The Quintessential Quest

By Leena Quah

Most of us would like to adopt a healthier lifestyle but do not know where to begin. An excess and overload of conflicting information can seem confusing. This book provides you with practical tools, personal insights, and positive inspiration to assist you in reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and positive lifestyle. In this new era of fad diets, superfoods, and detox programs, we need to reexamine the relationship between our food, attitudes, and lifestyle in order to improve our health, mood, and longevity for a fulfilling life. With the growing trend of obesity and overweight people in the world today, it is never a better time to learn about eating and living in balance. I believe the simple principles to live by are moderation and equilibrium. By administrating what you learn from this book will be the most important and wonderful journey to a healthier, happier, slimmer you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jun 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503505001

Leena Quah

Leena Quah is a writer and nutritionist who lives in Singapore. Born in Malaysia, her work and travels have taken her to five continents and over 30 countries. After years of research, Leena put the pieces together and wrote the book ' The Quintessential Quest'. With a dose of inspiration, illuminating advise, timeless wisdom~ divulging secrets so that anyone can achieve and maintain their desirable weight by eating right and staying healthy. Her latest project is a Feng Shui anthology she is currently compiling that will be published soon.

Book preview

1

Aspirations

Whether you say you can or say you can’t, you are right!

Henry Ford III

The desire to look good is tempting to everyone. Nobody wants to be overweight or unattractive. We or someone we know have struggled with a negative body image and poor eating habits at one time or another. It is never easy to juggle work, family life, and social commitments and also find time for ourselves. The high-octane lives we face today are greater than ever, leaving us little time to properly feed our emotional and physical hungers.

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently 1.6 billion overweight adults in the world, a number projected to increase by 40 per cent within the next ten years. It is predicted that there will be 2.3 billion overweight adults by 2015. The obesity epidemic is by no means a scary figure to fathom. All these extra weight take a significant health toll, and weight-related diseases now cost more than $300 billion annually in medical treatment.

The International Association of Agricultural Economists announced that the world now has more overweight people than hungry ones. They added that worldwide hunger is slowly declining, while obesity is rapidly increasing. How many people die prematurely due to obesity each year? It is difficult to pin an exact number on this scenario, but the numbers are increasing at an alarming and disturbing rate. However, the latest estimates and research from WHO shows that obesity-related illnesses claim over thousands of lives a day.

Obesity did not even exist more than a few decades ago. It is well known as a modern problem, no thanks to the increase of motorized transport, convenience foods, labour-saving devices, and more sedentary jobs. Why should we be concerned about our weight? Weight control is not only about physical appearance or body shape, it is also about causing incredible damage if you do not take good care of it. An overweight body, carries a list of problems which is harmful to the body-causing inflammation, damaged joints, and ageing of the body. It also fuels cancer, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, gout, inability to fight infection and a shortened life span.

Take a look in the mirror. Have a close good look! Is what you see in the mirror what you had envisioned yourself to look like a decade ago? Are you happy with what you see in the mirror? Now, imagine, how you would like to look like,10 years from now.

Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip. (Arnold H. Glasgow)

Despite all our good intentions, numerous diets, and vigorous exercises, why do some of us remain the same or still suffer serious negative repercussions in terms of weight and health? Some of the people I know have tried every type of diet they can get their hands on—Atkins diet, Okinawa diet, 3-hour diet, protein diet, zone diet, GI diet, carbohydrate addict’s diet, fruit diet, sugar busters. You name it, and they had tried it. But most of them end up frustrated, dejected, discouraged, and worst of all, piling on more weight than before. What went wrong?

The truth is, being overweight and unfit is horrible. Being overweight is not an illness; it is merely an accumulation of a lot of bad habits. No one will choose to happily cart around a sluggish, bloated body every day of their lives. I am a firm believer that weight loss is an important health goal.

Now, you have the power to choose! You can choose to create a slim and healthy body, and it is entirely within your power and entirely your choice. This is not about impressing or pleasing others. You are doing this for yourself. Put your heart and soul into this weight loss journey, it will work like a dream, and you will love this new healthy way of life. Weight control is not all about willpower, and it is more than what you eat.

Obesity and being overweight stem from many causes. There are forces in our lives—be it social, environmental, or biological factors—that may make it extremely difficult for some people to lose weight. Always remember that for a lasting result, the best and most natural way to lose weight is slowly and steadily.

To climb steep hills require a slow pace at first. (William Shakespeare)

Whether it is switching to a healthy diet or sweating it out on a new fitness regime, your efforts will pay off in the long run in many ways. Of course, it is easier said than done, but it is never too late to start, whatever stage of life you are at. So think positive and get moving towards your health goal today by adapting some simple habit changes.

What is the secret to enjoying your favourite food and yet staying in shape? You do not have to give up chocolate and do not have to stop drinking alcohol and coffee if you don’t want to. You can make food work for you without being on a diet that you detest when you stop trying too hard. It is definitely not about abstaining from the food we love.

Delicious food often tastes good for a reason as most foods are usually chock-full of sugar, salt, or other seasonings to appeal to our taste buds. On top of that, they are most likely processed or refined. Eating too much of these food will lead to weight gain and health problems, such as indigestion, constipation, high cholesterol, diabetes, liver and heart diseases, and the list goes on. We all know of someone suffering from these health problems. So how do we avoid being overweight and steer clear of these health issues? A lot of people will say ‘I lack the willpower to do it’ or ‘I’ve tried dieting, but it didn’t work out for me’. The secret here is to remember that unless the diet fits your lifestyle, it is bound to fail.

Sustainability is a journey and not a destination, so it is fine to take small steps first and increase your efforts over time. You want a diet you can live with! Unless we develop an approach to deal with our cravings and indulge in them properly, there will continue to be a relapse in weight issues. So if you dislike counting calories and find it a hassle but do not mind avoiding carbohydrates, the Atkins diet may be for you. If you love olive oil, the Mediterranean diet might appeal to you. And if you cannot resist bread, pasta, potato, or rice and have trouble sticking to a low-carb diet, then counting calories might be suitable for you.

It does not matter how many times you have tried before, how downtrodden or disheartened you are right now, or what drastic measures you had taken before this. I’m sure we have all got our own list of our own frustrations, imperfections, humiliations, and struggles that we would like to put behind us. What matters is not what you had done in your past but what you are embarking on right now. Let your negative mindset be a thing of the past. Leave all your frustration, desperation, and impatience behind. Take charge and be in control! I am here to tell you that you can do it!

Some of us may even have this certain perception and mindset: ‘My grandparents are overweight, and so are my parents and siblings. Therefore, I am fated to be one as well.’ Yes, it is true that genes do account for a certain percentage of your predisposition, but it is of utmost importance to remember that your DNA does not determine your weight control destiny! According to WHO, we have been consistently putting on weight since the seventies and eighties. The trend is universal and cuts across all demographic groups. Therefore, we cannot blame such notion for the rapid rise on genes alone.

It is crucial to learn how to make your journey enjoyable and satisfying and still get the results you desire. In this book, you will learn to discover how to weave the programme of your choice throughout your daily life so that it becomes who you are and how you live. That is the road to your goal and how to keep the weight loss off and maintain it forever. It was never about living on a diet but learning how to tailor your diet to how you want to live and having it become your lifestyle.

What is the best way to lose weight? And if a healthy lifestyle were enough, why would two-thirds of many nations have weight problems? It has been rightly said that one of the privileges of the human race is to eat without hunger and drink without thirst. The problem with civilized human beings is that we eat too much. The body is never fooled as nature counts every calorie very carefully. If the number of calories taken in exceeds the number used by the body, the excess accumulates in the body as fats and tissue.

Eat only when you are hungry, eat only foods that your appetite is craving, stop when you are no longer hungry, and chew every morsel of food thoroughly. To lose weight and stay slim, you must learn to eat slowly. Never gobble your food. Be an intelligent epicurean! You will learn that food deprivation diets, which almost everyone struggling with their weight has tried time and again, is a vicious cycle. Often, with every gain–loss cycle, the weight would click up another notch.

Most of us wants a programme we can follow for the rest of our lives, with the results we dream of without the agony of deprivation. As long as you enjoy what you are doing, half the battle is won. You will likely succeed as you will be much more inclined to continue with the maintenance programme with tools and long-term strategies you are comfortable with. Successful weight loss takes time, focus and commitment. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is lying.

There is no point doing something that does not fit your lifestyle or your likes. You will probably give up on it sooner or later if you are forcing an excruciating diet on yourself, or dreading as you watch every morsel you eat, in a boring robotic kind of way. Aspirations for weight loss goals is very personal and subjective. Maybe you want to be a size S, or you want to fit into that cute pair of shorts that don’t fit any more or fit into an old favourite jeans. Perhaps you want to get into that attire that you had been eyeing for the past few months, fit into the wedding dress of your dreams or to feel revitalized and to enjoy life more. Pick anything that you hope to achieve and make it happen! Personally, I pursue dietary purity and wellness through ‘healthy eating’ habits and that truly makes me feel clearheaded and enlightened.

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open. (B. K. S. Iyengar)

Equilibrium and harmony in the way we eat and think (similar to yin and yang) will help you shed kilos and maintain a holistically healthy new lifestyle. The secret of successful weight loss and maintenance isn’t about forcing yourself to eat less and exercise more. It is about learning, understanding, and working hand in hand with the knowledge gained from this book.

You will be able to focus on small changes more efficiently and effectively rather than overhauling your diet, joining a gym, and changing many different lifestyle habits at once. Tackling one little thing at a time will enable you to manage your weight, improve your health, and stay fabulous for life. This is not really a diet, but it is a healthier way of life.

The key to losing weight is eating consistently no matter where or what you eat. The same rules apply for every type of cuisine. In this book, you will learn how to make small changes to the way you eat your food, increase your metabolism, and maximize fat burning all day long. There is no starving, no food restrictions, and no drastic lifestyle changes. Just one step at a time, and you will completely reset your metabolic rate and stoke your body’s fat-burning furnace. Start out by doing just a little thing each day so there is no shock to your system or burden on your time.

80% of having the body you want is Smart Nutrition… Not killing yourself in the Gym! (Anonymous)

Do not be over-obsessed with the weighing scale or food. Do not pull your hair out because you had your favourite chocolates, cookies, or ice cream and gained a few grams. All is not lost as in this book you will learn the secrets to what the slim girls and guys never told you.

Weight gain happens when blood sugar levels spike and dip. In this book, you will learn how to lose weight and keep it off by minimizing and maximizing certain foods in specific combinations that will even out blood sugar levels to curb cravings, reduce hunger, and switch your metabolic rate from fat-storing mode to fat-burning mode.

Fat loss secrets, daily motivation, tips that will assure you that you’ll get the fat loss results you want—no more boring and bland diet menu! You will be provided with an easy and flexible programme that you will look forward to every day. And for those days you may want a pizza, a beer, and some ice cream to finish on occasion, that is not an issue.

Enjoy quick and delicious recipes of your favourite foods and even decadent desserts. They are included in this book to propel you to a leaner and healthier new you. There are snack guides to keep your metabolism running on high in between meals. Be informed and in control. You can indulge in your favourite foods, lose weight, improve your health, and feel fabulous in the process.

2

Setting your goals

Your body belongs to you,

Take care of