NUTRITION BALANCE TIPS FOR A HEALTHY TET

During Tet, many families prepare delicious dishes such as spring rolls, Chung cake, alcohol, beer, etc. Besides, people are often sedentary during this time because they spend a lot of time gathering, visiting, and having fun. Daily habits such as eating, exercising, and relaxing are also disturbed in a way that is not good for health and weight. 

How could we celebrate Tet without gaining weight? Below are two suggestions from MSc, Nutritional Specialist Doctor Nguyen Phuong Anh from CarePlus International Clinics to help you stabilize your weight during Tet. 

To understand how weight changes, we should know about the "energy balance." The energy balance is the balance of calories consumed through eating and drinking compared to calories burned through physical activity. What you eat and drink is ENERGY IN (ENERGY INTAKE). What you burn through physical activity is ENERGY OUT (ENERGY EXPENDITURE). 

If the energy IN is EQUAL to the energy OUT, we will maintain our current weight. Weight gain will occur if the energy eaten exceeds the energy expended, and vice versa. 

On this day, energy IN is often higher than on physical days because delicious dishes such as Chung cake, fatty meat, candy, sugar-coated fruit, beer, and wine... are often rich in energy, while energy OUT is reduced due to fewer physical activities or exercises. Therefore, the energy balance will favor energy IN, leading to weight gain during Tet. 

How could we control energy IN? According to MSc, Nutritional Specialist Doctor Nguyen Phuong Anh, the easiest way to control calorie intake is to convert the energy of delicious Tet dishes to 1 cup of rice. 

The average energy in a cup of cooked white rice with just enough meat, fish, and green vegetables is about 350kcalo. This is a familiar and easy-to-remember image for most Vietnamese people, so when celebrating Tet, we can use a cup of rice as a reference for easy visualization. 

For example, a familiar dish in Tet is Chung cake - one piece of Chung cake (about 1/8 of a medium-sized banh chung) provides about 350 kcalories. So if we have eaten one piece of Chung cake, we should reduce 1 cup of rice in the next meal. Cutting 1 cup of rice into the next meal is unnecessary, but you can cut it into ½ cup for the following two meals. 

One piece of Chung cake (1/8 of medium-sized cake) ~ 350 kcalories 

One can of soft drink ~ 140 kcalories 

One can of beer (330ml) ~ 140 kcalories 

One handful of roasted melon seeds ~ 50 kcalories 

Enjoy the moments, but remember to control the energy IN every day. 

If we have difficulty controlling the energy we eat on Tet, there is still a way to balance energy: to increase energy OUT by exercising. On average, for every 30 minutes of walking, we burn about 100 kcalories. Exercise helps control weight and underlying diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, etc., in the elderly. 

Tet is when there are many disturbances in daily life, such as eating, sleeping, and engaging in activities that are not beneficial to health or weight, such as consuming more energy-rich foods and drinking more alcohol than usual. Time for exercise is also reduced. To maintain the energy balance, let's try to "stay regular" like what we do in daily life, such as time to eat and sleep, especially for children, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions. 

To enjoy a happy and healthy Tet, set limits for yourself and be serious about balancing diet and exercise. 

Wishing you a warm and happy time with your love ones. If you need more information about staying healthy during Tet, don't hesitate to contact us via free hotline 18006116. 

 CAREPLUS INTERNATIONAL CLINIC