SOLers, let us talk about health and lifestyle.

[Holac]

This is probably the most important thing we Somalis in the West don't have a habit of discussing.

 

What do you do to stay healthy? What do you do to control your weight? How is your eating habit?

 

I am not 20 years old anymore, and I am finding it is harder to keep the pounds off. Somali food is blessed with the dreaded carbs and fat.

[Showqi]

Adeer ma calool baa kaa soodhacday?

[Barwaaqo]

Bilaydhka buuxa oo baasto iyo bariis ah hala dhimo.

[Dhagax-Tuur]

Walaal you're right. Waa la socdaa da' ahaan, caafimaadkuna waa qaali in la iskugu baraarujiyana waa wanaag.

 

Aniga, fasting works for me. It is not easy, but once you make a habit of it, it does get easier. The benefits of fasting, wallaahi, are incalculable. Not only does it work wonders with the reasserting discipline with your gut, it also enhances brain power.

 

The following article discusses the benefits and lows of fasting, but remember these people are looking at it from the point of view of dieting and are leaving out the spirituality in fasting.

 

Salam.

[Bluelicious]

If it aint Showqi *waves at him*

 

Holac what a great topic I totally agree with you.

 

There's a difference in stomach bloating and stomach fat. Some people don't have a big stomach they are just bloated. A bloated stomach is hard and round it literally looks as if you're pregnant it's temporary and caused by what you eat where as stomach fat is soft, jiggly and permanent.

 

The fastest way to get rid of bloating if you don't wanna wait it out until it's out of your system which can take from few hours till few days is by drinking ginger or chamomile tea or a combination of the two.

 

As you get older your metabolism gets slower which is normal. With that said there are alot of things you can eat, drink and do to speed up your metabolism.

 

1. Weight/strength training (muscles burns fat)

2. Drink alot of water (being hydrated burns fat)

3. Eat more protein - red meat, chicken, fish, nuts, seeds, beans (protein burns fat)

4. Eat more green leafy vegetables - (burns fat and also detoxify)

5. Eat more good fats - coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, avocado oil, bone broth (maraq in Somali) (good fat burns bad fat)

6. Drink green tea (burns fat and anti aging) and herbal teas such ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, peppermint, chamomile, black pepper, cayenne pepper etc.

7. Cut out sugar, fried foods, processed foods and replace it with clean foods

 

Personally I don't consume dairy (lactose intolerant) at all not even lactose free products and I don't eat red meat because I never really liked the taste. Aside from doing 3/4 times a week weight/strength training I also do the plank daily. As for cardio I walk, bicycle and jump rope.

 

Lastly the number on the scale shouldn't be the focus but rather how you feel, look and how your clothes fit. Muscles weigh more then fat so therefore the scale number will go up as you build more muscles. If you wanna keep track of your fat and muscle ratio invest in a smart scale. Those smart scales will show you your fat percentage, muscle mass, water percentage and bone density. So when you gain weight you can easily see whether that is fat or muscle.

 

This is what I do and works for me.

 

[Holac]

Blue, good to see you after Ramadan. I lost half a pound in Ramadan. Not much but still better than gaining 10 lbs. lol

 

I don't have belly fat that is in anyway visible. It is just that I am not 140 lbs of pure muscle anymore. I missed my college years. Those days I was hard at gym but the last few years I got caught up in the work-money cycle.

 

Barwaqo is right. We need to half the rice/pasta plates. It is not healthy.

[Bluelicious]

I survived the ramadan lol. It's great seeing you too

 

Holac that's actually very good i'm still the exact same weight too. It means you were very well hydrated which is very important since our body consists of 3/4 water. 9 out of 10 times weight loss during ramadan is due to being dehydrated and losing water weight which comes back quickly after going back to your normal diet.

 

I wasn't insinuating that you have belly fat it was a general statement since it was relevant to the topic and is also part of losing weight. Well Holac if you did it once you can sure do it again what's stopping you now it's mind over matter. What you need is someone that challenges you. Have you tried working out before you go to work it's the best time. You have the most energy in the morning and that sets you right for the rest of the day and on top of that you will keep burning calories during the day while you doing nothing.

 

Anyways speaking of the gym I noticed that the weight section is dominated by men and the cardio section by women and at the woman only gym the weight section is empty.

[Bluelicious]

Never mind somehow my comment is now visible again.

 

Yesss