"I want to lose weight this summer so I won't eat rice"

"Rice will make me fat because of the carbs" 

Have you ever heard yourself say this once upon a time? Or is this still your belief?

Actually, the carbohydrates that can be found in rice is not the culprit why we gain weight. Scientific studies show, which are also well within the principles of Dr. Jean-Michel Cohen, that weight gain is caused by a chronic excess of the total calorie intake per day, not because of the carbohydrate intake alone. An excess may be caused by 1.) too much food intake and 2.) not enough physical activities to burn the food you have eaten. It is a matter of calories in = calories out and maintaining its perfect balance.

My most awaited season of the year is finally here!

 I love how the sun always shines bright, how the breeze is always cool at night, how people come in their best dressed-down selves, how the flowers are always in bloom and the fruits always in abundance...

Every summer, I also look forward to making shakes out of my favorite fruits. Hands down, it is the best way to enjoy them and at the same time beat the summer heat 

1. Popcorn

Latest buzz have been surrounding our favorite movie time snack lately. Recent studies have shown that popcorn, the hull part, has some good nutritional qualities. It has fiber and polyphenols, antioxidants that prevents damage to the cells. Fruits and vegetables also contain polyphenols and fiber, but they contain more water compared to popcorn which is dry and 100% whole grain. The best kind of popcorn is the air-popped one which has the fewest calories. Plain air-popped popcorn has about 30 calories per cup. Some low fat microwave popcorns are almost as low in calories.

2. Rice

Most diet regimens will first eliminate rice in order to lose weight (Think: Low-carb diet, no rice diet). Actually it is not the rice itself that’s the culprit but the difficulty in controlling one’s portion size, especially us Filipinos who are born rice-eaters. Rice is an important source of complex carbohydrates for energy, significant protein and fiber which helps in our digestion. It is not wise to eliminate it in our diet, rather limit it until ½ cup rice serving per meal to make sure that the diet is still balanced. For extra dose of fiber, switch to brown, red or black rice in the same amount.

3. Eggs

Recent local researches suggest that “An egg a day is OK!” for kids and adults alike. Egg is the cheapest source of high quality protein. Eating a piece of egg for breakfast can keep your stomach full because it takes time to digest, making you eat less throughout the day.

4. Nuts

Nuts contain the good kind of fat called monounsaturated fatty acids which can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood and lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nuts are also rich in protein and fiber. It can be an excellent snack to munch on instead of chips or sweets.

5. Coconut oil

Coconut oil is the cheapest and most common cooking oil used in the Philippines. It has been regarded as unhealthy from a western point of view because it is rich in saturated fat. Though it is considered as such, it consists of medium-chain fatty acids which are easy to metabolize and can even help burn excess calories. However, moderation in its use should still be practiced as too much saturated fat in the diet can be a cause for clogging the arteries.

6. Coffee

Drinking coffee with lots of cream and sugar (Think: blended coffee drinks) can add up too much calories that you don’t need. The best way is to have it black to get a metabolism boost without added calories (coffee in itself has 0 calories). You can also pour in nonfat milk and sweetener or 1 tsp brown sugar if you can’t take it black.

7.  Pork

Pork has always had a bad reputation for being high in fat and cholesterol. Bacon, lechon and ham, and other fatty portions of pork are loaded with fat especially when fried, but there are other “leaner” cuts like tenderloin (lomo) which have only 123 calories per serving (about a size of your palm). Pork tenderloin is also rich is high quality protein which your body use for lean muscle production and repair. Best have your pork tenderloin roasted with herbs and spices with minimal oil.

For most people, especially students, March means the last stretch for final exams, thesis, literally anything that has to do with preparing for the end of the school year. It also means an insurmountable amount of stress. One proven way to cope up with stress is to eat. But, what kind of food do we consider as stress busters? Is it your go-to comfort food like a slice of chocolate cake? Or that new Magnum ice cream? =) Anyway, when we are stressed, our metabolism also goes haywire. Coping with stress is not only a mental effort, we also need to improve our eating and lifestyle habits. We need to sleep at least 6 hours a day or take power naps to feel energized, make a point to eat in time, take breaks to loosen up, and so on. Everyone has his own coping mechanism, but when our saving grace is food, eating junk will just lead to further uncontrolled stress eating, which will then lead to weight gain.

Effective management of stress is just another benefit of a healthy and balanced diet (the benefits just seem endless!). Here are the following substances, vitamins and minerals that we need in our bodies especially during times of stress:

1. Stressed people require higher amounts of acetylcholine, from choline found in food. Foods rich in choline are egg yolks, organ meats, whole grains, fish and legumes.

2. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is also lost when under stress. Eat foods high in Vitamin C such as citrus fruits, broccoli, tomatoes, and green leafy vegetables. You can also take in a Vitamin C supplement if you think you are not consuming enough of these foods.

3. Zinc from seafoods, mushrooms, eggs, and whole grains

4.Vitamin B6 from egg yolks, whole grains, organ meats, green leafy vegetables

5. Chromium from clams and whole grains

6. Iron from organ meats, egg yolks, fish, clams, whole grains, green leafy vegetables

Try to have a big breakfast with an egg, whole grains like oatmeal, cereals or bread, and a fruit, a lunch or dinner with any kind of seafood and green leafy vegetables, and see if you will still feel stressed throughout the day