Eat your way to good health
THERE is a delicious, fulfilling way to good health — by choosing good foods as well as lifestyle practices which nourish your body and soul. Those who have made the switch to eating healthier experience a remarkable transformation and they wonder what has taken them so long to start eating better.
So don’t wait until you have chronic lifestyle-related ailments such as heart disease, diabetes, weight issues and more to finally see the light to eat healthier. By then, you’ll be swallowing a lot of pills every day and dreaming about the foods you wish you could still eat.
By starting now, you’ll be way ahead in preventing those ailments from striking you down. And the delicious foods you get to enjoy daily will be the panacea for you to stay healthy for a long time to come.
Let some of these nutrition ideas inspire you.
FIRE UP YOUR METABOLISM
Your metabolism slows down by two per cent with every decade of your life. If you don’t do anything about it, you can find yourself gaining between one and three kg per year. So ignite your metabolism by these simple methods:
Eat Enough: Don’t skip meals or eat too little. Over time, your body will tell itself that it is starving and will fight to latch on to whatever fat tissue it already has.
take fibre: High fibre foods can rev up your metabolism by 30 per cent compared to refined grains as they take longer to digest. So add wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and nuts to your daily diet.
drink water: Researchers in Germany found that drinking six cups of cold water can jolt resting metabolism by 50 calories daily. Keep this up and you can say bye-bye to 2.5kg annually without making an effort. Give your drinking water a fresh tasty Vitamin C boost by adding thin slices of cucumber and lemon.
eat lean protein: Include lean protein in every meal to maintain lean muscle tissue in your body. Add any one of these in your meals or snacks: A palm size or 100g of lean meat or fish, a glass of milk or soya bean milk, two tablespoons of nuts, a bowl of bean soup or tau foo fah.
avoid alcohol: When you drink alcohol you burn off less fat and more slowly than usual. This is because alcohol is used as an energy source instead. It only takes two standard drinks to reduce your ability to burn off fat by more than 70 per cent. Now you know why they call it “beer belly”.
PERFECT SENSE SLIMMING TIPS
Even when you eat at home, keep an eye on your portions. We tend to think that eating a home-cooked meal is healthier but you’ll still pack in way too many calories if you keep eating large servings or second-helpings. Here are more tips:
Water before meal: Research suggests that you will eat about 20 per cent less calories if you drink a large glass of water before the meal. The next time you feel like drinking juice, have vegetable juice instead of fruit juice as veggies have fewer calories than fruit. Give carrot, celery or tomato juice a new look the next time you order!
power snacks:If you like to munch, consider making your own power snacks. Prepare a combination of assorted roasted nuts, dried fruit, crunchy wholegrain cereal flakes and mini pretzels. Pack small servings in little containers or small zip-lock bags to have a sensible serving when you feel like nibbling.
food only in kitchen: Leave cooked dishes in the kitchen. Research shows that you’re less likely to overeat when you fix yourself a plate and sit at the table to eat.
LEAN UP WITH MILK
I often ask if it’s necessary to buy special protein powders and supplements to take after an exercise or games session.
The truth is, you may as well save your money. There’s a much cheaper everyday food source that you can easily stash in your bag. Right after a workout session, drink a cup or small packet of low fat or skim milk. Milk is high in protein, which helps to repair muscles that you’ve exerted. Plus the calcium, magnesium and Vitamin D will help strengthen bones.
Throughout the day, aim to drink two to three cups of milk as part of a healthy balanced diet.
TREAT SORE MUSCLES “GINGERLY”
Ginger has anti-inflammatory compounds that help ease muscle soreness by up to 25 per cent. Make this simple ginger lemonade drink if you have aching or tired muscles.
Squeeze a lemon (or use 100 per cent lemon juice concentrate, available in supermarkets) into a glass and add a cup of water. Sweeten with a touch of honey and add ½ teaspoon of finely grated ginger. Give it a good stir and sip to soothe those aching muscles.
The best time to drink ginger lemonade is after your exercise or as a soothing drink after you’ve had a long day sitting at your work desk to soothe out that stiff neck and shoulder. Drink daily.
MANAGE CHOLESTEROL WITH GOOD FAT
An Australian study published in the Journal Of Nutrition found that men’s bad cholesterol (LDL) dropped by 5.3 per cent when they ate 30 to 90g of macadamia nuts per day for a month. Meanwhile, their good cholesterol (HDL) went up by 7.9 per cent.
Researchers attribute this to the fact that macadamia nuts are a good source of monounsaturated fat, which is beneficial for the heart.
High LDL levels of cholesterol are associated with increased risk of a heart attack. A little goes a long way — a sensible serving of macadamia nuts or any other variety of nuts is a 40g packet or approximately a ¼ cup. Extend the way you eat your nuts. Add to stir-fried vegetables or lightly crush and sprinkle on oats or cereal.
Source: NST
Published: 14 Jan 2014
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
