Thai eating habits for weight loss

There are many good things about travelling alone; one of which is complete anonymity. I get to ride a moped covered in Snoopy cartoons and there is nobody to laugh. The downside is solitary eating in  this country usually goes very much noticed because it is not the norm. This was further brought to my attention when I inhaled a chilli seed in a busy restaurant (obviously by accident, I'm not that experimental)! Trying to remain cool, calm and collected whilst trying to pretend to read a book was like trying to run a 2hr marathon in a pair of high heels and unfortunately the little dignity I thought I had retained, has most definitely gone now.

Solitude and Observation

But...on the positive of being alone is the opportunity to really absorb one's surroundings! One of things I love to do is observe; people, things, animals....in fact anything and everything. Its fascinating, I could do it for hours and it's also something best done alone. It doesn't however take complete introversion to realise that Thai eating habits are not the same as British ones but there are some interesting things about the way they approach eating that I really like. There are many intricacies about Thai diet and culture which could make up a book, but the few things I noticed which may have use for weight management were:

1. Sharing food and portion size

Now this may lead to some serious "fisticuffs" at a typical British dinner setting, from those that would rather take ownership of their dinner plate but I absolutely love this about the culture. Often, multiple dishes will be ordered and people can pick and choose a little of several different dishes. Of what I have seen, it is customary to only take a few spoonfuls at a time and always finishing what you have before helping yourself to more. Portion control is therefore taught from a young age and it is also a really good way of introducing food variety.

2. Breakfast is a proper meal

Thai breakfast is generally a normal meal; this could be rice with meat or omelette but it is not sugary cereal or pastry and it seems to always be eaten. I don't think people here skip meals!

3. Inclusion of a lot of green branch like things

Most meals are served with an accompaniment of what really looks like foliage but these "salad" like leaves/branches/twigs are really good. After a very quick Pubmed search, the antioxidant properties of Basil, just for starters is well documented. It is rich in phenols, flavenoids and tannins as well as volatile oils, which contribute anti-proliferative (implications for cancer prevention), anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. When it comes to the pharmacology of herbs and spices I'm at a loss it's so complex but I would say inclusion is an extremely important and health giving component of the human diet, not to mention the numerous types of polysaccharides and prebiotics they provide - good for gut health. The Thai's seem to understand this, as mealtime includes a huge variety of these herbs, some of which are so bitter it's like drinking a vat of denatonium (used in toxic substances to prevent accidental ingestion!).

sweet basil

Left to right: cucumber, a type of morning glory and green beans

What's not on the menu.....

4. Lack of alcohol 

Thai people do drink, but it is certainly not the same binge drinking culture as the UK. I have seen a few episodic moments involving Sangsom (the local beer) and Thai women may enjoy a local beer. On asking a few locals here, their subjective statistic seems to deviate around 60% as the proportion of Thai's that do drink alcohol. I have no idea what their definition of drinking is and of course I can't verify it. It will differ according to demographic and location but you do get a sense it isn't top priority - food is though! Having said this...when I walked into a hair salon, the first thing I got offered was a brandy on a Monday afternoon in the heat of the day; but I think it must have been more that I looked like I needed it because everyone else was drinking water!

5. Lack of consumption of artificial sweeteners and protein shakes

In the UK and generally western cultures, artificial sweeteners are found everywhere; in sports nutrition drinks, protein shakes, diet sodas, chewing gum, no-sugar beverages and that's just the start. Thai people love sweet things and they love sugar; so no surprise that artificial sweeteners haven't really taken off here - the local red bull is literally like cough syrup it is so full of sugar and I have yet to find a local sugar free version; it would probably be banned! They do drink soda's and sweetened beverages, but again not the diet variety. Protein shakes for reasons of expense are not consumed by Thai's where I am, but even within middle class Thai culture I don't know whether that is something that will catch on.

What's interesting is for the last 4 weeks, I haven't been drinking protein shakes in any form. I have experimented with every type of protein under the sun including pea and beef protein; the former is just plain wrong and the latter is like drinking liquid socks - HORRID! I'm opting for lean meat and fish to top up my daily protein intake and I have to say the lack of these and/or artificial sweeteners has really improved the appearance of my belly. I had this very stubborn distended part to my lower abdomen which has completely gone now. Cause and effect I couldn't say but I am very happy to leave the protein in the cupboard for now. Again this is one to experiment with because everybody is different but the marketing push for these products is huge - so it's no surprise they form the staple for  most gym goers at any level of fitness. They can work well, depending on the goal but at the same time they don't need to be a necessity. There are other ways nutritionally to get enough protein to match training needs.

So there we have it..the most basic of weight loss, thai style - and essentially it always seems to come down to the same thing! Eat natural, unadulterated food with an abundance of green leafy vegetables and control portion size...