I had the privilege of hosting Alpen Muesli’s very first Alpen Activate with such an incredible team. The event took place in Cape Town on Saturday, 8 July.
Alpen Muesli ran a competition on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram platforms. After loads of people shared their no.1 fitness goals and their fitness buddy selfies, three winners were chosen. The three winners (and their fitness buddies) were invited to join me at the event – which was created to kick-start their fitness/health journey with a balanced approach.
Everyone arrived in the early morning, excited for the day and super stoked with their goodie bags. After meeting the beautiful winners, we headed to the ‘chill zone’ – this was a space for the winners to meet and greet while receiving a pampering shoulder massage as we headed into the Q&A section of the event.
For those who weren’t able to attend, I thought it would be nice to add a few questions that came up and my answers at the end of this post.
After the Q&A it was time to sweat it out Candibod-style! I was so stoked with the energy everyone came to the class with – not one person quit in the 45 minutes! I created a full-body, body-weighted workout with a cardio element. Once we had sweated it out, it was time for my favourite part of the event – the food!
I was lucky enough to demonstrate one of my favorite Alpen recipes – the Alpen Muesli Parfait.
Find the recipe here. While creating the parfait, I highlighted the importance of breakfast, the benefits of Swiss style muesli (over granola) and other healthy alternatives that can be created using Alpen Muesli. If you are feeling bored with your snack routine, head over to the Alpen website for some new ideas – Click here.
The ladies got creative making their own versions of the Alpen Muesli Parfait and then we headed to the sunny breakfast table to enjoy our breakfast and AMAZING Alpen spread. The table was decked out with Alpen muffins, chocolate bars, papaya and a fruit board – there were even green juices made fresh to order – yum!
After a very balanced and healthy start to the day, we ended the event with the obvious group photos and Instagram snaps. It was such an amazing event to be a part of, let alone host, and I seriously cannot WAIT for the next one!
LET’S ALPEN ACTIVATE OURSELVES!
What you missed from the Alpen Activate Q&A:
- “Should I cut carbs from my diet?”
A. I personally say no, reason being is that our bodies NEED carbohydrates to live a happy and healthy life. When we eat carbs our body turns this source of fuel into glycogen – this is either stored in the body as fuel or used up immediately as fuel. The misconception that carbs make us gain weight is not valid I feel. What makes people gain weight is the overconsumption of food in general and eating foods high in cholesterol and bad fats. - “How do I (Candibod) stay motivated?”
A. Listen, even personal trainers struggle to motivate themselves; everyone has the same feelings towards 5 a.m. wake-up calls. However, it’s the ones that DO get up who see the change. I just try remembering what was going on in my head when I wanted to make the change in my life, and also remember the value in looking after my body with the time I have during each day. - “What’s a typical day in the day of Candice?”
A. My day normally starts at 5 a.m. I instruct my first SWEAT1000 class then train myself while I am in a fitness facility and have less excuses to not work out (I like to get my own training done first thing as I tend to get less motivated throughout the day – more room for excuses.) I then get home and have breakfast, which is normally a bowl of muesli or oats. I head on to my admin side of things and make sure the majority of it is done before I start the rest of my day. Each day is different; however, it normally includes developing recipes, creating my clients’ programmes for the week, attending events, photo shoots and training my personal clients. My day normally ends with instructing at SWEAT1000 again or at MyUtopia. Then it’s back home to do normal human duties like clean, cook and get myself ready for another 12–14-hour day. - “Gluten – fact vs. fiction”
A. In short – if you are not intolerant to gluten, there is no need to fear it. Only if a food source is detrimental to your health should you take it out of your lifestyle. So, if you are unsure then consult a health care professional. - “What are the rules about snacking?”
A. I guess there are never rules, only guidelines. I try and plan better snacks to be available when I know I am going to need them. I keep fruits for the beginning of the day and veg and carbs for the end of the day. So, for example, I will have a cup of berries around 11 a.m. and hummus with carrots around 4 p.m. so I don’t eat everything in my house before dinner. - “What are the rules about eating before and after working out?”
A. I try eating an hour before a workout, but if it’s really early I tend to not need to – or my brain has just not woken up yet. If you feel faint and need the boost try ½ a banana. I feel it is VERY important to eat after a workout. Especially if you are doing any form of weight training, as your body is going to look for fuel to replenish what has been lost – and if it doesn’t find what it needs from your diet it will start to look for it in your muscles – which then makes your training session redundant. - “How do you deal with cheat meals?”
A. Sigh. This question is not one of my favourites. However, I do believe indulging is good for the soul. I don’t like the world ‘cheat’ – the word itself is very negative and I truly believe that every part of your lifestyle should be positive and mindful, even down to the choice of words we use. I indulge in mindful amounts every day, as I would rather not deprive myself of anything. For example, I will have a coffee every day (limited to one with almond milk and 1 sugar); I will have chocolate every day or a vegan treat; I eat carbs every day (I just choose to have sweet potato bread, muesli, quinoa and basmati rice). Once a week I do tend to treat myself to dried fruit, vegan ice cream and muffins – this is normally on a Sunday.
I hope y’all enjoyed the post, if you have any more questions you would like answered feel free to leave a comment below!
All my love,
Cands
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