asian-related stories
Asian Diet for Weight Loss
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Jason Bussell, author of "The Asian Diet"
Anyone can lose weight and live longer through adhering to the ancient Asian principles of moderation and balance, says Jason Bussell, author of "The Asian Diet." Bussel advocates eating plenty of simple grains and vegetables, some and meat, no dairy and no artificial or heavily-processed foods along with green tea and soup with most meals.
That's Fit: Can you describe how one can transition from an "American" diet to an "Asian" diet?
Bussell: The number one question people have about following these principles is "what about breakfast?" Most of the foods that comprise the Western breakfast menu are very unhealthy. Pancakes and waffles are basically desserts. Cold cereals are very processed, even the "whole grain" cereals are still very removed from their natural form. Humans are the only animals that have different foods at different times of the day. I cannot imagine a lion saying, "I only have Gazelle after 12 p.m." What is good for us at any time is good for us at all times. In Asia, breakfast looks a lot like lunch and dinner. They'll have rice, vegetables, fish, etc. Eat when you are hungry; and eat until your stomach is halfway full with food, one-quarter filled with liquid (soups and tea) and leave one quarter empty for processing. You should never go hungry, just keep yourself fueled with good food. Some people need two meals a day, some people need five.
Unfortunately, many classic American dishes are too heavy on the meat. Chicken and vegetables would fit into this style provided there are a lot of different vegetables and not too much chicken. Rice and beans are good, but you should have some vegetables on the side. Soups are good as long as they don't have too much salt and are not cream-based. A hamburger is not a bad combination -- it just has the wrong proportions. If we put a lot more vegetable toppings, trimmed the meat to two to three ounces, and had it on thin and sprouted-grain bun, then that would adhere to the principles. Corn on the cob is great. Fruit salad is good as long as it is not served too cold. Veggie kebabs are great. Meat and veggie kebabs would also be fine as long as there was not too much meat. Serve them with rice and green tea or water and we've got ourselves an Asian Diet meal.
That's Fit: Can you describe how one can transition from an "American" diet to an "Asian" diet?
Bussell: The number one question people have about following these principles is "what about breakfast?" Most of the foods that comprise the Western breakfast menu are very unhealthy. Pancakes and waffles are basically desserts. Cold cereals are very processed, even the "whole grain" cereals are still very removed from their natural form. Humans are the only animals that have different foods at different times of the day. I cannot imagine a lion saying, "I only have Gazelle after 12 p.m." What is good for us at any time is good for us at all times. In Asia, breakfast looks a lot like lunch and dinner. They'll have rice, vegetables, fish, etc. Eat when you are hungry; and eat until your stomach is halfway full with food, one-quarter filled with liquid (soups and tea) and leave one quarter empty for processing. You should never go hungry, just keep yourself fueled with good food. Some people need two meals a day, some people need five.
Unfortunately, many classic American dishes are too heavy on the meat. Chicken and vegetables would fit into this style provided there are a lot of different vegetables and not too much chicken. Rice and beans are good, but you should have some vegetables on the side. Soups are good as long as they don't have too much salt and are not cream-based. A hamburger is not a bad combination -- it just has the wrong proportions. If we put a lot more vegetable toppings, trimmed the meat to two to three ounces, and had it on thin and sprouted-grain bun, then that would adhere to the principles. Corn on the cob is great. Fruit salad is good as long as it is not served too cold. Veggie kebabs are great. Meat and veggie kebabs would also be fine as long as there was not too much meat. Serve them with rice and green tea or water and we've got ourselves an Asian Diet meal.
Going for Chinese? Stay away from these
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Chinese food is a rare indulgence for me, but there's no denying that when I go for Chinese, indulge I do. Noodles, deep-fried chicken balls, sweet and sour sauce -- I love a good Chinese feast. But it's not the most calorie-conscious cuisine. eDiets recently counted down the five worst Chinese choices:
- Crispy anything. It's just another way of saying 'deep fried.'
- Egg rolls. Again, just another way of saying 'deep fried'
- Spare ribs. The meat is fatty and slathered in sugary, salty sauce. Enough said.
- Sweet and sour anything. Whatever mystery meat they're serving is deep fried and slathered in sugary sauce. Skip.
- Fried rice. White rice alone is not a great choice. White rice fried in fat and served with bits of mystery meat is about 100 times worse.
What do you skip at the Chinese restaurant?
These 6 Asian foods could help you lose weight
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
When I'm trying to lose weight but I'm having dinner with friends, I often suggest ordering Chinese food. It's easy for me to order steamed broccoli and shrimp with sauce on the side -- it's so delicious that I don't feel deprived, and many of my friends have picked up on the habit, too. But how often do you prepare Asian food at home? You might be surprised to find that there are quite a few diet-friendly Asian foods you can easily prepare on your own. Honest!
Think about it -- Asian men and women tend to be on the thinner side, and you know it's not from eating General Tso's Chicken every night. Click through the gallery to find six foods you should be eating, courtesy of the Asian Food Grocer blog.
U.S. kids' sleep habits not so bad
Kids in predominantly Caucasian countries get pretty good sleep, says a new study. Better than kids in Asian countries, anyway. This study, led by researcher Jodi Mindell of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, is the first ever to look at sleep patterns in infants and toddlers cross-culturally. The results, says Mindell, are astonishing. Here are two of them.
- Mindell found significant variability in bedtimes and total sleep time. For example, 15.1 percent of children in Canada shared a room, compared to 94.5 percent in Thailand, and the percentage of parents who believed their child had a minor or severe sleep problem ranged from 11 percent in Thailand to 76 percent in China.
- Kids in Asian countries were more likely to have later bedtimes, shorter total sleep times, increased parental perception of sleep problems, and were more likely to share a room than children in Caucasian countries. But there were no significant differences in night wakings and naps.
How Many Calories ... in Citrus Soy Salmon?
Let's say you head out to a restaurant for lunch with your co-workers. Depending on the situation, you might not have a say in what restaurant you end up going to. And you don't really have a say in how the restaurants prepare the food. In fact, the only thing you do have control over is A) What you order, and B) how much of it you eat.
So let's say you end up going to a Asian restaurant like P.F. Chang's. Chinese food is notorious for being high in calories, sodium, carbs and fat, but surely there must be some healthy options. You browse the menu and come across one dish that that sticks out as healthy: The Citrus Soy Salmon Lunch Bowl. Heck, they even let you choose whether you want it with brown or white rice! So let's analyze this choice. Salmon is healthy. Citrus is healthy. Brown rice is healthy. Soy is high in sodium but low in calories and fat. Overall, for a restaurant meal, it sounds pretty good, right?
You tell me ...
So let's say you end up going to a Asian restaurant like P.F. Chang's. Chinese food is notorious for being high in calories, sodium, carbs and fat, but surely there must be some healthy options. You browse the menu and come across one dish that that sticks out as healthy: The Citrus Soy Salmon Lunch Bowl. Heck, they even let you choose whether you want it with brown or white rice! So let's analyze this choice. Salmon is healthy. Citrus is healthy. Brown rice is healthy. Soy is high in sodium but low in calories and fat. Overall, for a restaurant meal, it sounds pretty good, right?
You tell me ...
"Stand Up Straight" & other bone health tips
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
My grandma had osteoporosis. For her, it reared its ugly head in her back which became more and more rounded with each of her passing years. It caused her great pain. And it caused her to continually urge me to stand up straight and practice good posture -- which is important for young women like me who wish to maximize bone health. But even more critical for mostly Caucasian and Asian women is weight-bearing exercise and resistance training.
Walking, running, dancing, and playing tennis are just a few good weight-bearing activities. Biking and swimming don't count because they provide no impact of bones on the ground.
OK, so are you ready for your mission? Here's what you've gotta do: Start slow if you must and tackle 10 minutes of walking three times per week. Gradually build up to 30 minutes a day, five times per week. Do more if you can. Then add weights for resistance. Take on some strengthening exercises for 20 minutes, three times per week. If you don't feel very fit at the moment, begin walking with ankle weights and then tack on small amounts of weight, beginning with one pound and working your way up.
Personally, I hope to turn back the clock on osteoporosis. How about you?
Walking, running, dancing, and playing tennis are just a few good weight-bearing activities. Biking and swimming don't count because they provide no impact of bones on the ground.
OK, so are you ready for your mission? Here's what you've gotta do: Start slow if you must and tackle 10 minutes of walking three times per week. Gradually build up to 30 minutes a day, five times per week. Do more if you can. Then add weights for resistance. Take on some strengthening exercises for 20 minutes, three times per week. If you don't feel very fit at the moment, begin walking with ankle weights and then tack on small amounts of weight, beginning with one pound and working your way up.
Personally, I hope to turn back the clock on osteoporosis. How about you?
What to do about fat, protein, carbs
It seems we keep going over and over the topic of what to eat and how to eat it. I guess we keep asking the same tired diet questions because we forget the answers or we worry popular opinion has changed. It happens. Remember when coffee was an evil drink? Now it's practically considered a health food. And then there's the fact that people disagree. Some experts believe in low-carb diets. Others say don't worry about the darned things. So we search and search for guidance, hoping to one day locate the final word on proper nutrition.
Lash says the lower the fat the better, within reason. Twenty percent is a good goal but can be difficult to maintain over the long haul.
Lash says the lower the fat the better, within reason. Twenty percent is a good goal but can be difficult to maintain over the long haul.
