Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking

What’s a healthy meal without some wholesome ingredients? 

Unfortunately, some folks believe that Chinese food leads straight to obesity and heart disease. Why? Is it because of the rice-heavy meals and fatty meat dishes? However, the very opposite if the food is properly prepared as Chinese way of eating is healthy and fulfilling.

Have you noticed that we do not count calories in our Chinese meals?

So we do not count calories in our Chinese meals then why do we still see obesity on the rise among children and heart diseases on the rise among youth? This is due to sugary and over processed Western food.

Stop Counting Calories

Chinese view food as food nourishment and not potential weight gain. That is why you do not see the calorie count chart on a bag of rice, for example. Rice is rice; a staple food. However, you will see a calorie count chart on a box of macaroni and cheese; starting with serving size, total fat, calories, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, vitamins, and protein. A standard cup of macaroni and cheese contains about 250 calories so how much exercise does a child have to do in order to burn it off? And how much exercise does an adult have to do to burn it off?

Why Not Regard Vegetables As A Dish

I am a firm believer of a well-balanced meal. In most of my meals, I include meat, vegetables and often fish. And when I am in a better mood, I would make soup. Most importantly, your meals should include protein and carbohydrates to make it balanced. There are not many complex carbohydrates in vegetables so do count as a dish. What’s best about vegetables? They contain antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. This is another reason Chinese believes that Chinese way of eating fights illness and prolongs life.

Eat Until You Are Full

“Finish your rice!” You often hear Chinese moms or grandmothers yelling at their children or grandchildren to finish their rice. “Never leave a grain of rice in your bowl or your future partner would have many pimples on his or her face!” They continued. Anyway, that saying is no longer effective to the current young generation. Well, to other generations, we eat until we are full, and then stop. Chinese tend to eat three good meals daily provided that a meal has a high intake of fibre-rich vegetables, and a balance of protein and carbohydrates. In a different scenario, if you were to eat too much refined sugar, high fat, and refined carbohydrates, your body’s “appestat” kicks in and tells you to stop.

Do be aware that your brain will only recognize CCK the hormone released when you are full, so you’re actually full quite a lot earlier than you realize.

Drink Green Tea

Green tea eliminates toxins, aids digestion and allays hunger. Scientists have found that it also fights free radicals, which cause cancer and heart disease.

Green tea is an important antioxidant, but it will only help you lose weight if you drink 40 cups a day.

Traditionally, when the Chinese want another cup of tea, they will keep the same leaves and add water to the pot. That is like only using one teabag a day – which means much less caffeine.

Use food to keep fit

Chinese medicine prescribes various foods as medical treatments: chillies to promote digestion and dispel cold; garlic to counteract toxins. The ultimate purpose is to ensure all the organs are working correctly to allow energy, or chi, to circulate smoothly around the body.

Two thousand years ago, Hippocrates said, ‘Let food be your medicine.’ But the West forgot. Peasant communities tend to have more respect for the cycle of food and how it supports life.”