Eat, drink, move, and adjust your mood

Eat, drink, move, and adjust your mood

Why is my weight not decreasing? Why is my belly sticking out?

These are the nagging questions for women who are overweight, but the answer is not just exercising alone. Nutrition experts from Nestlé reveal secrets that women may not know about eating, drinking, moving, and adjusting their mood that will help improve their health.

Techniques for creating good health by eating and drinking right

1. Consume more breakfast than other meals

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it is a source of energy that we need for many activities. Not only that, but breakfast also has many benefits that many people may not realize, such as:

People who skip breakfast are more likely to be obese than those who regularly eat breakfast by up to 4.5 times. This is because from dinner until the next morning, we have not eaten anything for almost 12 hours. If we skip breakfast, which is the first meal of the day, it will cause a decrease in blood sugar levels, leading to an increase in the tendency to consume high-energy and high-fat foods at lunch, while having less time to burn energy, which can lead to weight gain and possibly obesity.

Women who consume high-calorie breakfasts can control their weight better than those who consume other meals.

Children who regularly eat breakfast will have better memory skills and learning concentration. Research has found that eating breakfast provides enough nutrients and enhances the efficiency of brain function for learning and concentration, which can help in academic success.

2. Drink enough water to meet the body's daily needs.

Our body is made up of about 70% water, with every cell containing water as a component. Therefore, not drinking enough water may cause the body to automatically demand water, leading to health problems or illnesses such as fever. An easy technique for office workers is to keep a bottle of water nearby to sip on throughout the day to keep the body hydrated.

The appropriate amount of water intake for each person is calculated as their body weight (in kilograms) multiplied by 33, which equals the amount of water needed in milliliters. On average, the recommended amount of water intake is 2 liters per day.

3. It is recommended to 'reduce' the amount of food consumed during dinner, but not to 'skip' it.

Many people misunderstand that skipping dinner is a way to control their weight, but in reality, it is important to consume enough food to meet the body's needs throughout the day to provide continuous energy. Therefore, it is important to choose the right type of food for dinner, which is to consume dinner at least 3 hours before bedtime to prevent the digestion and absorption of nutrients from affecting the body's resting time. Just reducing the amount of food intake during dinner can be beneficial. Furthermore, it is important to prioritize easily digestible foods with low fat content, such as fish and a variety of fruits and vegetables that provide different nutrients.

4. Reduce the amount of sugar consumed daily.

Excess body fat does not only come from consuming too much fatty food. A portion of it also comes from consuming too much sugar, as the body's mechanism turns the remaining sugar into accumulated fat. Sugar is therefore one of the causes of health problems and obesity. Therefore, we should control the amount of sugar our body consumes, choose foods that are less sweet, and compare nutritional labels before purchasing any processed food product, to help us select food with the appropriate nutritional value for our body's needs.

A simple way to calculate the amount of sugar in a drink is to divide the sugar content (in grams) on the nutritional label by 4 grams. We will know how much sugar is in the product per teaspoon.

Techniques for creating good health through movement

Research from Japan found that walking for 30 minutes immediately after eating can prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high, as well as preventing the conversion of sugar into fat, better than walking for the same amount of time an hour after eating.

Increase the chance of exercising by waking up 15 minutes earlier, and move around to fun music. This is a way to wake up the body before engaging in other activities throughout the day.

Change sitting positions or walk around during the workday. Sitting in one position for extended periods can cause harm to the body.

Techniques for achieving good health through "mood adjustment"

When physical health is strong, another essential component is happiness. We can find ways to relax ourselves every day by taking a 5-10 minute break from work every 2 hours. Another simple way to reduce stress is to "hug someone we love and trust." Hugging has an effect on increasing the release of oxytocin, a hormone of bonding, which boosts the immune system and also stimulates wakefulness.

With best wishes from Vibhavadi Hospital

Reference: Health Plus@City Magazine