Eat, but love thyself

Life these days is blessed for most,

in Malaysia even more,
the variety of food to choose
we live to eat, ah bliss!
Workouts and exercises, not a routine,
sedentary lifestyle, obesity a norm.
 

It is then no surprise,
Non-communicable diseases are on the raise.
Non-communicable? Uh?
Diseases of long duration with slow progression,
Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, to name a few.
 

Steam, poach, grill, roast,
styles highly recommended,
deep frying, barbequing to be avoided.
Unsaturated fats are advocated
for cholesterol lowering.
 

Start by changing what you consume
Lean meat to the minimum, poultry and fish at moderate
A little bit of buttermilk, yogurt, cheese for dairy intake.
Fruits and vegetables, greens and coloured
Broccoli, spinach, carrots, tomatoes
Apricots, melon, peaches, berries
Spices and herbs, nuts and seeds,
Cloves, coriander, ginger, thyme,
Hazelnuts, walnuts, almond and sunflower seeds
With anti-inflammatory, antioxidants properties.
 

Whole-wheat, brown rice, cereal, oatmeal
foods with low glycemic load,
Nasi lemak, roti canai, teh tarik
and junk foods should be off limits.
Forget not your fluids
but not from soft, carbonated beverages,
small quantity of sugar and sodium
are acceptable
as it is not cool being diabetic or hypertensive.

Limit your intake to your needs,

Female, 1900; male, 2400 calories.

Include some movement in your idle lifestyle,

Five times a week; 30 minutes a day,

Mixture of endurance, strength, flexibility, agility regimes,

wonders you'd see.

What is then left to live for, you ask?

Healthy heart, healthy mind,

your future, your decision,

Moderation is the key!

~Jagdish Kaur Chahil~