Shape up January!


New Year equals new beginning! January marks the first month of the year and it’s time for those New Year’s resolutions again. If you are like most people, it would be impossible not to include getting back in shape on the list. Why not? This is the perfect time to start the year right: let go of the bad habits and embrace the healthy new you.


So take note of these KEY RECOMMENDATIONS to achieve a healthy shape:

  1. Manage your weight.
  • Have a healthy energy balance to maintain your body weight in a healthy range. Always remember that energy IN equals energy OUT. Any food intake that wasn’t burned will then be stored in the body as fat.
  • To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and drinks and then increase your physical activity
  1. Be physically active.
  • Engage in regular physical activity. If possible, reduce sedentary activities to promote health, psychological well-being, and a healthy body weight.
  • CDC recommends AT LEAST 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and AT LEAST 2 days a week of muscle strengthening activity. 
  • Achieve physical fitness by including cardiovascular conditioning, stretching exercises for flexibility, and resistance exercises for muscle strength and endurance.
  1. Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages.
  • Alcoholic beverages are not exactly recommendable for all. But if you should drink, do it in moderation (up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men). Take note that one gram of alcohol can already give you 7kcal. 
  1. Consume foods in Moderation, Variety, and Balance.
  • Moderation – eating food in the right amount or quantity. Use the food pyramid guide for the recommended consumption
  • Variety – consume different kinds of food to obtain all the essential nutrients; there is no single food that can give all the nutrients that you need so it is important that you consume a variety of nutrient-dense food and drinks among the basic food groups;
  • Balance – consider the three food groups in your daily meal; Use pinggang pinoy (from FNRI) as your guide
  • Make sure that you don’t exceed your daily recommended food intake.
  1. Choose your food wisely.
  • Aside from knowing how much to eat, you should also take note of what to eat. Consume sufficient amount of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains, but don’t go beyond your recommended amount.
  • When selecting fruits and vegetables to eat, include selections from all five vegetable subgroups (dark green, orange, legumes, starchy, and other veggies). 
  • Choose fat-free or low-fat milk products
  • Choose from mostly polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat sources such as fish, nut, and vegetable oils.
  • Limit your intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, added sugar, and sodium
  1. Pick the right kind of carbohydrates.
  • Choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates.
  • Carbohydrates when broken down by our body become sugar. So choose and prepare foods and beverages with little added sugar.
  • Choose fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often.

 

Gardenia is offering you a healthful variety of whole grain goodies that can help you achieve that healthy body that you’ve always wanted. Start the year right by munching on your favorite Gardenia High Fiber Wheat Bread. Did you know that in just 2 slices of Gardenia High Fiber Whole Wheat Bread you can get already as much as 20% of your daily fiber needs? You may try this recipe to further enjoy your journey to fitness: 

Gardenia Pan Seared Tilapia and Mango Salsa Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

2 slices Gardenia High Fiber Whole Wheat Bread

2 pcs Tilapia Fillet

Salt and pepper

½ tsp Olive oil


For the salsa:

1 cheek Ripe Mango, small cubes

1 pc Tomato, minced

½ piece Red Onion, minced

5 g Wansoy/ Cilantro, minced

1 Tbsp Lime juice

Salt and pepper, to  taste

Olive oil


PROCEDURE

1.) Toast bread in a bread toaster. Set aside.

2.) Season Tilapia fillet with salt and pepper.

2.) In a saute pan, add olive oil and pan sear the tilapia fillet until well done. Set aside.

3.) To make the salsa, combine mango, tomato, red onion, chopped wansoy, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and add olive oil.


To Assemble:

1.) Place 2 slices of seared Tilapia fillet on the bread.

2.) Top with mango salsa and cover with another slice of toasted bread.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Nutritionists recommend that weight gain/loss should not be drastic. Fad diets and “get-thin-quickly” schemes usually are detrimental to one’s overall health. It is still best to manage weight in slowly but safely manner. A weight gain/loss of 1-2 lbs (around half a kilo to 1 kg) weekly is considered healthy. Remember that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So let’s welcome 2022 with wellness and vigour! Shape up your body starting this January!

Sources:


Rolfes, S.R., Pinna, K., Whitney, E.N., Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition 7th edition. 2006. Page 42

https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm


*Based on recipe evaluation using FNRI Menu Eval Plus