Steps to Improve Our Health and Weight Management

Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used to determine a person’s healthy weight range whereby BMI of 18.5-24.9 is considered within the normal range, 25.0 – 29.9 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 and above would be obese. Persons who are overweight or obese normally experience higher risks of developing certain chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, …etc., known as “lifestyle” diseases.

Healthy body weight can be achieved and maintained by adopting healthy eating habits, increase intake of healthy foods (nutritious, lower calories) and physical activities such as regular exercise to burn off calories. Diet-wise, certainly there are so many different ones to choose from nowadays, such as diets that restrict types of food that can be consumed (e.g. vegetarian/vegan diets, low-fat diets, low-carbohydrate) and diets that recommend eating only during certain time/hours of the day (e.g. continuous/intermittent fasting).

Choose a diet that is healthy and practical, taking into account your lifestyle and any existing medical conditions. For diets that promotes only eating certain types of food, be aware of the risk of nutritional deficiencies. A healthy balanced diet should include 50% colourful vegetables and fruits, 25% whole grains (rice, wheat, oats) and 25% healthy protein (fish, poultry, beans, nuts, tofu). In this example, replacing white rice with more nutritious wholegrain red rice (such as our low GI antioxidant Primera red rice) in a meal can be a simple healthier step to take. You can also consult a dietician to learn more about healthy eating and personalized weight management.