Taiwan's millennial office workers are the least active! Obesity Problems Start Early

Obesity is not a blessing! Instead, it is the culprit of many chronic diseases and a risk factor for obesity, which is mainly related to an incorrect diet, such as skipping breakfast, eating the wrong kind of food for breakfast, etc. It is also closely related to the modern people's sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise. Global nutrition experts Herbalife have called for a nutritionally balanced breakfast. In addition to having a new concept of a "healthy plate", eating the right proportions of protein, fat and carbohydrates, and exercising appropriately, you will be able to grow muscle without gaining fat and stay healthy!

Health not only affects our lives, but is also the key to "healthy life expectancy". This is especially true for millennials, who will be half of the future workforce. Health is irreplaceable. However, according to the "Urban Office Workers Health Survey" conducted by Herbalife in 2016 among 5,500 people in 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, as many as 72% of Taiwanese millennial office workers exercise less than twice a week, and only 40% of millennials want to pursue a healthy and active lifestyle, ranking Taiwan as the least active and least health conscious country among the 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

What a great breakfast! It is important to take in protein and have a balanced diet

When it comes to health, it is closely related to how you eat and how you exercise. In particular, "a day's plan begins in the morning", and breakfast is the source of energy to start the day and bring vitality to the brain and muscles. However, according to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 35% of office workers in Taiwan do not have the habit of eating breakfast, indicating that many people often ignore the importance of breakfast due to their busy lives. Even if they eat breakfast, they prefer high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods, but lack supplementation of high-quality protein, resulting in many "big-bellied men" and "small-bellied women".

Instead of eating too much for breakfast, it’s better to eat smartly! Dr. Rocio, vice chairman of the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Committee and professor of obesity and nutrition, said that the most important thing for a balanced and nutritious breakfast is protein, because protein contains essential amino acids that can help cells maintain vitality. Fats and carbohydrates (including starch and dietary fiber) are also sources of energy. However, fat and carbohydrates will be converted into fat and quickly accumulated in the body. The reason is that if you consume too much refined carbohydrates and refined starch, your blood sugar concentration will rise rapidly. In order to balance the blood sugar concentration, the body will secrete insulin to inhibit the decomposition of fat, and the food you eat will be converted into fat cells and stored.

Dr. Rocio said that the most important thing for a balanced and nutritious breakfast is protein.

The concept of a "healthy plate" for breakfast comes first. Soybeans, milk, and eggs are good sources of

How to have a good breakfast? It is recommended to first have a new concept of "healthy plate", which can be divided into three equal parts. The most important ones are fat, protein and carbohydrates, and the intake ratio of other ingredients including vitamins and minerals should be maintained at 30% protein: 30% fat: 40% carbohydrates. Good complete and high-quality protein sources include: soybeans, milk, eggs, etc. Based on the biological measurement of the essential amino acid content of protein, plant protein and animal protein can be found that soybeans rank first, followed by milk and eggs. In addition, when looking at the degree of protein digestion and absorption from PDCASS, it was found that soybeans also ranked first, and milk and eggs were also on the list. Both measurements show that soybeans, milk and eggs are suitable for breakfast.

Careful selection of protein foods plays an important role in breakfast. What should you pay attention to when it comes to protein intake? Dr. Rocio recommends that you consume 30% of your total calories in protein every day. Women should not consume less than 75 grams, while men should not consume less than 100 grams of protein. However, most Taiwanese people are unable to consume such a large amount. Asians can refer to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. If you exercise, you can increase the protein intake to 1.2 to 1.5 times. Studies have shown that consuming an additional 25 grams of protein per day in addition to the basic intake is beneficial for muscle repair.

Avoid insufficient protein intake and provide the body with good protein nutrition

What is worrying is that according to research, if protein intake is insufficient, 10% of muscle mass will be lost every year. Do most people think that drinking a glass of low-fat milk or soy milk for breakfast can satisfy their protein intake? In fact, whether it is a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, or a cup of soy milk, the protein content is only about 7 to 8 grams, so it is far behind the 50 to 75 grams of protein that adults should consume per day and at least 17 to 25 grams of protein per meal on average. Dr. Rocio recommends that you make a convenient cup of high-quality protein drink and add milk for breakfast as a nutritional supplement. The protein intake can reach about 20 grams, which is a good choice and also suitable as a conversion food for protein intake in any of the three meals. The 2012 U.S. Dietary Guidelines include these alternatives as part of a healthy diet and believe they can provide nutrition to the body.

However, it is not enough to just pay attention to protein intake in three meals a day, because without proper exercise, the protein you eat is like "a hero without a place to use his skills", and cannot achieve the effect of increasing muscle and reducing fat. As we age, our muscle mass decreases, so exercise is necessary to make better use of protein.

Dr. Rocio has developed good exercise habits. He has participated in half marathon and full marathon races, as well as many triathlons, and can be said to be an athlete. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Rocio)

Weight training is also the key to gain muscle and lose fat

Dr. Rocio shared her own experience. She has developed good exercise habits and has participated in half marathon and full marathon road running competitions, as well as many triathlon competitions. She can be said to be an athlete. However, she admitted that her previous exercise focused on cardiopulmonary exercise, but her muscles did not increase. So in addition to her existing sports hobbies, she adjusted and added weight training, and drank high-quality protein drinks as nutritional supplements one hour after exercise to successfully increase muscle mass.

4 steps to a nutritious breakfast to maintain health

Finally, I would like to remind you that breakfast is very important and cannot be ignored. Breakfast should include diverse foods and balanced nutrition. In addition to learning the new concept of "healthy plate" for breakfast mentioned above and consuming protein, fat and carbohydrates in the correct proportions, you may also wish to remember the following "4 steps for a nutritious breakfast" to help maintain your health.

Step 1: Drink a large glass of warm water when you wake up to wake up your body.

Step 2: Next, take in protein (e.g. tofu, protein shake, unsweetened soy milk or low-fat milk).

Step 3: Take in complex carbohydrates to increase calories (for example: whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes).

Step 4: Finally, drink an appropriate amount of refreshing drinks. (e.g. sugar-free tea or coffee)