#ritualsg

For the past few months, we've been working closely with Sigrid and some of our clients who are experiencing fatigue that can't seem to be fixed, even with proper nutrition and rest. Adrenal Fatigue is something that we'e heard a lot about, but didn't really understand - so we brought Sigrid in to speak with the Ritual team about this condition, and found it fascinating. We decided to put together this Q&A to help you get a better understanding as well.

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Cass: Hello Sigrid, thanks for taking time to chat with us today.  For our readers who don’t quite know about your profession, can you help explain the role of a Naturopath?

Sigrid: Seeing a naturopath is helpful for most functional problems, meaning there are symptoms but no abnormal lab tests or abnormalities found at the doctor s office. Many digestive complaints such as irritable bowel syndrome or heartburn fall in this category. Naturopathic medicine is also helpful for chronic health issues such as eczema, recurrent respiratory infections and fatigue. Concerns such as weight issues, cholesterol irregularities can also be addressed since diet and lifestyle would be cornerstone part of the treatment.

Cass: We’ve talked extensively before about the role that adrenal gland play, and the concept of adrenal fatigue. Can you give us an overview?

Sigrid: The adrenal glands are responsible for producing a number of hormones, including sex hormones, blood pressure-regulating hormones and of course stress hormones (adrenalin and cortisol). When we perceive an environment as stressful, we trigger our adrenals into a fight or flight mode, where our system is flooded with those stress hormones. They feed circulation and sugar to our muscles, as they are supposed to contract and help us fight the stressor or run away from it. In our modern society, we constantly stimulate that system. We end up in a state of hypercortisolemia, which contributes to abdominal weight gain, diabetes, sleep problems and fatigue in the long term.

Cass: How do our adrenal glands affect our lives, and why is it “adrenal fatigue” is being looked at more and more as an issue with peoples health?

Sigrid: From an evolutionary perspective, the adrenals are only meant to go into fight or flight punctually. When we overuse this system without giving them a chance to replenish on a nutritional level, they become fatigued. This means that they can't provide the body with sufficient "drive" while the environmental stress demand is still present. This is when people experience low energy, low motivation, and low immunity.

Cass: So what’s the fix? How can we undo any damage we may have caused living our lives this way? How do I take care of my adrenal glands going forward?

Sigrid: In order to recover from adrenal fatigue, here are a few basic tools: - consistent routine with wake time, bedtime and mealtimes - sufficient intake of vitamins B and C - generally minimizing one's to do list - listening to guided visualizations everyday for 15 mins to give the adrenals a chance to regenerate (there are some good apps to download for that)

Cass: Thank you for your time Sigrid, if people are interested in learning more, or seeking your naturopath services, how should they reach out to you?

Sigrid: My pleasure, we have two locations - and everything they need can be found on our website www.anappleaday.com.sg, or they can contact us with the below number or email.

+65 6322 1403

[email protected]

About Sigrid:

Sigrid Grobys N.D. – Naturopath

Sigrid is a licensed member of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors.

Hello from China!

You know, when you work in the fitness industry and you have to travel for work, people around you generally get it when you choose to eat well while abroad. Usually, if I have a cheat day (or three) when I travel, it's a conscious choice I make on my own because I want to, not because someone makes me feel obligated to do it. I plan for it, and then relish the experience.

This weekend though, I am experiencing what a lot of you have told me you experience when you travel. I feel like I have to eat food that's not so good for me, and I feel like I don't really have a choice.

You see, I'm on vacation with my dad in China exploring my roots, embarrassing myself by trying to speak Chinese, learning about my ancestors and hanging out with family members I've never met before. It's been an amazing experience so far, and I've learnt a lot of inspiring things about my great grandparents and other ancestors.

You know what though, belive it or not, when Chinese people entertain, they don't give a @#&* about your gluten sensitivity, omega profiles, nutrient timing or macronutrient ratios. You'd think they'd at least let me order RitualStyle....

Anyway, i just finished a super quick workout from the travel program and felt like this would be a good time to write a quick post about the tricks I use to manage the amount of damage done on trips like this. Realistically speaking, if you're only gone for a few days, you should be able to maintain your level of fitness and even keep body fat levels in check. So whether you decide to jump off the wagon for a few days, or get forced into sketchy noodle and bread territory, here are a few things you can do to help keep things in check:

1) for 7-10 days before the trip, go super strict with the food you eat, and ramp up the intensity and volume of your workouts by about 20 - 30%. For example, push for maximal intensities at Ritual 3x per week instead of 2x, and come for a workout 5 times instead of your usual 4.

2) use the travel program we've given you, they really feel great when your body isn't functioning optimally.

3) acknowledge that you're working out for maintenance, not for improvement. Movement is key.

4) Have a secondary goal when you train. You're eating crap. You're not sleeping well. Your breathing will be off, your muscles will be stiff, your mind might not be in it. Don't expect to be able to perform like you do at the gym. Instead, have a specific secondary goal like "just finish the 5 sets even if I have to take more rest" or "do less reps but keep the breathing constant and in rhythm with the movement". Trust me, you'll feel better when you have a strategy (almost quit at my third set just now)

5) pack your fish oils, and take some every single day. You're eating bad oils and lots of inflammatory foods. Help your body out with some omega 3 goodness.

6) stay hydrated, it makes it easier for your body to flush sh*t out :-)

7) try to work out before your first meal so you create a bit of a metabolic effect. If you can't, just get the workout in whenever you can, it's waaaay better than not working out.

8) Walk as much as you can. Say yes to more sightseeing, take the stairs, go for a long walk after lunch. Do anything can that will force you to walk more, especially if your body is crashing after the 5th serving of noodles, because really, it's just walking. You'll feel better after walking and reduce some of the damaging effects of pastries

9) embrace the experience and enjoy the company. Life is way more fun when you are fully, intentionally, positively present.

How about you, what tricks do you do to manage damage when you travel? Add to the list if you have cool tips to share!

I always ask potential clients why they want to join a gym or exercise, and more often than not the answer is always “to lose weight” or “to get fit.” This makes sense right? You come to the gym to exercise, sweat, and hopefully shed off the couple inches you gained over whatever holiday just passed.

Very rarely do I hear “to feel happy” or “to stimulate my brain chemistry” as an answer to exercise (not like anyone would say that, but anyway). Nevertheless, it seemed to me that most people associate working out solely with the improving of our physical bodies, and tended to ignore the impact that exercise has on our brains.

Let’s be honest, what good is a body without a healthy mind?

Living in a society driven by unrealistic body ideals (thanks to the truthful and accurately informative world of the media, ahem*), we are all driving ourselves crazy, whereby people resort themselves to dangerous practices in order to achieve this unrealistic, unachievable standard if you weren't lucky enough to be born with Victoria Secrets model genetics. Photoshop, airbrushing, plastic surgery, anorexia, bulimia… these phenomena aren’t fresh news to anyone these days, yet so many people feel it’s worth sacrificing their health in order to achieve this “ideal” physical body.

 Sigh.

Forfeiting health may look good on the outside, but as a result, what toss and turmoil persists internally? If there were one reason why I would recommend exercise, it would be to improve overall wellbeing and health (both internally and externally). As a result of exercise, metabolism spikes with muscle development, increased blood flow bathes the muscles and the brain in ways you can’t imagine, and best yet, endorphins are released giving you a lovely natural high. You become happier! Screw the meds given to you by your doctor, go for a 20-minute run! Exercise can thus become a healthier, more affordable alternative to medicine, and should be, in my opinion, a prescription to battle any form of depression.

 Feel the part, don’t just look it.

 For a better tomorrow!

Hi everyone, Cass here.

I know you’re probably familiar with “RitualStyle” food. We’ve gotten feedback from some clients who describe their ordering process as something like this:

(Should I ask to have it RitualStyle?)

(This sounds embarrassing.)

“Hi, what may I get for you?”

“Uh, could I get the chicken with extra veggies and no potatoes please?”

We get it. Awkwardness is awkward. This is why we have changed the RitualStyle dishes to a Ritual-approved menu instead. We figured that it would be easier for you guys to order what you want on the menu in our recommended way, and not have to say “RitualStyle”. This will also help our restaurant friends, who no longer have to train their new staff on RitualStyle orders.

Now for the real news. We’ll be having an Instagram competition for you guys. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Pick a restaurant / dish your stomach says yes to.

Step 2: Go to the restaurant and order one of the Ritual Approved items on their menu.

Step 3: When your food comes, Instagram with #RitualStyle.

Step 4: Don’t forget to chew. Extra points if you beat your chest when you’re done.

Step 5: Person who posts the most #RitualStyle photos wins

The prizes vary according to what the RitualStyle restaurant of the month chooses, but rest assured, you are in good hands.

I’ve had the privilege of tasting dishes from all the RitualStyle places, so I’ll share with you some of my favourites from each place. A huge, huge thank you to all the RitualStyle places for making my tummy smile.

Absinthe

Favourite dish: Wagyu beef.

What to do: Replace the potatoes with extra steamed vegetables.

I went to Absinthe during lunch, and spotted the wagyu beef (my weakness) which isn’t on the regular menu, so I thought I’d try to RitualStyle that instead. It was delicious and definitely left my stomach happy and full. None of that “overly-priced, too little to eat” nonsense. Merci Francois!

(take some fishoils after)

Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR)

Favourite dish: Juicy Grilled “Chilli” Chicken

What to do: Order it as it is.

I love Mexican food. I love chillies. I love spicy food, but I cannot do spicy food without a glass of milk, or ten, on the side. This dish however, was perfect. The spicy chicken was complemented by the generous serving of guacamole and salad. My tongue was very grateful. Definitely something I’d order again at Common Man. Also, if you like coffee, you can try their exotic Ethiopian coffee long black. Thanks Andrew!

Muchachos

Favourite dish: Burrito bowl with the beef they have.

What to do: tell them you want a burrito bowl with no rice, no beans and extra guacamole and veggies.

I love Muchachos’ burritos on my cheat days, but if I’m wanting a burrito on a non-cheat day, then I get a burrito bowl. The burrito bowl is just as delicious as its burrito cousin, which will satisfy your stomach. A happy stomach, means a happy you, and a happy you means, well, that you’re happy! Isn’t that enough?

Shoebox Canteen

Favourite dish: Australian T-bone Steak. It’s grass-fed!!

What to do: Order it as it is.

This is happiness on a plate. The sad part is, it’s only served for dinner. I personally wish it was served all day, every day. Sometimes I have dreams about this steak.

Pistola

Favourite dish: Burrito bowl with the steak.

What to do: tell them you don’t want the rice and beans, but to give you all the veggies and guacamole in the world.

Pistola is a great place to grab lunch (in a form of a deliciouso burrito bowl), and go. I’d surely get Pistola on the regular if Ritual was closer to it.

Platypus Gourmet2Go

Favourite dish: a small box with twice the spinach, balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing, salmon, chicken, and almonds.

What to do: tell them what you’d like from the choices they’ve made for the day.

Platypus is probably the best salad you can get around the area that will leave you full and satisfied. All of us at Ritual frequent it, because it is the go-to for a healthy, reasonably-priced, good-tasting, lunch. The ingredients are fresh, the meat is warm, and it doesn’t taste like a strange plant, which is what most salads taste like to me.

Ronin (this place is too cool for the world wide web)

Favourite dish: Bacon, avocado, scrambled eggs and mushroom.

What to do: repeat the above to them.

I like Ronin for their coffees, but sometimes I’m too hungry for just a coffee, so I have this. They will ask you if you want toast, you will say no, and you will not regret it. The ingredients taste great on their own, there is no need for bread.

P.S Cafe

Favourite dish: Miso Cod.

What to do: Order it as it is.

I really like cod, and cod cooked in a Japanese style, is amazing. I like the sesame sauce that goes so well with the salad and the fish, and the lemon that gives the dish a sort of kick (I think you’ve realised by now that I love food with a passion). It’s available at almost all the outlets, so if you’re not sure what to get, this is the dish I recommend. Thanks Jen!

Afterglow

Favourite dish: Broccoli soup

What to do: Order it as it is.

As most raw food places do, Afterglow dehydrates their ingredients to get the most taste out of each ingredient. Everything they fed us was fresh, delicious and didn’t feel weird texture wise. I am not the biggest fan of raw food, because I like my food warm and hearty, but Afterglow might have changed my mind about raw food. It was all very new to me, which was why I still preferred the soups, but I quite liked the cauliflower cous cous bowl and the zucchini pasta dish. A little odd to me that “pasta” was cold, but I wish I knew about Afterglow when I was trying to be vegetarian and had a choice to have gluten-free pasta. Thanks Lionel!

My food motto is you’re going to have to eat anyway, might as well make it epic.

So do it. Make your meals epic too.

Much love.

If you’ve been following our social media (what? You haven’t? You should start now and NOW)

You probably know we’ve partnered with the folks at healthymetv in order to produce a series of videos to walk people through the Phase 1 Ritual Grub Guide, week by week.

Here’s is the video series - Phase 2 to follow soon.

You can download Phase 1 here.

Ritual Grub Guide

Getting Started

Week 1: Be More Aware

Week 2: You’re Gonna Get Grouchy

Week 3: Don’t Give Up, You’re So Close

Week 4: You’re Almost There

For extra credit, here's our take on nutrition and calories.

We've teamed up with the folks over at healthymetv, and have put up a bunch of cool Ritual-esque content such as..

Ian on being healthy

Brad on being healthy

Oli Pettigrew's Ritual Circuits

Brad's inspiring health journey from obese to pro athlete

Our latest video is the introduction to the Ritual Grub Guide, which you can steal download HERE.

Below is the first video of a series in which Ian and Brad walk you through the various phases of the grub guide - week by week. 

THE RITUAL GRUB GUIDE - Getting Started

The hardest part for an individual seeking a lifestyle change is to walk through the gym doors. For me, it was walking into RITUAL. It requires a commitment of time and an investment in oneself. My journey started 6 months ago when we were discussing healthcare issues at work and I realized that my business suits were getting – a little too fitting. I was not unfit. I played tennis once a week and went on runs every few days. We had just had our first child and life was, let’s just say, chaotic. I wanted to be fit enough to manage the chaos and run behind the bundle of joy. Having said that, I am not disciplined enough to go to the gym regularly and build my own workouts. Also, I prefer to get the technique right than strive for a fixed number of reps or total weight.

The geek in me started researching for boot camp options in Singapore. I enjoyed boot camp workouts because it requires short bursts of energy, has multiple exercises, uses primarily body weight and is functional training (when you are managing a baby, you are multi-tasking and picking up things at odd angles. My wife is great at it- I am not.) I am sure there are a number of great boot camp options here though I never landed up trying them. I read about RITUAL online and decided to walk-in and give it a shot. I actually got first-time lucky (for once!). The first day at the gym was hard - not that it’s any easier now. What sold me was the ability to walk-in though the day to join a session every 30 minutes, workout without carrying any gear to work, seek personalized training input and do a high intensity interval training (HIIT). I had done the latter in San Francisco, and it was exhausting. But at the end of each HIIT, I enjoyed the rush and the improvement in stamina.

HIIT is not for everyone. You either like it or not. There are theories to support the benefits of HIIT and I know there is literature to support other exercise techniques as well. My view is that if you ENJOY your workout and have a good guide (read-trainer), you will see the benefits of any of it. RITUAL has built a training crew that is approachable, pushes hard and is vested in your health. It’s the culture. I truly believe that the RITUAL crew is vested in your health because I have got sound advice and solutions to any aches, fitness or form related issues I have asked of them. Moreover, the trainer’s follow-up to check on me every few days, a practice that is a winner in my books (who does not like bespoke service and follow-up?). I learn from their years of experience in health and fitness as I am not a specialist. I rather trust, learn and apply.

Now, you may say, as a member, I will only have positive things to share (just to get it out there- I did not get paid to write this note). So, to balance my viewpoint, some of the points to consider are that RITUAL currently has only one location at Raffles Place, thereby limiting the option for some folks. Additionally, you need to make an investment that is well above a mass-gym membership. To me, value is relative. The customized attention, supportive culture and quick effective workouts are worth the value. If you are super disciplined, maybe a regular gym membership suffices.  

In 6 months, I am 10 pounds lighter and have lost 3” on the waist. Facebook pics are a constant reminder of this transition. I could only survive 3 workouts a week when I first started and today I do 4-5 workouts a week because of the quicker recovery times. Is this a huge change in fitness numbers? In my view it is because I achieved it with a considerable increase in strength and fitness levels (people now call me FIT- maybe they are just humoring me). Moreover, I did not change my diet a whole lot (sorry Ian and Shrek - I am being honest though now I am worried of the payback!). The only things off my food list are places like Burger King and McDonalds (yes- fast food joints saw a drop in earnings). I am sure if I followed the RITUAL grub guide (the diet regiment that is free for all members), the change may have been more pronounced- maybe someday. I have had to spend money on new clothes (RITUAL is clearly an investment that spurs sales growth at clothing retailers- that was not in the contract guys).

At RITUAL, I have made new friends (fellow members who go through an agonizing 20 min workout together and the RITUAL crew that guides us). My goal in the next year is to scale new levels of fitness that not only make me more active and energetic but also make fitness a part of my daily routine. I am not there yet and have not set a waistline or weight goal! To me, enjoying the workout, learning from the experts on how to do every movement right and giving it 100% is more important. The results, I am certain, will follow.

2014 is here and a lot of folks are embarking on their year’s fitness goals. I wish you the best in achieving these goals as everyone deserves to be fit. If you make RITUAL your workout spot, I look forward to seeing you on the workout floor or at the (juice) bar.

Adeesh Agarwal