Food that is both low-carb and cheap in Singapore is hard to find. Fortunately, the affordable hawker food can offer some low carb meal options. But first, what is with a low-carb diet and why go low-carb?
As you age,
your metabolism will slow
I think a
lot of my friends in their mid to late 20s are looking into the mirror more
often and cannot help but notice the growing layers of fat accumulated around
the lower belly. I am sure a lot of young adults in their 20s to 30s are beginning
to realize that their metabolism has slowed, and they can’t continue to eat as
much as they would like to without going out of shape.
It is a
subsequently natural for health and figure-conscious people to seek solutions
on how to keep in shape. They start to exercise more, eat less and may even
turn to slimming treatments.
Don’t eat
less, but eat right
Dieting is
not advisable, as it might rob you of your energy for your daily work. Slimming
treatments might get you there, but it is expensive and unnatural. Exercise
more, yes definitely, but I myself am working out on alternate days but yet to
see results. The answer, which really helps, is about eating right.
In
Singapore, we eat a lot of rice and noodle (high carb) as it is our main staple
and we are told that eating lots of rice will give us energy. Indeed,
carbohydrates are our body’s main energy source, but it also the main culprit
for our weight gain!
The
benefits of a low-carb diet by people who have tried such a diet range from
weight loss to improvement in cholesterol levels. I believe low-carb diet has
worked for me, to a certain extent in weight loss. You can do some research on
benefits of low-carb diets and will realize along the way that your usual meals
are highly likely the main contributors for your belly fat.
It is
important however, to know the risks of a low-carb diet and stop if your body
feels unwell.
Low-carb suggestions
in Singapore
Now given
that most food in Singapore are high-carb, what are some low-carb options in Singapore
which we can get conveniently and cheaply?
Look no
further than your nearby hawker centres. Just try to avoid rice and noodles.
·
Sliced
fish soup (no rice)
This is my personal
favourite. The main problem is it is not filling for many. What I do is I’ll
get a double portion of fish or buy 2 servings.
[UPDATE 27 April 2014: For fish soup, I actually recommend Wang Yuan Fish Soup at Blk 824 Coffeeshop, Tampines St 81. The vegetables are homegrown, and very tasty and crunchy. Let's support our local hawkers!]
·
Western
food
Choose between chicken
chop, pork chop, lamb chop and beef
steak. Cut down on the fries/ potato.
·
Yong
Tau Foo (no noodles/rice)
YongTau Foo is a very
healthy option in my opinion. The ngor hiang, fishballs are good sources of
protein. Skip the sweet sauce for maximum effectiveness.
·
Mixed
vegetables rice (Less/no rice)
Choose meat and egg
dishes for high protein. The variety available makes it less boring. Similar to
buying from chicken/roast pork rice stall.
·
Wanton
mee/ dumpling soup
Some
low-carb food for snacking you can get from NTUC
·
Peanut
butter
·
Cheese
·
Edamame
(look at the frozen food section)
My experience
on low-carb diet and recommendation
·
For
beginners, practice low-carb Dinners
When I
first become conscious of my increasing waistline, I stepped up the intensity of
exercise to alternating between weights and cardio. That had limited success as
my appetite increased.
A friend later
told me to skip dinner entirely. I tried that and I would say the results from skipping
dinner can be seen in just one week. However, beside the hunger to endure, my
instinct tells me that skipping dinners is probably bad for health.
I
discovered a better alternative to skipping dinners was to eat less or no rice
for dinner. This worked for me, and I did not have to feel hungry for most of the
night.
·
Reprogram
your definition of food
What you
have been eating – chicken rice, char kway teow, bakchor mee is not food. They
consist of huge proportion of carbohydrates in the form of rice and noodles,
and contribute to your belly fat. Tell yourself that real food is protein-rich food like white meat, green leafy
vegetables,etc. That should help steer you to cut down on most of your
carbohydrates intake.
·
Do
not cut down on what’s good for you
And by “what’s
good for you” I mean food like fruits. There are some sources online which recommend
low-carb diets and advise refraining from some types of fruits. Personally, I
think taking fruits even at night is ok, fruits are generally good for health
and you should not stop taking them. Just refrain from the starchy food like
your rice and noodles.
Hope this
was useful for you! If you have any medical condition or not sure of anything, please always
consult a doctor before attempting to switch your diet.
EUFASS
