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Vietnamese Food Diet and Fitness

 Vietnamese Food Calories   Chinese Food Calories  Thai Food Calories 

This page provides to you some key information about diet & fitness, and highlights & links to several diet & exercise programs. I am not recommending any specific program, I just want to share with you what I did to successfully transform myself from an overweight college kid to a fit and physically active person and remain so for the last 20 years, it might give you some motivation to start and keep going. I entered college at 5ft-7inch tall and 120 lbs, but after two years of hard studying and partying (maybe in the reversing order), I gained so much weight and became a "170 Pounder". First, I though that it was a part of growing up, but after seeing myself in a picture, I came to realize that I was grossly overweight. It took me two years of dieting, aerobic exercising (jogging & bicycling) and strength training to become a fit person again.

I got in shape just for the look: Like most youngsters, health concerns was last thing in my mind, physical attractiveness played the center role. Most Asian males tend to have shorter body and wider facial feature, so any fat deposit on the face and at the mid-section definitely degrade one's appearance; in some Asian societies, rounded feature may not hinder the physical attraction, in fact it projects the nobility. Unfortunately (rather fortunately), living in US., well defined & chiseled features are the key ingredients for physical attraction, I had no choice but must get myself in shape (My Caucasian friends still call me a little Sh**, but at least I can reply: I'm built for speed not for comfort). Now, over 45 years of age, the health concern becomes equally important, I bike or jog each day, do weight training twice a week, most of my dinner meals consist of Vietnamese dishes, I watch what I eat (2000 K calories), and I am in better shape than when I was in my twentieth (my picture goofing off at the pool). 

What I understand about Dieting: In many cases the goal is weight loss. Weight-loss diets restrict the intake of specific foods (targeted dieting), or food in general, to reduce body weight. What works to reduce body weight for one person will not necessarily work for another, due to metabolic differences and lifestyle factors. Also, for a variety of reasons, most people find it very difficult to maintain significant weight loss over time. There is some thought that losing weight quickly may actually make it more difficult to maintain the loss over time. It is also possible that cutting calorie intake too low slows or prevents weight loss.

Physical Exercise accelerates Weight Loss: An average man of 165 lbs who just rests (or only walks a few steps) burns 1,440 Calories per day or 1 Calorie each minute (Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)). Physical exercise is an important complement to dieting in securing weight loss. Aerobic exercise is also an important part of maintaining normal good health, especially the muscular strength of the heart. To be useful, aerobic exercise requires maintaining a target heart rate of above 50 percent of one's resting heart rate for 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week. Brisk walking can accomplish this. While exercising, the caloric expenditure increases due to the increase of the physical activity, furthermore exercise (both aerobic and anaerobic) would increase the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for some time after the workout, this ensures more calorific loss. However, to accelerate the weight loss, Dieting must be incorporated; the minimum safe dietary energy intake (without medical supervision) is 75 percent of that needed to maintain basal metabolism. For our hypothetical 165 lb man, that minimum is about 1,300 calories per day. By combining daily aerobic exercise with a weight-loss diet, he would be able to lose weight in half the time of just exercising alone.

Exercise for my health, feeling good, and loosing Weight: It has been calculated that 1 pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories. This means that in order to lose 1 pound we have to walk for about 12.5 hours. So don't expect fast weight loss and remember to eat sensibly. The mood and feel-good benefits, however, are immediate and the health benefits of exercise are endless. So GET ACTIVE!!. I prefer more strenuous exercises such as jogging and fast bicycling, which burn more calories and curb my appetite (frankly I don't know why, maybe due to a "runner's high" effect, which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production); in my rest days, my appetite tends to increase.

I do Regular Strength Training because of its Benefits:

1. Increased Metabolic Rate - Strength training increases the body's metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day.

2. Increasing and Restoring Bone Density - Inactivity and aging can lead to a decrease in bone density and brittleness. Studies have clearly proven that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent Osteoporosis.

3. Increased Lean Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength, Power, and Endurance - Everyone can benefit from being stronger. We can work harder, we can play more, we can workout longer, and we can be more alive.

4. Injury Prevention - A wide variety of sports-related or life-related injuries can be prevented by strengthening muscles and joints.

5. Improved Balance, Flexibility, Mobility and Stability - Stronger and more resilient muscles improves our balance, which means more comfortable living & fewer falls or accidents.

6. Decreased Risk of Coronary Disease - Participation in a consistent strength-training program has a wide variety of affiliated health benefits including decreasing cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure.

7. Aids Rehabilitation and Recovery - One of the best ways to heal many types of injuries is to strengthen muscles surrounding the injured area. The stronger your muscles, the quicker the healing process.

8. Enhanced Performance in Sports or Exercise - No matter what your favorite sport or physical activity, with the proper strength training program, your performance can unquestionably be improved, and in some cases dramatically so.

9. Aging Gracefully - There is no more important reason to making a strength training a consistent part of your life, than to ensure you age gracefully. Physical activity keeps us alive and vibrant. Strength training ensures we are strong enough to participate in aerobic activities, outdoor recreation, and sports. Strong seniors fall down less. If they do fall down, their stronger bodies are more resilient, are injured less by the fall, and are able to heal more quickly after an injury.

10. Feeling Better and Looking Better (Younger) - As painful as strength training can sometimes feel, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling after a good solid work-out. Stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. This all leads to improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence.

It is important to understand the difference between weight loss and fat loss: Weight loss typically involves the loss of fat, water and muscle. A dieter can lose weight without losing much fat. Ideally, overweight people should seek to lose fat and preserve muscle, since muscle burns more calories than fat. Generally, the more muscle mass one has, the higher one's metabolism is, resulting in more calories being burned, even at rest. Since muscles are more dense than fat, muscle loss results in little loss of physical bulk compared with fat loss.

Muscle loss during weight loss can be restricted by regularly strength training (lifting weights with free weight or machines, or other strength-oriented calisthenics) and by maintaining sufficient protein intake. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Dietary Reference Intake for protein is "0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for adults."

A sensible weight-loss diet is a normal balanced diet: it just comes with smaller portions and perhaps some substitutions (e.g. low-fat milk, or less salad dressing). Extreme diets may lead to malnutrition, and are less likely to be effective at long-term weight loss in any event. Any diet that fails to meet minimum nutritional requirements can threaten general health (and physical fitness in particular). If a person is not well enough to be active, weight loss and good quality of life will be unlikely. Basically, humans require essential nutrients from six broad classes: proteins, fats, vitamin, dietary minerals, and water. Essential amino acids (protein) are required for cell, especially muscle, construction. Essential fatty acids are required for brain and cell membrane construction.

Tricks to prevent Over Eating: Consumption of low-energy, fiber-rich foods, such as non-starchy vegetables, is effective in obtaining satiation (the feeling of "fullness") and prevents the desire to overeat. Using smaller plates and smaller bowls can help you lose weight. And one other thing about plates: Not only do smaller plates encourage weight loss, but the way you place the foods on your plate can also help you cut calories. Think of dividing up your meals this way: use ¼ of the plate for protein, ¼ for carbohydrates, and the remaining ½ for vegetables (remember that vegetables are the lowest-calorie food group). This is an easy way to have a portion- and calorie-controlled meal. One research study where participants used smaller plates that were divided into handy sections for protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables revealed that participants who ate from these special plates lost 5 percent of their weight over 6 months.

I always avoid the Popular diets (sometimes pejoratively called "fad diets"): they usually derive their popularity from the personalities of their proponents. These proponents include "diet gurus" and celebrity converts. "Diet books" are the primary means of communicating the specifics of popular diets.

Most popular diets experience short-lived popularity, partly because new diet books are continuously being published.

Judging the effectiveness (and nutritional merit) of popular diets can be especially difficult. Diet proponents often locate medical professionals to back up their work. Some diets are so controversial that they divide the medical community.

Many popular diets advocate the combination of a specific technique (such as eliminating a certain food, or eating only certain combinations of foods) with reduced caloric intake, with the goal being to accelerate weight loss. Others ignore traditional science altogether. Extreme calorie restriction, medication or unusual patterns of eating (i.e. restricting food consumption to a single fruit or meal) can be dangerous.

I preferred and implemented a well rounded and balanced diet: low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables. My Diet program comprised a wide variety and foods. Each food has a point value. Keeping track of what I ate was very helpful in reducing overeating or eating for reasons other than hunger; even now, I'm not dieting, but still keep that practice.

This is a collection of Vietnamese recipes that may provide a well balanced diet: Most of dishes in this collection are high in Protein to Calorie Ratio (except for the Starch and Sweet Treat dishes) and low in Fat Contain Percentage. Some dishes contain large amount of sodium, so beware of them if you have particular concerns (I use to drink a lot of water after consuming a large amount of salt: Salt an Health). Plan your daily meal so that the total protein consumption is at least 100% and the fat & cholesterol intake is less than 100%; and as important, the total daily calorie intake must be around 75 percent of the basal metabolism. (To calculate for your BMR: go to bmi-calculator.net or runnersweb.com). One trick that I use to curb my appetite after a light meal (especially a salty dish) is to have some thing sweet, like a mint candy.

Starting an Exercise Program

The toughest and most important step in your exercise program is getting started. Often people think they need to tackle a strenuous program right away to prove they are committed. But in reality, slow and steady is the best way to begin.

You need a workable plan to change your lifestyle from sedentary to physically active. Following some basic guidelines can help establish an exercise program that protects you against disease and disability and insures a healthy, independent and productive life.

Prepare for success

* Choose a fun exercise activity that can be practiced comfortably year round. Many people choose walking, bicycling, jogging, swimming, rowing or exercising with fitness videos.

* If you have an existing health problem, contact your physician before beginning any vigorous physical activity. Sometimes, restrictions might have to be placed on the level of your participation.

Start slowly

* Your goal is to set an exercise habit you enjoy. Make sure your first activity sessions are fun and not tiring. Give your body a chance to get used to it.

* Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with walking, bending and gentle stretching exercises. Doing flexibility exercises helps you avoid injuries.

Establish a reasonable schedule

* Set a weekly exercise schedule that includes days off. For example, you might exercise every other day, with three days off each week.

* Start with a program of moderate physical activity - 30 minutes a day. Keep it interesting with a balanced program of different activities such as walking, bicycle riding, swimming or working in the garden.

* If 30 minutes of activity is too difficult or you don't have enough time, break it up into shorter intervals. For instance, walk for 15 minutes in the morning and work in the garden for 15 minutes later.

* Don't stop exercising if you get muscle soreness in the beginning, it will disappear as you exercise regularly. Stop exercising if you experience severe pain and swelling.

* Choose a comfortable time of day to exercise, not too soon after eating or when the air temperature is too warm.

* Wear shoes that are comfortable, provide good support and don't cause blisters or calluses. The shoes should have arch supports and should elevate the heel one-half to three-quarters of an inch above the sole. When choosing a shoe, select one with uppers made of materials that "breathe," such as leather or nylon mesh.

Stick with it

* Focus on working toward your goals gradually. Consider tracking your progress with a simple chart, perhaps listing the number of minutes you exercise each day.

* Don't stop your fitness program; the benefits begin to diminish in two weeks and disappear in two to eight months.

* Congratulate yourself for each accomplishment. Your progress will develop into a pattern through which you work up to higher levels of exertion over time.

Xứ Việt Nam	A glance at Vietnam	Enter your search terms Submit search form   Web www.xuvn.com www.foodofvietnam.com www.vnexhibit.com
Vietnamese Music and Performing Arts	Vietnam History
Vietnamese Society	Diet and Fitness
Quick Tour of Vietnam With Pictures	Food of vietnam
Vietnam Reading Tour	Vietnamese Music
Vietnamese Culture	Vietnamese Recipes

Read in Vietnamese - Bằng Tiếng Việt (Việt ngữ)