can make daily that will really make a difference.   We all know that the way we spend our money will either support or hinder the planet ecosystems and our future as a species. Decisions are not in the hands of a few – corporations […]

  Plan your meals and shop wisely to avoid food waste Planning your meals is one of the most effective ways to reduce food waste and also your bills. Write down a shopping list based on the meals you would like to have and make sure you check carefully what’s in your fridge and kitchen […]

Address: 40 Dang Thi Nhu, 70000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Food type: Meat & Vegan Vietnamese Fusion Food, Noodle Bar Taste: 9 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 8 / 10 stars. The menu is not very wide (6 non-veg dishes & 4 veg dishes) but they always have delicious creative specials on a chalk board and also […]

1. Superseeds: flax, chia and hemp Flax: flax is one of the richest sources of essential fatty acids (EFA) Omega-3 and Omega-6. These fatty acids form membranes around the cells in our body. In addition, flax is rich in fiber, thiamin riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, iron and magnesium. Adding flax seeds to your protein shake, […]

1. Water bottle: Eco-friendly, stainless steel or recyclable are words that you want to look for when buying a reusable water bottle. Water bottles are one of the best ways to show-off your style, personality and eco-consciousness. The fact is that water bottles stick with you all day long. There are many cool varieties of […]

6. Olives Olives are small fruits from olive trees or Olea europaea; they belong to a group of fruits called drupes. You will be surprised by olives’ nutrition facts. Olives are well-known as a low-calorie antioxidant food and natural “beauty product” that provide good fat, improve memory, control appetite, reduce pain, and also has anti-cancer […]

1. Kale Among all the leafy greens, kale is the healthiest and most nutritious one. There are various types of kale; the leaves colour can be green or purple, smooth or curly. Kale contains high amounts of multiple vitamins and minerals. Specifically, kale contains vitamins A, K, C, E, B1, B2, B3, B6 and minerals […]

  Eat less animal products and byproducts   The U.N. says that raising animals for food is “one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.” Animal agriculture contributes more than half of global greenhouse-gas emissions.  In order to provide enough food […]

  Address: Inside Rubik’s Cube, 1 Bis Nguyen thi minh khai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Food type: Vegetarian International Food Taste: 8 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 9 / 10 stars. The menu is very wide with all sorts of international vegetarian foods, from curries to wraps, from platters to delicious smoothies Price range: 55K-130K VND Cleanliness level: […]

  Today we wanted to share with you the adventures of one of our dearest clients and friends: Matt.   In June 2019, Matt will travel to Tanzania to attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free standing mountain in the world. Kilimanjaro is part of the famous ‘seven summits‘ […]

Today we wanted to talk about raw cakes. Have you ever heard of a cake that makes you beautiful? As we know, beauty comes from inside out. What you put into your body will reflect on your skin, hair and nails. How great would it be if we could have a dessert that did that […]

Today we wanted to talk about those letters and numbers you often find in pre-packaged foods. E numbers are codes for substances that are permitted to be used as food additives: they include food colouring, preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents. Although they are permitted from the food authorities, it does not mean they are good for […]

Today we wanted to talk about sourdough. Sourdough bread is an old favourite that has recently risen in popularity. Many people consider it to be tastier and healthier than conventional bread. Some even say that it’s easier to digest and less likely to spike your blood sugar. It’s believed to have originated in ancient Egypt around […]

Today we wanted to talk about carbs vs fat. All the diets out there have some sort of ban towards either carbs or fat but what’s truly healthy? Carbs and fats act in very different ways in the body. Carbohydrate is the most efficient source of energy for your body. Regardless of your activity level, complex carbs provide the […]

Today we wanted to talk about how to incorporate flaxseeds daily. Flaxseeds, known as one of the richest sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids and having around one hundred times more cancer-fighting lignans than other foods, have also been demonstrated to prove helpful against breast and prostate cancers; controlling cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood sugar levels; reducing inflammation; and successfully treating constipation. How […]

Today we wanted to talk about how to choose a healthy bread. With low-carb, Paleo, and gluten-free diets on the rise, bread is slowly fallen out of favor. However, unless you have specific intolerances or sensitivities, a wholesome slice of bread on some days will not havoc your health. The issues with commercial breads are many and the buzzwords that bread makers […]

Today we wanted to talk about BPA. BPA stands for bisphenol A. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles. […]

Today we wanted to talk about Butchers Dirty Tricks. Selling meat is not an easy task, it spoils quickly and it is expensive so there are a few dirty tricks that the butchers use to make the most of this dirty business. Chiara has a personal insight from when she worked in a butcher shop during the […]

Today we wanted to talk about Palm Oil. Every hour 300 football fields of rainforest are cleared to make way for palm oil plantations. Grown in tropical regions of Africa, Asia, North and South America, 85 percent of palm oil production happens in Indonesia and Malaysia, where a third of all mammals are on the verge of extinction […]

Today we wanted to talk about Meatless Mondays – one day a week can make a world of a difference Meatless Monday was founded in 2003 by Sid Lerner in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In May, 2009, Ghent, Belgium, became the first non-U.S. city to go meatless. Shortly thereafter, Paul McCartney introduced the […]

Today we wanted to talk about how to eat slower. Eating slowly is extremely important as our digestion begins in the mouth with chewing. According to the macrobiotic diet, the Zen Buddhist diet, you should chew every bite at least 30 times for optimal health and digestion. I know 30 times might be a lot […]

Today we wanted to talk about NLP NLP is considered one of the most effective practices used to support people in changing their limited beliefs and achieving their full potential. Offering a set of tools and techniques that will support your growth, NLP does not dwell on the past looking for traumas to explain your […]

Today we wanted to talk about glutathione. Glutathione is a substance produced naturally by the liver. It is also found in fruits and vegetables. It is probably the most important detoxifier antioxidant in the body, also if we are loaded with toxins. Glutathione is involved in many processes in the body, including tissue building and repair, making chemicals and […]

Today we wanted to talk about PLA. PLA, or poly lactic acid, is a so-called biodegradable bioplastic. Traditional plastic is made from petroleum-based raw materials. Some say bioplastics—made from 20 percent or more of renewable materials—could be the solution to plastic pollution. The often-cited advantages of bioplastic are reduced use of fossil fuel resources, a smaller […]

Last week, we talked about PLA, and today we wanted to talk about another bioplastic, oxo-biodegradable.  Traditional plastic is made from petroleum-based raw materials. Some say bioplastics—made from 20 percent or more of renewable materials—could be the solution to plastic pollution. The often-cited advantages of bioplastic are reduced use of fossil fuel resources, a smaller […]

Address: 1st Floor – 86 Nguyen Hue, Ho Chi Minh City Food type: Vegan Vietnamese Taste: 7 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 5 / 10 stars. The menu is not very wide and mostly consist of noodles soups, brown rice & veggies but they did have wontons which was exciting, even if made with white rice. […]

Looking for something to cook? Whether you are better at reading recipes or more of a visual learner, you will find here so many different healthy recipes for your meals. The recipes in red are written, while those in green are videos! Start checking them out right now… All ingredients are available in Saigon! Want to know where? […]

By Rob West Core Temperature – Why is it so important to performance? During strenuous exercise the body’s heat production may exceed 1000 W, some of this energy is stored and raises the body’s core temperature by a few degrees. Resting internal body temperature is around 37°C and when it is raised the body has […]

Date: 21 – 23 September 2018 Location: Sapa,  Lào Cai Province, North-West Vietnam Organiser: Topas Travel Result: 70km – 2nd place, time 10:02:11 Overview 6 different distances to choose from. 100km which starts Friday evening. 70km, 42km and 21km take place on Saturday. Finally 15km and 10km races which take place on Sunday. You run through […]

Today we wanted to talk about dates.Dates are whole foods, but, by weight, are 80% pure sugar. Just to put that in perspective, Froot Loops are only 40% sugar. Yes, dates have fiber; they have phytonutrients. But the concern about consuming high-sugar foods is that they can raise our blood sugar, raise our triglycerides, oxidatively […]

Today we wanted to talk about the benefits of snacking. Healthy snacking provides some benefits, physically, mentally and emotionally. Physically, healthy snacking will improve your overall health, increase your energy level and help you lose weight. Mentally, healthy snacks can improve concentration, increase memory and enhance mental alertness and awareness Emotionally, healthy snacking can help you deal with stress. Hopefully you are not […]

Today we wanted to talk about water kefir. Water kefir is a probiotic beverage. Our water kefir is made with water and coconut sugar, and fermented thanks to very high quality kefir grains. While it does contain enzymes and acids, they don’t seem to have quite as strong an effect as those in kombucha so you do need […]

Today we wanted to talk about matcha. Every day, countless people throw away valuable antioxidants and minerals. While seemingly unimaginable, that’s exactly what happens when you brew a cup of green tea because water can only extract a fraction of green tea benefits. The majority actually remains unused, trapped in the tea leaves. In reality, […]

Today we wanted to talk about resistant starch. Most of the carbohydrates in your diet are starches. Starches are long chains of glucose that are found in grains, potatoes and various foods. But not all of the starch you eat gets digested. Sometimes a small part of it passes through your digestive tract unchanged. In […]

Today we wanted to talk about High-Frequency Food. High-Frequency Foods are those left in their native state, unprocessed, with no chemicals or genetic modifications. HFFs are also grown in abundant sunlight and in nutrient dense soil. Also, try to buy organic food as much as possible. Yes organic food costs more than non-organic food, but it’s worth it! […]

Today we wanted to talk about the Paleo Diet The paleo diet is hot. Those who follow it are attempting, they say, to mimic our ancient ancestors—minus the animal-skin fashions and the total lack of technology, of course. The adherents eschew what they believe comes from modern agriculture (wheat, dairy, legumes, for instance) and rely […]

Some sweeteners do have some nutrition, others are pure empty calories. An article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association measured the antioxidant content of many of them. Which one is the healthiest (in alphabetical order)? Agave nectar, blackstrap molasses, brown rice syrup, corn syrup, date sugar, dark brown sugar, light brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, […]

Have you ever heard of a cake that makes you beautiful? As we know, beauty comes from inside out. What you put into your body will reflect on your skin, hair and nails. How great would it be if we could have a dessert that did that for us?! Raw cakes are made only with […]

Address: 38 Huỳnh Khương Ninh, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh Food type: Vegan Vietnamese Taste: 7 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 7 / 10 stars. The menu is wide and even include dumplings but all the foods are not very innovative. The foods have a strong Vietnamese influence and use a lot of frying and steaming […]

  Address: 19 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh Food type: Vegan Chinese and Cantonese Taste: 9 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 9 / 10 stars. The menu is really wide and even include dumplings. The foods have a strong Chinese influence and use a lot of frying and steaming methods. Price range: 25K-180K […]

Today we wanted to talk about vinegar. Consuming vinegar with a meal reduces the spike in blood sugar, insulin, and triglycerides. No wonder many cultures have taken advantage of this fact, mixing vinegar with high glycemic foods like white rice – in Japan, for example, to make sushi or dipping bread into balsamic vinegar in the Mediterranean. […]

Today we wanted to talk about beans, our favourite food!We’ve known for decades that beans have an exceptionally low glycemic index. You give someone cooked beans, peas, or lentils, and you don’t even get half the blood sugar spike you get with the same amount of carbs in the form of bread, pasta, or potatoes. […]

Today we wanted to talk about the best anti-inflammatory nuts!Do all these anti-inflammatory plant foods actually have an impact on mortality linked to inflammatory disease though? A recent study in Australia reported some interesting findings after following about 2,500 older adults and their diets for 15 years. During that time, about 200 died of inflammatory diseases. And so, the […]

Today we wanted to talk about substitutions for honey: Did you know that it takes between 6 and 12 bees their WHOLE lifetime to produce ONE tablespoon of honey? If you are looking for something natural to sweeten your food, you can try any of the alternatives below: Maple Syrup, this honey substitute is nutrient-rich, high […]

Today we wanted to talk about Kombucha’s health benefits. Kombucha is a fermented sweet tea and we have been producing it for years here in Saigon. In fact, we are the first company to make Kombucha available in Vietnam stores, also the only one using Organic Teas and Coconut Sugar instead of refined white sugar (that is actually not […]

Today we wanted to talk about organic foods. Organic foods often have more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants, than their conventionally-grown counterparts and people with allergies to foods, chemicals, or preservatives often find their symptoms lessen or go away when they eat only organic foods. Organic produce contains fewer or no pesticides, which is extremely good for long term health. […]

Today we wanted to talk about high volume foods. Very often I see food pictures from our clients or from other online bloggers about very small meals and sometimes we have the feeling that people think they need to eat little to stay in shape. Actually, there are many foods that are virtually calorie-free, and […]

Today we wanted to teach you how to make a flax egg. Flaxseeds have been consumed for at least 6,000 years, making them one of the world’s first cultivated superfoods. Flaxseeds contain anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids along with antioxidant substances called lignans that help promote hormonal balance. Flaxseeds also help improve digestion, skin, cardiovascular health, cholesterol and hormone balance […]

Today we wanted to talk about fiber. Fiber is something the body needs but never actually digests—in fact, it remains more or less the same from plate to toilet. It comes in two varieties – soluble and insoluble – and most plant-based foods contain a mixture of the two. Soluble fiber turns into gel in the stomach […]

  Address: 16 Pasteur, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000 Food type: Vegetarian Vietnamese, not vegan as the name of the restaurant would suggest as many dishes contain honey. Taste: 7 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 6 / 10 stars. The menu is really wide but not very innovative. You can […]

  Address: 28 Đường Thảo Điền, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Hồ Chí Minh Food type: Vegan Fusion Taste: 9 / 10 stars Variety of dishes: 6 / 10 stars. The menu options are limited and the dishes don’t change often. Better go early, they only cook for the day and if they are busy they will run […]

Today we wanted to talk about anti-inflammatory foods. Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants, and is a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. It can be beneficial when, for example, your knee sustains a blow and tissues need […]

Today we wanted to talk about anti-viral foods. A virus is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of life forms — humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. They’re found in almost every ecosystem on Earth, and they’re the most abundant type of biological entity. The scary thing about contracting a virus is that antibiotics do not work. Vaccines […]

Today we wanted to talk about our new project in collaboration with Dr. Greger and the team of NutritionFacts.org. We are very proud to be part of this amazing team by providing the official Vietnamese Subtitles for their most popular and upcoming videos!! These are our first two videos… 1) Taking Personal Responsibility for Your Health 2) How […]

Today we wanted to talk about iron. It is commonly thought that those who eat plant-based diets may be more prone to iron deficiency, but it turns out that they’re no more likely to suffer from iron deficiency anemia than anybody else. This may be because not only do those eating meat-free diets tend to get […]

Today we wanted to talk about ‘crowding out’. People don’t like food being taken away from their diet, that’s why Health Coaches focus on the concept of crowding out. By simply adding healthy foods to your diet, the unhealthy ones will slowly exit it. A clear example: If your morning breakfast consists of refined flour and deep-fried pork Banh […]

Today we wanted to talk about ‘brown fat’. Unlike white fat—which makes up the vast majority of the fat in our bodies and is used to store any excess calories we consume—brown fat actually burns calories to produce heat (under the right conditions). In fact, when fully activated, brown fat generates three hundred times more […]