5 Ways to Improve Your Diet

Christmas is here!

In the Philippines, December means fiesta-like parties with FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD. This also means, eating healthy food can be more challenging for many of us.

So, how can you beat the “Biggest Loser” without isolating yourself from the Crispy Pata Gang this season of gluttony? First of all, forget about your diet. It will be a futile attempt until you draft your New Year’s resolutions after Christmas.  Instead, focus on building good memories by enjoying your time with family and friends. Here are 5 simple ways to improve your diet this Christmas season and beyond:

1. Eat organic rice. Filipinos eat so much rice, and by switching to organic rice, that’s more than half of what we eat! Our heritage rice from the mountain terraces is one of the most nutritious grains in the world. You can buy this healthy rice at Mara’s Organic Market at the Legaspi Sunday Market.

2. Eat colored foods. If you eat a wide variety of colored fruits and vegetables (yellow, red, organge, green, etc.), you boost your immune system against pollution, physical stress and seasonal flu/allergies. Remember, more parties mean more sleep-late nights. So add color to your life and Vitamin C. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables as much as you can.

3. Eat pork as a treat. We should eat pork as a treat, and not as staple food. Easier said than done, you might say, especially if you are in the Philippines and there’s kare-kare, chicharon, crispy pata or lechon is just a few steps away. So before you conquer the buffet table, drink a glass of water then take a deep breath. Limit your pork hamonado and get veggies or salad greens, if available.

4. Say “NO” to the white stuff. Avoid anything white – white sugar, white salt, white flour (including any bread that uses white flour, whether it’s white, wheat or sugar-free,) and all the other white food sources. These white foods are bleached with a synthetic chemical similar to Chlorox. That’s why next time you drink your coffee, use coco sugar or honey.

5. Tomorrow is another day. If all your attempt to be healthy this Christmas season fail, it’s ok. No use to stress yourself by your self-imposed guilt trip. Relax. Take it one day at a time and whenever possible (like when you are at home), try to eat the freshest and healthiest foods as often as you can.

Our country is rich in natural resources. We have a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, fishes and one of the best rice variety in the world, all year round. Enjoy it! Remember, you don’t have to change overnight. You can change your diet and your lifestyle one step at a time.

What are other ways to improve our diet during Christmas season?

Above in Photo: Saturday Weekend Market at Alabang Country Club