A Sedentary Lifestyle: Health Risks You Need To Be Aware Of

For most Singaporeans, the temptation to do absolutely nothing after a long day at work often triumphs their desire to move, much less exercise. The physical and mental exhaustion often warrants a portion of time to wind down and decompress. Sometimes, this continues even in the weekends and physical activities become an item on their to-do-list but never actually pursued.

This sedentary lifestyle is easy to fall into since you literally need no effort. However, this very lifestyle possesses a threat to your health by increasing the chances of developing chronic ailments. That said, don’t be disheartened just yet! There are ways in which you can prevent and revert the consequential effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

What’s a sedentary lifestyle

In 2018 alone, a study done by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that 1 in 3 Singaporeans are not active enough. Whilst more men than women are found to have engaged in physical exercise, both genders are still lacking behind the global average. On top of the fact that physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality is concerning enough, Singapore’s statistics is highly worrying.

Especially for city dwellers, having a constant exercise routine is challenging. Apart from the lack of recreational time and pre-existing medical conditions, most Singaporeans would rather spend time on their mobile devices. Whilst it is definitely easier to adopt a sedentary lifestyle, your body and health may be the ones to pay the cost.

How it affects your health

Ironically, not doing anything has the propensity to bring you harm. Long periods of sitting or lounging on your couch will significantly reduce your metabolism, which makes it harder to break down fat. The weight loss plan that you thought would work, in actuality, wouldn’t give you any satisfactory results. Extended periods of inactivity will also impair your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar – basically your insulin and glucagon production – and also your blood pressure. This easily gives rise to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, especially when weight becomes a concern. It may also lead to osteoporosis and even abnormality in cell growth, aka cancer.

It’s not only your physical health that gets affected but so will your mental health. A study was done with 10,381 participants who have adopted a sedentary lifestyle. According to their findings, they concluded that an inactive lifestyle increases the chances of one developing a mental health disorder, especially depression.

Solutions to sedentary lifestyles

The only solution for physical inactivity is as straightforward as it gets: be physically active. Clock in an exercise routine that combines both cardiovascular exercises and weight training. It could be as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day and doing 30-minute sessions of push-pull trainings a week. However, if you’re dedicating the majority of your time sitting down, having a weekly routine may not even cut it. Instead, reduce your time spent being sedentary by walking to your workplace or even spending more time doing simple chores at home every single day.

If your health is already at risk, don’t panic. Figure out solutions to tackle one problem at a time. For instance, if you have gained several pounds and have trouble trying to lose weight, perhaps you may want to invest in an effective weight loss treatment. If you are trying to reduce your high blood pressure, commit to a healthier and cleaner diet. There’s no way getting around it as the majority of Singaporeans are desk jockeys but incorporate tweaks to your way of living will prove to be sufficient.

Vegetarianism Made Easy: 4 Tips For Smoother Diet Transition

Whether it is from stumbling across the horrific truth about animal husbandry, adopting a healthier lifestyle or a viable approach for weight loss, embracing a vegetarian diet has many benefits. As with any diet/lifestyle change, making the change to be a vegetarian is not easy. Avoiding all variations of meat is challenging, especially for women as meat products are excellent choices for iron. Whilst difficult, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

To help with your diet transition, here are a few tips you can try picking up and include in your lifestyle.

1. Take It Slow

Vegetarianism can be rather daunting and jumping straight into it can give your body physical and mental stress. An all or nothing attitude may pose bane and get in the way of your progress. Instead of going 100% from the get-go, consider taking smaller steps. Implement sustainable changes such as going meatless on Mondays before transitioning to three times a week to meatless weekdays. You may also start by giving up one meat product at a time, from red meats to poultry to pork then seafood. There is no right way, just do what makes you comfortable.

Approaching vegetarianism this way also means not putting yourself in a box. You can be vegetarian today, a pescatarian tomorrow.

All change takes time and it wouldn’t do you any good if you put yourself on a pedestal. If you caught yourself slip because you were tempted by a meat dish, it does not render your previous efforts obsolete! Go easy on yourself and just go back on track the next day.

2. Seek Comfort In Familiarity

Unless you’ve adopted an all-meat diet, not eating any vegetarian dish is almost impossible. Think Margherita pizza, mushroom soup and something as simple as scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Start by jotting down some of your favourite plant-based dishes and start your journey with what you’re comfortable with. It’ll make your lifestyle change so much easier.

Vegetarian dishes need to be exotic, as seen from the examples above. Substitute your meats with vegetables and that’s it! It needs some getting used to but roasted eggplant curry tastes just as good as a chicken curry dish.

3. Meat Substitutes

If you don’t wish to let go of your favourite meat dishes, you can change them to their vegetarian versions. Satiate your meat cravings with meat substitutes. Meat substitutes used to have a bad reputation but it has come a long way since then. There is a reason why there is so much rave for the impossible meat.

Continue to try the different brands and products until you find the one that works. Some products are designed to be prepared in a certain way whilst some are versatile and will work for any type of dishes.

However, it is worth to note that just because they’re called meat substitutes, they can’t entirely substitute meat products. The vegetarian imitation will leave you disappointed if you’re hoping to get the exact same taste and texture.

 4. Cook and Experiment

Vegetarian food may have a reputation for being expensive, but it doesn’t have to be as such! Look at the all-accessible and inexpensive Indian cuisine and you’d be introduced to several scrumptious dishes!

That said, if you wish to have full reign of the flavour profile, perhaps it’s time to bring it into the kitchen! Browse through tried and tested recipes and experiment! Tweak the recipe to suit your palate! It will be an interesting opportunity to use a specific set of ingredients and make something mouth watering.

Conclusion

Being a vegetarian doesn’t have to be complicated. As with every goal, it is best to focus on the journey rather than the end goal. Revel in the feeling of being healthier, both physically and mentally. Another outcome of adopting a healthier diet also means a few pounds shed. Whilst it may not be a comprehensive weight loss plan, it is one of the important aspects!

If you’re serious in losing weight, you might want to look into perhaps opting for weight loss treatments in Singapore. Having a team of experts to guide you in your weight loss journey will make it easier and less lonely. Going for a slimming treatment will also allow you to reach your desired weight faster than if you go into it blind.

Debunking 3 Weight Loss Myths That Could’ve Held You Back

If you’ve decided to make an effort to lose weight, you might’ve realised that upon doing your research, there are several weight loss claims and advice on the internet. You might think, the more information you have, the better it is. However, there are several downsides to having so much of it. One of it is, you may easily get overwhelmed with the content. Another reason is the fact that many of these are either unproven or have been proven not to work!

To help you correct the misconceptions and conjure a more effective weight loss plan, we’ve gathered the 3 most common weight loss myths and have debunked them for you!

1. Obesity Is The Result Of The Lack Of Willpower

It’d be tone-deaf to merely chuck obesity as a result of the lack of willpower and dismiss the role of genetics and biology. The body has numerous hormones and biological pathways to help regulate your body weight. More often than not, those who suffer from obesity also suffer from abnormal activities in those areas and are helpless when changing their biological makeup.

For instance, an abnormality in leptin production may lead to unnaturally significant weight gain. Leptin is a signalling hormone that communicates with your hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates your appetite and food intake. The lack of this ‘satiety hormone’ translates to the inability to feel full and you’ll constantly feel starved. Eating may help to satiate your endless appetite, but only for a while, before you find yourself yearning for more.

Obesity can also be a by-product to a medical condition, for instance, depression and hypothyroidism. Thus, it is not as simple as generating enough willpower to stop obesity. Losing weight is definitely possible, even with a debilitating disorder like obesity, but it’s much harder for a few.

2. Calorie Deficit Means To Eat Less and Move More

It’s basic science: to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you what you’ve taken in. This is what we often call, calorie deficit.

While this work for many, especially those who wish to adopt a permanent healthier lifestyle, it may backfire those who have a severe weight issue. Instead, the latter will realise that they end up gaining the lost weight in a short time, especially once they’ve stopped ensuring that they’re in a constant calorie deficit. In some cases, they would gain more mass than what they initially started with.

This is due to their physiological adaptations and biochemical factors that favour weight gain. To overcome physiological weight gain, you need to change the physiology of body weight regulation. This may include taking in safe weight loss supplements, treatments and even, invasive surgery. Of course, you can also opt effective weight loss treatments that are as non-invasive as they are beneficial for your body. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) slimming procedure, for example, is a viable option. Not only will they help to help you lose weight, but TCM slimming treatments will also boost your immunity and general health.

3. Carbs And Fats Are A No-No

The two nutrients that spark the most wariness amongst those who wish to lose weight are carbohydrates and fats. This is because low-carb diets and low-fat diets can indeed aid in weight loss.

That said, do not jump in straight into these diet fads. Carbohydrates and fats are not the sole culprits to your weight gain, especially if you have them in moderate amounts. In fact, your body needs these two nutrients. Carbohydrates provide energy for your cells and help to maintain blood glucose. Your body needs fats to not only keep you warm but also produce important hormones and absorb some nutrients.

What you can do instead is incorporate complex carbohydrates such as wheat and whole grain, and healthy fats into your dietary intake instead.

Conclusion

If you’re looking into losing weight, you must’ve heard a few of these myths and you may have decided to plan your weight loss plan according to these myths.

The bottom line is, the one aspect that you should prioritise during this journey is the relationship you have with food, your body and your weight. Building and manifesting a healthy relationship between these three aspects will not only give you good physical results in the long run, but this will bleed into the other aspects of your life.

New Approach To Weight Loss: Build A System To Fall Back On

The difficulty of a weight loss journey is undisputable. To reach your goal weight, you’d need to put in the time, dedication and hard work. Sometimes, this goal may seem far-fetched, even after putting in all those necessary ingredients. Before you decide that there is no other way to overcome a hurdle so unsurmountable, don’t!

Goals and resolutions may work for some but perhaps, what you need is a system. You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to your systems. This means building a set of habits to fall back on. The accumulation of these daily habits will then turn into a process that will lead to you achieving your weight loss goals. Adopting systems mean not being hyper-focused on your goals. There is no rush or urgency.

Having a system is an excellent way to take your weight loss journey slow, which translates to better mental health. Here are some simple habits to include when you first start building a system that suits you and only you.

Make a Sleep Schedule

Whilst the hours vary from person to person, sleep experts have recommended at least 8 hours of sleep each night. This number, however, may be a tad too rigid to some. Dedicating a total of 8 hours every night may not be manageable to those with a hectic lifestyle.

The trick is to guarantee that the quality of sleep is not compromised, no matter the hours you’ve clocked in. Each stage in the sleep cycle offers different benefits but deep sleep and REM sleep are particularly important. Making sure that you have those two sleep cycles on lock, will increase your productivity during the day, enhance your mood and reduce your appetite throughout the day. The more you sleep, the less food your body will crave.

You can improve the quality of your sleep by avoiding alcohol, nicotine and waking in the middle in the night due to noise or light. When creating a sleep schedule, jumping into an 8 hour sleep schedule may not be sustainable. Instead, give yourself a range from anywhere 7 to 9 hours. This makes it less stressful for you and you will have enough time to wrap things up if you had any work left. You may also want to give yourself a loose bedtime. For instance, if you’ve set your bedtime at 12, you may start finishing up your work or stop altogether. However, don’t be excessive and use it to work all the way till 3 in the morning. Whilst it is a lax system, you still need to instill a sense of discipline. Don’t make a habit of using the schedule’s flexibility to push back on your hours lest your body breaks down from the lack of rest.

Exercise Before Bed

Since we’re on the topic of quality sleep, one of the best ways to boost your sleep is to do light exercise before your sleep. There is a consensus that late-night exercise will stimulate your body to the point of sleeplessness. However, so long as the exercise routine does not interfere with your sleep, exercising before going to bed is beneficial!

Decompress after a long day by activating, stretching and relaxing those tensed muscles. When both your mind and body are calm, it’s easier to drift off into slumber. You can start slow by incorporating gentle exercises such as yoga. Focus on your breathing whilst you stretch your back in a seated forward fold. You can use this time to meditate and be present in the now. 25 minutes is ideal but again, a range is preferable than a solid number. Incorporate a gentle exercise routine of any kind, for a few minutes before your bedtime. It could be 30 minutes yoga routine today and a 10 minutes stroll the next day. The idea behind a system is to build the habit of doing, rather than having a specific guideline.

Cross off Chores on Your List

Going to bed with undone chores is never easy to fall asleep to. In fact, they may nag at the back of your head even while you’re asleep and this will may also meddle with the quality of sleep.

Instead, take an hour or two out of your day to finish a few chores. It’s fine if you can’t complete your long list but break it down into smaller tasks to do throughout the week. You can also use this period to prepare yourself for the next day. The trick for efficient cleaning is to spend a time slot to do two types of chores at the same time. In the 60 minutes you spend to prep your lunch for the next day, you can also do your laundry. Once you’re done with your lunch prep and cleaning the kitchen, your laundry is ready to be hung. Be efficient with your time!

Taking care of your mental health

Weight loss is not only about physical health, but it is also about mental health. Having a sense of control and having a sense of small, mundane achievements from creating a system is amazing for your mental health.

Even if you’ve incorporated the best slimming treatment into your weight loss journey, never neglect your mental state. In the ideal case, you can opt for a cheat code to attain the goal. For instance, choosing an effective TCM weight loss program is useful as you don’t have to fixate yourself with a goal. You can push that goal to the back of your mind and focus on building your system, incorporating the program while you’re at it. Take this journey slow and you’ll reach the finishing line with a healthier mind and body.