Getting better each day!
- Updated: December 8, 2020
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This is an update to my post 5 ACTIONS TAKEN IN EATING MY WAY TO BETTER HEALTH. This was posted about 3½ months ago.
The original post covered the steps of I had taken toward reaching my goal of better health through healthier eating. I am going along this path and will continue to do so until I reach my target.
For me, it is all about simple exercises and changing my eating habits.
As of today, I achieved a weight loss of 12 kgs. I reached the first milestone at 10 kg about 2 weeks ago.
I have still a long way to go towards reaching the second milestone. The second target is always going to be difficult. My weight went down considerably and quickly in the first month.
By now, I have lost about 10 cm (4 inches) from my waistline. My triple chin is gone, and parts of my body are less fleshy. And I do feel much better now.
Gone!
A few months ago, I had all these issues most of the time. And they are now mostly gone:
- Lethargy. I do not feel lethargic anymore.
- Most of the pain in my joints.
- Dry eyes syndrome.
- Dull aches and sometimes pain in both my upper arms.
- Bloated stomach, indigestion, and reflux at times.
Of course, I still have body aches occasionally. After all, it is part of the aging process and I am aging.
Tools used
I used these tools to help me keep track of my physical activity.
1. Xiaomi Mi Band 5
This health band counts my steps counting accurately. The band is linked to the Mi Fit app on my phone with health stats which are sufficient for my use. Tracking the heart rate all the time I am wearing it even while I am asleep is a bit cool. It also tracks my sleep quality which is a bit of hits and misses. The battery is alright and can last up more than 10 days (14 days per the documentation) which is good enough for me as I wear it all the time.
2. Xiaomi Mi Body Composition Scale 2
This scale and the Mi Fit app are great for people like me. I am using this scale to track my weight loss and obtain my health information daily.
3. Mi Fit app
The Mi Fit app tracks my activity, analyses sleep, and evaluates my workouts. The health band and scale are linked and synchronised to the Mi Fit app.
To recap
Here is a quick update to my first post on what I did in 5 ACTIONS TAKEN IN EATING MY WAY TO BETTER HEALTH :
1. Moving away from animal-based protein to plant-based protein
I have oatmeal for breakfast or brunch almost every day. Other than oatmeal, I cook quinoa or prepare wraps. Cooking dinner occasionally helps in this.
2. Moving away from refined carbohydrates to unrefined carbohydrates
I have largely reduced or almost omitted consumption of white rice and reduced consumption of white bread. However, I have started to eat rice in limited amounts, mainly basmati rice as it has a lower glycaemic index.
3. Cutting down on consumption of saturated fat
Most foods with high saturated fat are still off the menu.
4. Reducing intake of beverages with added sugar
Only coffee with fresh milk at home. I will get a cup of black coffee with a wee bit of sugar at times.
5. Focus on calorie deficit
This is one of the steps I must maintain. I walk about 5 times a week at the nearest park cum playground wherever possible. Each session will cover 3 kms and must last at least 30 minutes.
Walking burns calories. Combining this with a reduced calorie intake will nudge my body into burning surplus energy which is stored as fat.
And not for long, I learned how to cook.
Learning how to cook
I only focus on 3 cuisines which is Chinese, Indian, and Italian. Thai and Vietnamese food have many similarities to Malaysian cuisine in terms of preparation and the ingredients used. Some of the Thai dishes are already incorporated into Malaysian cuisine.
Chinese cuisine here refers to Malaysian Chinese cuisine which is different from the cuisines of China. The 8 great cuisines (Chinese: 八大菜系; pinyin: Bādà càixì) of China are Shandong, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong (Cantonese), Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Fujian (Hokkien) cuisines. There are also other regional cuisines like Chao Zhou (Teochew, Hakka, Macau, Hainan, Taiwan, the Northeast, and many more. In addition to these Chinese cuisines, Malaysian Chinese cuisine is also influenced by Malay and Indian cuisines.
I cook simple down to earth Chinese dishes based on traditional recipes. I can also appreciate and enjoy the taste of the ingredients used better by reducing the oil, salt and sauces used.
As for Indian cuisine, it has a long tradition in Malaysia. Malaysian Indian cuisine is largely of South Indian origin. Getting the ingredients particularly the spices is not difficult at all as they are commonly used in Malaysian cooking. It was also not that difficult to learn how to use the spices.
I chose to learn how to cook Italian style simply because I like Italian food. Learning how to cook authentic Italian food has been an awesome process. I managed to follow and cook some of them successfully. And I always remind myself when I about to start cooking an Italian dish, In Italian cuisine, simple is better and less is more.
I will move on to learn other Mediterranean recipes like Greek and Spanish cuisines.
You find my recipes on this page below. The recipes were the result of my attempts at cooking certain dishes. The photos are of the actual dishes cooked and were taken at the time of cooking.
I learned a lot of stuff in my process of changing my eating habits.
Things I learned so far
1. Traditional Mediterranean diet is healthier
Traditional diets in Mediterranean countries, tend to be healthy due to a high consumption of vegetables and olive oil and moderate consumption of protein. This helps a lot in my cause for better health through eating.
“Mediterranean diet” is a generic term based on the traditional eating habits in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. There is not one standard Mediterranean diet as there are at least 16 countries border the Mediterranean sea. Eating styles vary among these countries and even among regions within each country because of differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy, geography, and agricultural production.
However, there are some common factors.
A Mediterranean-style diet typically includes:
- Plenty of fruits, vegetables, bread and other grains, potatoes, beans, nuts, and seeds.
- Olive oil as a primary fat source; and
- Dairy products, eggs, fish, and poultry in low to moderate amounts.
Fish and poultry are more common than red meat. It also centres on minimally processed, plant-based foods. Wine may be consumed in low to moderate amounts with meals with fruit as a common dessert.
So far, I have tried my hand at cooking authentic Italian dishes. The results have been encouraging so far. They taste great and are much healthier.
You can find out more about the traditional Mediterranean diet and its health benefits from these articles:
Mediterranean diet: A heart-healthy eating plan
Diet Review: Mediterranean Diet
What is the Mediterranean diet?
12 Reasons to Love the Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean Diet for Beginners: Everything You Need to Get Started
8 Ways to Follow the Mediterranean Diet for Better Health
2. Cutting down on salt leads to weight loss
We all need sodium in our diet. It is important as it helps in regulating blood pressure and fluid levels. However, you need only a small amount for our body functions. If you have too much sodium in your system, your body holds in water. Table salt is one source of sodium, but we get more of it from processed food like bread, crackers, chips, canned food, and even soft drinks. Outside food in general has a plenty of salt added. Outside food includes food from restaurants, cafes, food courts, street food vendors, takeaways, and fast-food joints.
A large part of my weight loss is also due to a reduction in salt. I have been eating less of outside food and eating more of home prepared meals.
For more information on the link between salt and weight gain, please check out these links.
The Surprising Link between Salt and Weight Gain
3. Why Chinese restaurant food taste so much differently from home cooked Chinese food
I also noticed a major difference in between restaurant food and home cooking in Chinese cuisine. Chinese restaurant food tends to be oilier, saltier, and richer. When we cook at home, we use less oil and salt. Oil makes the dish looks super nice and appetising. It gives it that glossy look.
We also tend not to go for heavy sauces. The sauces are the reason why restaurant food is rich. It is a bit too rich for my comfort level. Each restaurant will have their own signature sauce which is used is most of their dishes. It almost always includes corn starch, oyster sauce and a blend of the chef’s spices.
We can control the level of oil, salt, and spices in home cooking. We can choose to make a sauce that is not so rich, or we can omit the sauce altogether. A rich sauce will overpower the original taste of the ingredients. A lighter sauce will instead enhance the taste of the ingredients.
4. Some “Italian” food are not Italian at all
I also found that several dishes I took for granted as Italian are not Italian at all.
Even some of the popular Italian restaurants also serve some of these alongside their authentic Italian dishes.
Some of the things I discovered about Italian cuisine are:
A “primo” (pasta) is not mixed with a “secondo” (Chicken, meatballs etc.). They are two distinct dishes. Pasta is a “primo”, a first dish, whereas a “secondo” is a second dish. They never mix them.
- Garlic use is minimal and subtle.
- Italian food is not smothered under a mountain of cheese
- There are many types of pasta, and each type has its own uses for a dish.
I have written on 7 of these dishes. You can read the post by following this link:
7 “Italian” dishes that are not actually Italian
In a nutshell
To summarise, it must be a combination of exercising and reducing food intake to achieve satisfactory results. Simple exercises like walking will suffice at this time. Reducing food intake also works if I focus on the right type of food and the cooking method used.
Date of commencement of food regimen: 18 August 2020
1st Status update: 4 December 2020