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By Maria Nikka Garriga, Special To The Manila
Times
Summer is officially over but the efforts to
look good by exercising and dieting are not. Just because you’re
not in the rush to don your favorite bikini and hit the beach,
it’s still not an excuse to let yourself go, especially after
working so hard to get your body physically fit for the sunny
season. Don’t let the gloomy weather rain on your efforts to look
your best and stay healthy!
Here are some food tips to keep your body on
track, even in this time of the year:
Eat moderately. It helps to know what foods are
good to eat, like those low in fat, salt and sugar. But what’s
even more important is learning how to eat sensibly and observing
portion control. There’s nothing wrong with eating, just stop when
you feel you’re comfortably full.
Be careful what you eat. Healthy foods should
contain complex carbohydrates, protein, fruits and vegetable. It is
preferable to eat fresh fruits over canned ones because of its high
fiber content, and it also gives one a feeling of being full. Select
dressings that are vinaigrette and low in fat when eating salads.
You don’t have to live on water alone. While
it is a rule for humans to drink eight glasses of water a day,
drinking other fluids is not really as bad as you think it is. You
can still take other fluids even when observing a diet, as long as
it’s low in calorie and not sugar-based. This is to avoid water
retention that can cause high blood pressure or edema.
Sugar free drinks, anyone? Most people nowadays
prefer drinking sugar free or low calorie drinks. But it’s not
about the sugar—it’s the caffeine content, for this heightens
our craving for sweets. It’s a better choice than drinking the
regular ones only because of its low calorie content. Still, taking
in these kinds of product require moderation.
There’s nothing to fear with carbohydrates.
Some diets would recommend eating foods without or with less
carbohydrate to avoid weight gain. But that doesn’t really mean
you can’t eat carbohydrates anymore. Studies even show that people
who successfully maintain their ideal weight eat foods that are high
in carbohydrates but lower in fat content. Foods that fall in this
category are breads, legumes, cereals and other fruits and veggies.
Let’s be honest, we usually are at our laziest
during this cold season. But doesn’t it feel great to maintain the
body we always wanted to have? Discipline and commitment- those are
the real secrets to having a healthy and fit physique made for all
seasons.
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