Confessions of a Solo Traveler: Health Tips - Healthy Body

Hola!! I know this is not a travel-related post, but for the benefit of those who are asking repeatedly, putting this write up here will make it easier for them to locate these health tips than on my FB wall :) Besides, it is important for us to have a sound mind and healthy body to enable us to travel! Yay! Anyway, I'll post a new travel write up anytime soon; I am just organizing my thoughts ^_^

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For the benefit of those who are consistently asking (also for those who are about to ask), I’m sharing with you the changes I had to do to my lifestyle to lose weight. Please bear in mind that I am not a health or diet expert. The tips that I am about to share may or may not work for you, so it is always best to consult your doctor or health mentors (if you have one).

1. Eat small, frequent meals. This is what I do since I have a bad case of GERD. Or better yet, eat only when you’re hungry. Just make sure you don’t binge as you’ll have a hard time burning the excess calories. Btw, EAT ON TIME. Listen to what your body tells you and follow your body clock.

Photo credits: www.magicalhealth.co.in

2. Be conscious of your food choices. Educate yourself with your daily nutritional requirements (that’s why it’s necessary to consult a health expert so they can give you pieces of advice on what foods to eat and avoid). Check food labels. If the product is high in calories, fats (saturated ones), sugar and sodium, better think twice. Avoid instant noodles, canned and other types of processed meats while you still can as they contain high calories and sodium.

Photo credits: www.eatright.org

3. Walk! Jog! Move frequently! Use stairs instead of elevators! Being a lazy, couch potato would not burn all the calories and fats you ate for the day. If you have the luxury of time and money to spend on memberships, hit the gym. In short, engage yourself in an active lifestyle.

Photo credits: www.naradanews.com

4. Load on fruits, veggies and good source of protein (fish, nuts/beans and white meat chicken); trim on carbs and other meat types. I usually do the juicing (any greens – kangkong, pechay, saluyot, alugbati, parsley, camote tops, spinach – basically any leafy veggies plus one or two fruits of choice [if you have GERD like me, just skip citrusy fruits], blend with one cup of water, fresh coconut juice [the one that came from the fruit itself, not the packed ones] or unsweetened soy milk). Drink the concoction first thing in the morning thirty or more minutes before taking or eating anything.

My daily morning ritual -- green smoothie!

5. Manage your cravings. We all have our own cravings, it’s still fine to give in to them but make sure you know when to stop. I still crave for the salty and crunchy foods hehe! But instead of popping a bag of potato or corn chips, I look for other alternatives such as nuts, taro or sweet potato chips and mushroom chicharon. Again, always eat in moderation as anything excessive is bad.

Popped beans and vegan mushroom chicharon for my crunchy cravings.

6. As much as possible, avoid sugary drinks or anything sweet. Good thing I don’t have the sweet tooth so I don’t indulge myself too much on chocolates and candies. Oh, speaking of chocolates, if you can’t avoid eating them, just choose the dark cocoa variant. It’s the lesser ‘evil’ hehe. For sweeteners, use coco sugar as it has a lower glycemic index compared to regular sugar (even muscovado or brown). Refrain from using artificial sweeteners.