Did you know? Malaysia has the highest rate of obesity and overweight among Asian countries with 64% of male and 65% of female population being either obese or overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is not only for better appearance but rather important for health to lower the risk of all the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancers, heart disease and diabetes.
Instead of risking your life with the processed diet pills, let's check out all these useful tips to help you improve health and lose weight naturally.
1) Stay Hydrated but Watch Out the Calorie Content
Last time we used to only have teh tarik as our local famous beverage, but now you can see bubble tea and other sugary drinks are booming everywhere. The sugar in beverages is often highly concentrated and easy to consume in large amounts without feeling full. You might be easily “earn” extra unhealthy calories without noticing it. Focus on hydrating with water to minimize the number of calories you need throughout the day.
2) Add More Fibre
Take more fibre because fibre can stay fuller for longer, and low in high-calorie fat. Fibre can be easily found in vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains, such as oat and barley. By adding these natural whole foods, into your diet can help you help you lose weight and shake off some unnecessary fats.
3) Let’s Try Plant-based Diet
Photo by Fuzzy Rescue
Plant-based diets works well for weight loss because they tend to be rich in fibre, which make us stay fuller for longer, and low in high-calorie fat.
A review of 12 studies including 1,151 participants found that people on a plant-based diet lost an average of 4.4 pounds (2 kg) more than those who included animal products. Plus, those following a vegan diet lost an average of 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) more than people not eating a plant-based diet (1)
Besides, plant-based diets also help in reducing the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. They can also be more environmentally sustainable than meat-based diets
4) No Refined Sugar
Refined sugars, especially from sugary drinks, is a major reason for unhealthy weight gain and health problems like diabetes and heart disease.
In Malaysia, it’s important for every consumer to note that even foods promoted as “healthy” can be very high in sugar. Therefore, reading nutrition labels and check with the servicing crew is a must.
5) Eat Whole foods
“You are what you eat.” Keeping track of exactly what is going into your body is a great way to get healthy. Whole foods like fruits and vegetables leaves less room for higher-calorie, higher-fat options, so it may help some people lose weight.
More than 76% of Malaysians will eat at least one outside meal per day. Therefore, it is important to take extra precautions in choosing our meals. Avoid taking those meals that are made by artificial ingredients, such as colouring, preservatives, flavourings, and so on. Not only concern about the extra calories we might not be aware, but it will also carry very bad impact to our body.
6) Workout Regularly
Photo by Dr Chan Ern Loy
Find something that you enjoy doing to stay in shape. Consistency is the key to achieve our health goals when we are talking about workout for weight management "Therefore, whether you love dancing, Tabata, Yoga, or whatever form of exercise you enjoy, do that, and don’t force yourself to do something just because you think it would be good for you. Make it into a habit and practice it regularly will help you to get closer and closer to your ultimate goal." Says Dr Chan Ern Loy, one of the Wise Crafters’ customer.
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