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Healthy Eating - Celebrate Your Everyday and Feel Better
Malaysia is known for its variety of food resulted from the many different races and cultures of people living here. Western, Asian, Middle-Eastern and European food can be easily found everywhere. With so many choices available, how do you know what you are consuming is healthy?

You would know what goes into your food if you cook at home as you are chef in the house. But, you wouldn’t know what consists in your food if you eat out and what goes into the pot of steamy hot prawn noodle soup or the delicious and aromatic fried kuay teow. Nevertheless, you would just chew down on all the food that is placed in front of you regardless of its origin.

What is it?

The World Health Assembly defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity’. It simply means your physical body is fit and you can use your cognitive and emotional capability to solve everyday’s tasks. Usually it’s the women who are keener on their outer looks than men thanks to the portrayal of women in mass media that emphasizes on outer beauty.



In order to achieve a slimmer figure, many resolve to slimming pills (some are even banned), liposuction, devoted to a pure 100% vegetables only diet that led to health problems. Actually you wouldn’t need to do all that. Downing slimming pills will only destroy the kidneys as it contains artificial materials where as operations might lead to even more health complications in the future. Following a harsh diet of only pure vegetables will only deprive your own body of essential nutrients and vitamins that only can be found in poultry. All you need to do is just watch what you eat and take care of your eating habits.

Obsessive on Being Thin

Some are so obsessed with their outer looks that they develop certain eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa. It is where the person will do anything to become thin by cutting off calories, exercising vigorously to shed off the pounds and not seem to be satisfied with the number on the scale no matter what. They still consider themselves fat no matter how much weight they lost or how wonderful their figure has become. Over the time, they developed an intense fear of gaining weight so they will refuse any food intake into their body or will try to purge out the food whenever they consumed it. This will lead to insufficient of nutrients to the body where eventually the body system especially the heart will fail to work efficiently and lead to death in severe cases.

Besides that, another common eating disorder that tends to attack most women is bulimia nervosa. People with this disease would overeat or binge on food several times a week or a day and then purge out the food or fast to get rid of the calories. This continuous cycle of eating and purging weakens the body. It can lead to stomach rupture, swollen cheeks and salivary glands because of the constant throwing up and anemia. It is not worth it to risk your own health by these means for wanting a healthy body.

Actually, you wouldn’t need to go by all the painful experience of dieting and fasting to achieve your goal. By knowing what your food contains and watch what you consume, you can easily grasp the pattern of healthy diet. We have the food pyramid to advise us on our intake of certain food as we all learned in school before, just that it has been modified overtime. It emphasizes the food we need to consume from bottom up.

Different Food Categories

Placed at the bottom of the pyramid is whole grain. Its main function is to provide carbohydrates, which is then turned into energy to fuel the body. It includes rice, pasta, bread and cereal. Instead of choosing white rice, white bread and pasta which is categorized as refined grain (it will be explained in later paragraphs) you could have brown rice, whole grain bread and whole wheat pasta which is healthier because it contains dietary fiber, essential fatty acids and other essential nutrients which cannot be found in white rice and white bread. That is why some people substitute their rice intake with oatmeal as a meal. Additionally, a rich diet of whole grains also protects against heart disease.

Next in line would be vegetables. Most kids would dish out the green alien stuff on their plate but they do not know its significance to the human body. Naturally low in fat and calories, it is also rich in vitamins and minerals that are spread across many different vegetables. So, be sure to indulge all sorts of vegetables to take in its goodness. Basically green vegetables contain vitamin A, dark green and orange vegetables contain vitamin C and broccoli and such vegetables contain iron and calcium. Furthermore, it lower blood pressure and decrease possibility of heart attack and stroke. Besides giving the palate a crunchy feel, it also adds colour to the meal.

Other than vegetables, fruits are very important to the growth of the body too. They are low in calories and fat and have natural fiber, sugars and vitamin. It also helps in maintaining a healthy digestion system. Chewing on whole fruits rather than cutting it into pieces helps to strengthen the gums too. It is better to consume fresh fruits than making it into juices or syrup as it contains higher percentage of sugar. It is best to have 2-4 servings a day. Like the saying goes, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’.



In next level, we have Poultry, Fish and Eggs Group. We also need some meat to provide us energy. Meat is a big source of iron, protein, zinc and vitamin B12. It includes any type of poultry such as chicken, fish, beef and pork. Meat is high in fats and cholesterol so make sure to take them moderately. Anyway, you can always take out the fats in the meat for example chicken skin before cooking so a partial of fats are taken off better than the whole skin. Or, you could opt for chicken breast meat instead of chicken wings and chicken thigh which contains more fat and cholesterol. Eggs are also in this category as it provides protein as well. But, the egg yolk is high in cholesterol so please take them moderately especially the elderly.



Standing in the same level is Nuts, Beans, Seeds and Tofu Group. For those who do not take in meat, they can always take tofu, soy, beans, and cheese which are also rich in proteins. For vegetarians, they can take the processed vegetarian food made from tofu and soy products and other nuts and beans to make it as substitutes for meat. They are also rich in protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins. Nuts such as almond, walnut, pecan, peanut, hazelnut and pistachios are good for the heart and a great healthy snack instead of potato chips while watching television. You wouldn’t want to become a potato couch, would you?

Meanwhile, the category of food we must have the least is oil and dairy group. Oil group consists of cooking oil and fat but not all oils are bad. The healthy oils include olive, corn, sunflower, peanut, vegetable oils and also salmon that has the potential to improve cholesterol levels. On the other hand, dairy group includes milk, cheese and yogurt. Besides providing our body with calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin D, it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. If you enjoy dairy milk, it is better to have the low-fat or skimmed milk instead of full cream milk. For those who do not take in dairy products, they can always have vitamin D and calcium supplements to keep your bones strong and healthy.

On the top, we have the category where we must eat sparingly; Refined Grains. It consists of white rice, white bread, pasta, potatoes, sugary drinks, sweets and salt. It can easily rockets your blood sugar that will lead to diabetes and heart disease. Besides, all these refined grains will cause weight gain as it does not contribute nutrients to the body except for ‘bad’ carbohydrates. Furthermore, using excessive salt in cooking would increase heart attack risk and stroke.



Other than that, standing hand in hand on this top level is red meat and butter. Red meat includes beef, mutton, duck and goose. Although it is rich in iron, zinc and vitamin B12, it is also rich in saturated fat that could lead to hypertension, breast cancer, arthritis and prostate cancer. So, make sure to have this category sparingly. You can actually choose red lean meat if you must have a piece of it.

Although now you have a rough idea of what consist in your food, the food pyramid is only a guideline as different people needs different servings of categories depending on their physique, age and daily activities. However, it is best to consume more from the base of the pyramid rather than the top as it helps you to create a healthy diet for a healthier you. What you need to do is to substitute the not-so healthy food to healthier one so you won’t need to bear a greater cost of jeopardizing your own health.

The Choice is Yours

Also, everyone has a choice when it comes food. You can choose to have deep-fried chicken wings or herbal steamed chicken to go along with your meal. I bet you already heard of the term; ‘You Are What You Eat’. It doesn’t literally mean you will transform into a hamburger when you consume one but eventually, sooner or later your body will store enough fats to make you feel like one. That is why it is very important for you to choose your own food.

In addition, many people would prefer to dine in fast food chains because they are ‘fast’. But, come to think of it, it is not that fast anyway. You need to queue in the line for almost 10 to 15 minutes during peak hours and another 3 to 5 minutes for your food collection plus paying the cashier and getting back your change. There goes your precious 20 minutes for an approximate 1450 calories and 63 grams of fat from a burger, medium sized French fries and Coke (according to Burger King’s USA Nutritonals). It simply takes away the proposed maximum fats for a person with 2000 calorie diet in only one meal.

You still have two other meals where you will consume food that gives different amount of fats and calories. What is the difference of going into a decent café or restaurant to place your order and wait for 15-20 minutes for your food – in healthier choices instead of gulping down an eight tea spoonful of sugar in the Coke and excessive salt in French fries as well as other additives in the burger?

Besides that, a plate of wholesome meal or noodle only costs around RM6 while fast food junctions would devour at least RM10 from your purse. Imagine how much you could save up by taking away that RM4 everyday. Also, by having a non-fast food meal a day would save up quite a lot of calories and fats for your other meals. Well, you can always indulge in it once a while to reward yourself after completing a big task at work or celebrating a special occasion with friends and family as long as you have them moderately.

Going Healthy

Furthermore, the era of fast food and unhealthy lifestyle is almost over with retractions of fast food advertisements during weekend’s mornings while the whole nation goes ‘kurang manis’. Visit any mamak stalls and you could hear customers ordering less sugar in their teh tarik and teh o’ ice. Drinks operators are also following suit in the trend where consumers can choose either chrysanthemum or soy bean drinks in less sugar packets or the ordinary one. Besides that, many are going green by consuming vegetarian dishes once in a while to have a variety in their diet.

In addition, you can always modify your food intake. For example, if you already indulged in mouth-watering creamy pasta in carbonara sauce with bacon for lunch, you could order a lighter meal for dinner or add in another 10 to 15 minutes of intense workout to compensate the extra calories. Likewise, if you know you will be heading for a heavy dinner, you could have a light lunch of sandwich or salad. It’s all about substituting your meal with healthier choices.

You could also eat at home regularly to avoid all the fatty and oily food. Eating at home not only strengthens the bond between you and your family, it also adds to another alternative to healthy lifestyle as you will watch what you put into your cooking. Or, you could just pack a meal to bring to office if there is no healthier option of dining. You could easily prepare vegetable sticks by using celery, carrot and cucumber and pour over with olive oil instead of dipping them in mayonnaise as a healthy snack rather than chewing on a pack of sugary biscuits and a glass of sweetened Milo during tea time.

Work-out For a Better Lifestyle



To only follow a strict diet is not enough regardless of how healthy the food you might consume into your stomach. It is best that you could incorporate your dieting method with daily exercise to keep the body healthy. If you are not the sort of sporty person, you could always start small and simple.

An effortless 20 minutes walk everyday or using the staircase instead of elevator would do wonders to your body and tone your legs as well! A jog around the neighborhood or nearby park at least three times a week would strengthen your heart and keep the fats at bay. Increase the duration of work-out every session to increase the possibility of weight loosing faster but don’t overwork yourself. Everyone’s stamina is different so go at your own pace. There is no rush in loosing the extra pounds as long as you watch what you eat and exercise regularly.

Regular work-outs can help you to loose weight; if not, would control your weight and is essential in any weight loss attempt. Not only it helps in achieving the body you want but also reduces the risk of many diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, colon cancer, breast cancer and heart attack. Besides, it reduces stress, depression, increases energy and endurance and most of all, increases one’s confidence to face all challenges.

It’s never too late to throw away your bad eating habits and adopt a new healthy one. You can enjoy eating all you want for now, but you wouldn’t want to suffer in your later life checking in and out of hospitals due to health complications where you can enjoy the remaining days and lead a happy pension.

In conclusion, by following a healthy diet, it will give you a healthy lifestyle and eventually it will lead you to feel good about yourself. With that, you will look at things cheerfully and find everything in your life worthy to be celebrated. It will then lead you to enjoy life and feel better about your life ahead. So, celebrate your everyday and feel better with healthy eating!
article by Esther Loh, photo by Firdaus Radzi  |  Permalink  |  Bookmark and Share


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