When we talk about diet, the first thing that comes to our mind is weight management.
Diet is a touchy subject that is convoluted with attributes to a healthy lifestyle. We may easily be persuaded to follow a popular and the latest diet craze in the market today. Among them are: South Beach Diet, Weight Watchers, Plant- Based Diet, Keto Diet, and Intermittent Fasting.
Although each of their purpose is to provide a comprehensive nutrition plan that anyone could follow, they could have a different outcome in terms of sustainability.
You have most probably come across a person telling you she has stopped eating rice the last eight months, and your initial response was “WHAT?! WHY?”
Of course, your response is normal; afterall, this is the Philippines where Rice is Life!
I can’t even imagine eating humba by itself, just humba. Or grilled fish just by its lonesome on my plate.
But wait…, the latest word on the street now is that rice is the culprit for the “love handle” (that bilbil) or the extra weight on your belly and the sides of the waist that can be clearly detected from the back.
That is because white rice, as we all know by now, is a form of carbohydrate that, when consumed, is broken down for energy use, and some is stored as fat.
So if one doesn’t do any form of physical exercise, and doesn’t seriously watch his food consumption, those unused fat stored from carbohydrates will continue to accumulate in one’s body, resulting in weight gain. And then you wonder where that 110-pound body went.
We all admit that a lot of Pinoy food are so tasty (because they may be high in salt) that they are just so good to eat!
But we also realize Pinoy food are not necessarily the healthiest, especially in Filipino parties.
The usual spread would consist of about two to three different recipes of pork ulam, beef and chicken, then some seafood like crabs, shrimps, or grilled fish, and on top of all that, of course, there’s the lechon. (Or people will wonder, “walay lechon?” This can’t be!)
Even a simple family party does not seem complete without the lechon, and the Pinoy plate is not complete without a mound of hot steamed rice over it.
And we haven’t even mentioned yet an entire table of desserts, filled with leche flan, chocolate cakes, and different styles of sweet rice, paired with highly-sweet mangoes and deeply-rich and thick tsokolate.
Now that’s a load of calories one can ever consume in just a few hours of feasting.
Then the men (or with the women) would retire to a corner to relax while having “a little” of their favorite alcoholic beverage or rhum with cola or margaritas or tequila “just to wash down” the sumptuous meal.
By then, total calories consumed by one person alone could be broken down into 40 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent fat, and 20 percent protein. I am wildly guessing on the “nutritional values” of a typical Pinoy plate.
An active person with a natural high rate of metabolism (for example, one who easily sweats profusely) would be able to burn an equal amount of the calories eaten/ingested.
Unfortunately for a sedentary person (who moves ever so slowly or is always sitting down, and hardly sweats), he would also easily store the fat from the carbohydrates which, in no time, can cause some health issues such as hypertension, heart disease, or diabetes.
The body, as we know it, uses three main nutrients to fully function: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates are used for energy, fats are also used for energy after they are broken down into fatty acids, and protein is used for the building blocks of our tissues or muscles.
A person with an active lifestyle would normally have a choice between a high-carb or a low-carb diet.
The carbohydrates would provide a quick source of energy that is immediately available for use, and is sustainable for up to two hours during continuous exercise before it gets depleted.
That is why when one runs or bikes for at least two hours without consuming any food or energy drinks, he would feel easily-fatigued, and sometimes light-headed.
Studies have shown that for a person with a high-carb diet and engaged in strenuous and extensive exercise, the body would use up about 50 percent of the carbohydrates reserve, and the rest would come from stored fat.
On the other hand, fat is able to provide more power and energy than carbohydrates can, and would be sustainable for more than two hours of exercise.
So if a person is on a low-carb diet, the energy expenditure most likely is only five to 10 percent from carbohydrates, with the rest coming from fat and proteins to fuel the body during extensive exercise. And that is a good way to lose unwanted fat.
Side by side, a person in a low-carb diet could actually sustain more energy than a person in high-carb diet. Although each person’s receptor is different from the other, depending on his health condition and lifestyle.
My personal advice for people who want to control their weight and stay healthy is simple: Find time to have a consistent exercise regimen, and eat food that has healthy nutritional content.
Most importantly, just try to consume less, or maybe stop all together sugar-rich white rice (there is the healthier option of brown rice), processed food like bacon and spam, junk food like salty chips, and highly-sweet softdrinks.
Remember, health is wealth.
I may not be a nutritionist but my opinion is based on studies I have read as a personal coach and trainer.
Four weeks ago, we started the eight-week Beginner Running Program. This week is the fifth week. Just a reminder that when you start to jog, slowly find your rhythm with two strides breathing in, and two strides breathing out.
Week 5
Warm-up by walking for 5 minutes, then do some light stretching. Do the workout:
Day 1. Jog 7 minutes, walk 30 seconds. Repeat 5x
Day 2. Jog 7 minutes, walk 30 seconds. Repeat 5x
Day 3. Jog 8 minutes, walk 30 seconds. Repeat 5x
Cool-down by walking 5 minutes then do some stretches, holding 10-20 seconds each muscles: hamstrings (back of thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), and calves (back of lower leg).
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