The haze is back. As much as we dread the return of this respiratory threat, there is little that…
For those who celebrate the Lunar New Year, this celebration is the perfect time to take a break from work, spend quality time with immediate and extended relatives, and best of all, indulge in the generous and luxurious food during visitations. In Singapore, family and food are tightly and intricately linked for an enjoyable get-together. While collecting your red hongbao packets filled with cash, remember to think about your health which also constitutes a form of ‘wealth’ you can have. Follow these tips to ensure you maintain your physique and health without dampening your 2020 celebrations:
As you travel from housing estate to HDB blocks tracking down your “long-lost” relatives whom you only visit once a year, keep your energy levels up and waistlines trim between all the snacking by choosing to climb the stairs instead of waiting around for the lifts, in order to get some cardio in throughout the day. This will prevent you from feeling sluggish and motivate you to follow through with the other healthy tips as well. As a bonus, using the stairways usually prove a charming #ootd aesthetic for you to frame your next instagram post to show off your new auspicious outfits and accessories this 2020.
With all the mindless snacking that happens while waiting for your parents to finish catching up with the other parents on one year’s worth of gossip, you might unknowingly be consuming way more empty calories than you might think. This is especially prevalent in sugar-sweetened packet drinks that do not make you feel full, despite being high in sugar. Circumvent such pit-holes by avoiding fried food and candies, requesting for a cup of water or hot tea instead. This not only helps your relatives save on their packet drink inventory, it also re-hydrates yourself after a long day of visitation, while washing down all the oil from the snacks. If you have extra mandarin oranges after visitation, snack on fruits instead to quench your thirst and keep your mouth busy.
As much as we might try, tradition and family sometimes overrules logical steps to be healthy. In the face of tempting and indulgent goodies that might be the only things you look to during the new year celebrations, try to moderate your intake of fatty, sweet and salty foods. Doing so would allow you to enjoy these special snacks while at the same time allowing you to maintain your physique and stamina so that you can easily bounce back to your fitness routines and goals once the long holiday is over. Moreover, mentally you will be more confident when you don’t have to worry about feeling sluggish, bloated and ultimately, guilty over your food choices.
Wishing all a prosperous Lunar New Year and all the best in fending off those tempting snacks this New Year, while keeping your resolutions and goals in mind!
