Chinese New Year isn’t quite over yet, but we all know at the back of our heads that the kilogram you put on wasn’t quite what you had in mind when you made a resolution to lose weight two months ago. There’re still ten months to go before the end of the year, but we know its hard to resist any kind of food here in Singapore, so we put together a cheat sheet to make you feel — and be — better with a mix of health and mental detoxes.
Healthy Living Delivered to You
While we were busy stuffing ourselves with prawn rolls and pineapple tarts this festive season, our office desks no doubt began piling up with paperwork. And like every CNY before this, we were welcomed back to the office with a huge load of work to deal with, and not enough time. But this doesn’t give you the excuse to dial that fast-food hotline, or run to the nearest zhi char store for an overfilled box of noodles cooked in lard.
Grain (which we wrote about last year) is a startup in town that will deliver healthy, yummy food to your doorstep. The food delivery company has a small but changing menu of three daily dishes, as well as adorably named juices like “Cheeky Flamingo” and “Green Ninja”. The menu also tells you the nutritional info of each dish, and exactly what ingredients go into them. Go for the vegan and vegetarian options for a more thorough detox.
Donate Your Goodies
If you’ve accumulated more food than you can finish over the Chinese New Year because all your relatives eat like swallows — or thanks to your compulsive grocery shopping habit — why not try donating them to the Food Bank? It’s conveniently located in Tanjong Pagar, and all you have to do is to drop them an e-mail before heading down with your helpful load.
Doing kind deeds have been shown to improve our moods, and serve as a kind of mental/emotional detox. If you want to do an even better deed and make a stand against consumerism and capitalism, start off by donating the money from your red packets to them, too.
Cook Light and Tasty
If your pocket can’t support the relatively pricey health food industry in Singapore, don’t worry: it’s extremely easy to make your own vegan and vegetarian food. Vegetables and fruits tend to be cheaper than seafood and poultry, which means you can have a healthier diet without breaking the bank. There are also tons of recipes out there, with many apps dedicated to helping you plan menus and grocery shopping lists for new eating habits.
Here is a simple recipe we found for making your own Hummus — an underrated food in Singapore — that you can store for up to a few days:
Ingredients
- 16 ounce can chick peas (garbanzos), drained and rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Aminos or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Green onion, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Scrape down sides as necessary Mixture will be a little chunky but can be easily smoothed with a spoon.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.
- Serve with crackers and vegetables.
Credit: dinner-mom.com
Bike to Work and Around
Singapore doesn’t exactly have the strongest bike culture and drivers here aren’t the kindest to peddlers, but the situation is slowly improving, with short cycling paths expected to be added in Taman Jurong and Yishun by the end of this year. So follow these safety guidelines, ignore the honking and angst during rush hour, and stay focused to avoid reckless drivers — who knows? You might just be beating your Mercedes-driving boss to work, and having a more toned body in no time.
Join a Running Club
If you don’t dare to brave the roads on two wheels just yet, here’s a smoother and more social way to start off your post Lunar New Year detox plan.
Joining a running club will not only help you get fit, but you’ll also get to work out with like-minded people, making it a lot easier to sweat off those extra pounds and get yourself detoxed. And what better way to start than with Gei Gei Running Club? The name itself has a playful ring to it, and sounds all the more suitable for those who haven’t worked out those calves in a long while.