Our Premium Ingredients are IN!

Our premium ingredients stock just arrived! Yeeha! Medjool Jumbo AA Dates and Dried Apricots in superior quality and size! Perfect!

We always, always use the highest quality, freshest ingredients for our homemade energy bars. No compromises! You should be aware by now that no artificial sugar is used in all, and I repeat, ALL our Energy Bars. The sweetness of the bars are extracted from scratch by the baker, from the mainly the dates and other dried fruits. The baker is pretty health conscious. That's why. Aren't we lucky to have someone like her in the industry? Loving us already?

Orange and Pineapple Energy Bar

Oranges have so many benefits and they are considered as Power Food. They have a wealth of nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin A precursors, calcium, potassium, and pectin. For this benefits we have created our latest flavour, Orange and Pineapple with Choc Rice Krispies Energy Bar!

Most of us who eat oranges, normally throw out the peels, but what many of us are unaware of, is that these peels are loaded with highly nutritious compounds that are beneficial for our health. Orange peels contain more than 60 types of flavonoids and over 170 different types of phytonutrients, in addition to being rich in various pectins, vitamins, minerals and fibre. The orange peels also helps in weight loss ie orange peel acts as an excellent weight loss aid, as it contains good amounts of fibre and is low in calories. It adds bulk to the food and thus, helps in lowering the overall caloric intake, thereby aiding weight loss. It also exerts anti-obesity effects by suppressing weight gain by the body and formation of adipose tissue.

This and other flavors are available to purchase at www.mamachaksonline.my

Editor's personal note:

It is definitely my favorite! I am usually the chocolate kinda girl. But, this energy bar caught me by surprise. The citrus flavor of the orange peel and pineapple chunks, alongside with Krispie Rice and Choc Chip certainly makes this healthy energy bar a delightful meal replacement for me to last till tea time. Kudos Zet! 

New Flavour : Mocha Energy Bar

Drumroll please!!!! Marathonbaker's homemade energy bar NEW FLAVOUR – MOCHA.

This new flavour is artfully crafted with dark choc chips, walnut, almond, dates, dried cranberries, oats and flaxseeds for that super rich taste. Yearps! Simple natural ingredients found in your pantry not in a laboratory!

There is a special relationship between caffeine and athlete. A wonderful relationship. You see, when we exercise, our body uses glycogen, a type of sugar that we get from food, for energy. But once those stores are depleted at the end of a long workout, we may feel tired or sluggish - signs that we have “hit the wall.” Caffeine slows the depletion of glycogen by encouraging the body to use more fat as fuel, which helps to conserve energy over long periods of time.

For this reason, sports that deplete a lot of glycogen, specifically endurance events, benefit the most from caffeine consumption. Activities lasting longer than an hour with sustained effort, such as running, cycling, and cross-country all benefit from caffeine supplementation by allowing athletes to increase their endurance, accuracy and speed.

Come and get this new flavour at www.mamachaksonline.my

Editor's note:

Did you know that Endurance Sports will make you a better and calmer person? Read here.

I should do this!

New Flavor: Apricot Chia Seed Energy Bar

We have our red carpet ready to welcome on board our new flavour: Marathon Baker’s Apricot Chia Seeds Homemade Energy Bar. Woo hoo!

Chia seed is famous since way back then to support heart health by reducing blood pressure. The seeds contain two of highest plant sources of fatty acids, namely Omega-3 and Omega-6. Chia Seed also stabilizes blood sugar by slowing down the rate at which complex carbo are digested and then assimilated into the body. The soluble fibre helps stabilize blood glucose level.

Chia Seed also helps to lose weight. The fatty acids contain in the chia seeds help to boost metabolism and promote lean muscle mass. It also contains high quality protein and strontium which helps to assimilate protein and produce high energy. Besides that, chia seeds are also an excellent source of antioxidants and a good provider of fibre and other nutrients, like iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus.

Knowing these benefits, motivates us to create Marathon Baker's Homemade Chia Seeds Energy Bar! 
We love the taste! 
We love what it could do to our health.
Perfect as a meal replacement and definitely perfect before your run.

This new flavour, alongside with the rest of the homemade energy bars family are available at www.mamachaksonline.my

Read up more about Chia Seeds:
11 Proven Health Benefits of Chia Seeds.
10 Reasons to Add Chia Seeds in Your Diet.

Editor’s note:
Just so you know, according to our Sales Statistic, this flavour is popular among our Chinese runners. 

Snack Diet

Healthy Snacking!  Truly blessed to have this as a home based business! (I get a bite or two of my own every now and then ;-))

One of the many advantages of having these energy bars as snacks is that you are already full from these scrumptious energizers! This means that there's little room for your heavy and complex lunch which means the lesser you eat! Losing weight has never been easier ;)

The best part of the Marathon Baker's Energy Bar is that it has no sugar (complex sugars, that is). The sweetness of the energy bars are derived from the simple sugars from the dates, apricots and cranberries. Whereas, the light carbohydrates come from oats that are great for reducing cholesterol.

These Marathon Baker Energy Bars are known for their power pump for all sports lovers. Even so, there are plenty of people asking me about dieting with the energy bars. I think they work just fine. Probably by eating one energy bar before your heavy meals, it reduces the amount of intake since the energy bar is already filling on its own. Here are 40 Fast and Easy Tips for losing weight that I've found while browsing through the net the other day. Take a look :-)

Protein Bar

The Benefits of Protein Bars

 

There are many different benefits to protein bars. Understand what a protein bar actually is before eating one, as well as what it can and can not do for you. Some people may have misconceptions about the positive effects of protein bars, so it is important to clear up any confusion :-)

 

Importance of Protein Bar.   

A protein bar delivers a high level of protein and is essential to the health of your body, especially if you are growing, lifting weights or participating in sports. Protein also helps your body to maintain, repair and build muscle. Besides protein, you will also be getting portions of many nutrients that your body needs from the goji berries, flex seeds, dried cranberries and many more. This includes amino acids, minerals  and vitamins, as well as small amounts of carbohydrates and fat.

 

While a protein bar can be eaten at any time of the day, the best times to enjoy one is right after a workout. Your body needs a lot of protein during this time and if you don't give yourself sufficient protein within 30 minutes of your workout, you may have wasted all your efforts at the gym as it plays an important role in repairing and maintaining muscles. After  a  workout or strenuous training, this role is even more important for proper muscle recovery.

What Protein Bars Can't Do.

Protein bars will not magically enable you to grow muscle or increase your muscle mass. You still need to put in your time at the gym for this; the protein bar only reinforces and maximizes those efforts :-)

Come and get Marathon Baker's Protein Bar from our store : www.mamachaksonline.lot.my

Who needs energy bar?

Energy bar is a terrific option for athletes – or anyone – looking for a quick source of protein, complex carbohydrates, and vitamins & minerals. Convenient and easy to throw in a gym  – or handbag, for that matter – they’re a quick source of energy for athletes, students, or harried, on-the-go executives. 

Most commercially available energy bars – Clif Bars, Power Bars, and the like – cost around RM10 to RM12 each.

Not just our homemade energy bars save you money, they are great tasting, only made from premium ingredients, and the best part is ZERO SUGAR is added when making those awesome healthy goodness. Sweetness derived from dried fruits. Brilliant? I know.. :-)

Our energy bars contain around 170 to 200 calories. If you maintain an active lifestyle or are an athlete, eating an energy bar is perfectly fine because you need to maintain your calorie intake given your high level of physical activity. 

For anyone who is less active, energy bars are a good option especially if the alternative is junk food, a candy bar, or the fatty, cholesterol-laden hot breakfast . Just bear in mind that the calories will add up if you eat several per day.

Benefit: An energy bar provides increased carbohydrates and protein. These nutrients allow for an athlete to exercise harder and recover at a much faster rate.

The Marathon Baker Energy Bar is available at www.mamachaksonline.lot.my

Flavors & Ingredients

Just a quick update on the flavors that we're offering..

There are two flavors to choose from:
1. Chocolate Peanut Butter with Chocolate Topping
2. Multigrain Flavor with Peanut Butter Topping

Chocolate Peanut Butter with Chocolate Topping
Ingredients: Chunky peanut butter, chocolate chip, roasted almond, rolled oats, cranberries, dates, wheatgerm, wholemeal flour.
Serving Size: 30g
Calories: 176

Multigrain with Peanut Butter Topping
Ingredients: Dates, dried apricot, cranberries, almond, wheat germs, wholemeal flour, oats, unsalted sunflower seeds, raisins, cinnamon.
Serving Size: 30g
Calories: 133

Now, come try our energy bars now. Don't wait till race day to test it out!

Nike #werunkl

So, who has signed up for the Nike We Run KL, 2015??

I bet, you have registered for this Run, cos the registration is closed already! 

#werunkl is happening on the 1st of Feb, 2015.

Here is a link to all you need to know about the Nike #werunkl >> FAQ

All we need to do now is train, train and train,
Nike+ has also created a Nike+ Running App where you can download from your AppStore and Google PlayStore. Its main purpose is to track your run and reach your goals. It helps you to achieve your personal record and can also prepare you for your race day.

The application is free! Thank you Nike!

4 tips for First Timers

Hello marathoners..

Today, while browsing the internet, I came across this article and find it very useful, especially if you are a first timer. Here are four tips to run your first marathon.

Tips extracted from www.active.com, specifically on this link.

I hope you'll find this beneficial.

1. Don't Try Anything New

Especially on race day and race week. Every long run has been a dress rehearsal for the big day and by now you should know what to eat, how much to drink and what you're going to wear. The time to make changes and adjustments is during the season. 

2. Review Your Log

Take a few minutes and reflect on all the training sessions you did this season. You are well prepared and race week is all about resting and fueling. The training you are doing this week is to merely keep your legs loose rather than training for the race. Your sessions should be short and light in intensity as you want to be well-rested for race day.

3. Go With What the Day Brings

It could be warm or cold, rainy or windy or it could be perfect weather. Don't let the things you can't control affect your day. If you come to challenging parts of the race, think your way through. Just as life rolls through hard and easy days, so will the race. 

4. Have a Mental Plan for Race Day
Training is 90 percent physical and 10 percent mental. Race day is the exact opposite. Your body is trained, rested and ready to go. Your mind is in charge on race day. Keep your mind actively engaged in the race and think your way through the course. Review the course map and break it up into smaller, more digestible pieces. 26.2 is less daunting if you think in two to three mile increments. Like life, you'll roll through a series of emotions (highs and lows) on race day. Enjoy the highs, and prepare for the lows. 

So, are you ready? Good Luck!

(photo courtesy of Mr Google)

Marathon Baker .. A little bit about the Baker

Assalamualaikum.
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

What a lovely morning to start a blog.
Just a quick one.

This blog is a venture between Mama Chak's Online and the Marathon Baker whereby the Marathon Baker (Zarina) bakes, and Mama Chak's (Shaz) markets.

We will provide you with all you need to know with the Energy Bar aka Power Bar in this blog.
A homemade treat that focuses on quality energy bar for athletes, especially marathoners.

A little bit about the Marathon Baker:

A mommy to Tasha.
Runs marathons.
Loves to bake.
Careful on the calories.
Health conscious.
Gym freak.

A little bit about Mama Chak:

A mommy to five.
Haven't run any marathon (yet).
Loves to bake too!
Sometimes careful on the calories.
Health conscious.
Not yet a gym freak.. :-p

How we met?
Marathon Baker (MB) was Mama Chak's (MC) first online customer when MC started Mama Chak's Recipe seven years back. Then MB got the baking bug, and started baking herself.
And when MC had to stop baking and started Mama Chak's Online, this new venture begin.

I guess that's enough as a first entry to this blog.
More details coming soon! And of course, we will touch up our new online home soon.
Come again, ok!

This is us..

Mama Chak (left). Marathon Baker (right)