How to start eating healthy
I used to eat. A lot. I never paid much attention to what I was putting into my body. Overeating was normal to me. Three plates of rice in a single sitting was not unusual, and my friend and former tennis partner, June and I used to celebrate a match well played by eating large pizzas till we popped.
It was only once I left college that I realised I could no longer afford such bad eating habits. I started to implement changes in my diet, like switching to whole grains, eating more fresh vegetables and fruits and reducing fat intake. I felt so much better physically, that it spurred on a complete makeover in eating habits.
Of course all the while, without compromising on taste. I was born and bred in Malaysia's food capital, Penang, and food and eating play a very important role in my life. I don't feel like I need to give up or deny myself good food if I want to stay healthy. I just have to be more creative.
For starters, I think it's a good idea to know how much my body needs. I don't think I need to start obsessing (although those who know me might tell you otherwise) over every calorie I take in, but I do think I need a ballpark figure to begin with.
Once I have that figure (based on my weight, height, daily activities, age), I can start to compare them to my meals and see if I'm providing myself with the right amount of eating.
(Tip of the day: If you're trying to lose weight, you should probably try to reduce 500 calories a day, which equals to losing 1 pound of fat per week. Don't try to lose weight too quickly if you want to keep it off! 1 pound per week is a pretty good rate. If you're trying to gain weight, increase instead of decrease. 3500 calories is basically equal to 1 pound of fat. If you want to learn more, google this using our custom google search on our sidebar)
There are plenty of websites out there that give you nutritional value for foods, but I find the following one to be the most convenient.
Not only can you look up nutritional information, but they also give you rough estimates of how many calories you burn doing what activity. Just type in your activity, and some details about yourself in their activity calculator.
Also, I recently came across a Malaysian-based website that provides nutritional info on local foods. What a find!
And lastly, and I cannot stress this enough, I believe in healthy portions and healthy options. You can always prepare your own meals with healthier options without compromising on taste and flavour. And that's what this website is mainly about. Finding good tasting, and healthier options for healthy living. :o)
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