Thailand is full of tempting foods and social activities. From the street stalls with the ultimate sticky rice to the markets with everything deep-fried you can imagine. The boozing nightlight brings its fair sure. Pretty much everything to send your pancreas packing into a party. So how can you indulge and enjoy the local cuisine, while still staying on track with your fitness and fat loss goals?
Handling alcohol:
So we all know how tough it can be to avoid alcohol here in Thailand. But the good news is that you can add it to your clean eating lifestyle. You just have to remember this one small word “moderation”.
Tips:
- Limit your alcohol consumption to special events. (Friday and Saturday nights are not special events)
- Plan your meals. This will help with overeating and snacking while you’re drinking. NO end-of-the-night dirty kebab (or Pad Thai).
- Slow your pace. Order a glass of water between every alcoholic drink. This simple strategy may cut your total consumption in half and allow you to stay out longer.
- Switch the drink mixer (coke) for soda water with lemon or lime. Not only a lot have fewer calories and sugar, but you will stay hydrated and will feel much fresher the next morning.
- Fasting the next day. If you’re really censured about the damage you did the night before, then try fasting throughout the next day.
Emotional Eating: Recognise your hunger
Think before you eat. Before you reach for that nearest naughty snack rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 being full and 5 being starving. Do not eat if your 1 or 2, even 3 you can fight it. This will help you better recognize whether you are hungry or simply feeding your emotions.
Find a mind blocker
Find an activity that will take your mind off being hungry. Put a list together, and with there being so many low-cost distracting activities here, the list should be quite long. Activities such as taking a walk, going for a massage, getting your nails painted, or getting a haircut, etc.
Keep a food journal
Track your food and emotions in a journal or diary. This will help you identify your toughest times, your triggers, and how your food choices are affecting you emotionally.
What’s at home?
Be aware of what foods you keep at home. When that urge overpowers you and you reach for what you have in the cupboard if the naughty foods are gone then the mind with go for the much healthier option. Have 3 healthy food choices there ready to go (some almonds or nuts, carrot sticks, or try some Greek yogurt, etc)
It’s ok to fail
There will be times that you will make a bad choice, but don’t let that get you off track. We are all human and sometimes we fail, but we just learn from the experience to make a better decision next time.
Fighting Cravings
You know those nights that you’re settled in at home after a long day at work, you’re watching a movie or reading a book? Then you start feeling like something ‘nice’ to eat and not just anything will do because you’re craving something, something sweet, salty or chocolaty.
Food cravings a very common and most of us have them, they will vary from person to person. A lot of research has gone into this topic and it has been identified that in most cases we are able to satisfy a food craving with a much healthier alternative.
| What you’re craving | What you need | What to eat instead |
| Chocolate | Magnesium | Nuts, seeds, legumes, fruit |
| Sugary sweet foods | Chromium
Phosphorus Carbon Sulpher Tryptophan |
Broccoli, grapes, cheese, chicken
Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, nuts, grains Fresh fruit Cranberries, cabbage, cauliflower Lamb, sweet potato, spinach, cheese |
| Bread, pasta, and other carbs | Nitrogen | Meat, fish, nuts, beans |
| Oily/fatty foods | Calcium | Cheese, yogurt, legumes, anything green leafy |
| Salty foods | Chloride | Fish, goats milk |
Ok but let’s be real, something the fresh fruit and broccoli just don’t cut it when trying to stop that craving for chocolate. So here are some last-resort alternatives that will satisfy the sweetest tooth
Keep an eye out for the next article, where we will share some super simple and delicious recipes that require ZERO Baking 🙂 (Perfect for the Bangkok lifestyle where most kitchens n condos don’t have ovens) that will satisfy the sweetest tooth
