The B Word.

The B Word.

A word we sometimes experience from time to time. A word many have heard of but might not know about. Today, I'm here to talk about binging.

Being a foodie (As I've said many times), I love food. My vices especially include chocolate. Ask any of my friends and they'd tell you I'm one of the biggest chocolate lovers around. When I was younger, I used to gobble down about 4-5 pieces of Fred chocolate bars and then proceed with a box of chocolate pokey sticks and then more chocolate. It's such a wonder why I haven't landed up a role in Hansel and Gretel.

What is Binge Eating?

People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Unlike bulimia or anorexia, binge eaters do not throw up their food, exercise a lot, or eat only small amounts of only certain foods. Because of this, binge eaters are often overweight or obese.

People with binge eating disorder also may:

• Eat more quickly than usual during binge episodes
• Eat until they are uncomfortably full
• Eat when they are not hungry
• Eat alone because of embarrassment
• Feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating

Some of us seek comfort in food when we're upset, angered or emotionally unstable. Some don't. I don't usually seek comfort in foods unless I'm happy, which is the reverse. The happier I am, the more I eat.

But here's a little note for you:

Spot the difference?

I'm here today to tell all of you that food does not have to serve as a source of comfort. There are so many other ways of relieving stress like going out for a run, or catching up with friends. Hey, there's even Tumblr to cheer you up when you're on the verge of explosion! 

Everyone has a Choice. More often than not we over-indulge because we always tell ourselves "I'll work out afterwards so it's no worries" or "I'll eat lesser tomorrow to make up for today" But how much truth is actually in there?

Why do we Binge Eat?

From past experiences, I realize I only binge eat when I either:

1. Haven't eaten properly the whole day

or

2. Force myself not to think about food cravings like chocolate, fried food, etc

I'd over-indulge in foods, even when I was full simply because I was greedy. It was as if I was about to die the day after and had to eat all the food I wanted to satisfy my unsatisfiable stomach.

Help! How do I stop Binge Eating?

Simple. I've come to the conclusion that no foods should be prohibited. I believe we're all allowed to eat anything we want, but in moderation. 

If you keep eating yogurt every single day, chances are by the end of the week you'd end up with cravings like waffles, pancakes or cereal. Likewise with chocolate. If we keep indulging in fatty foods like fried food, pastries and breads daily, chances are one day you'd step on the weighing scale only to realize you've put on 3-4kg.

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I hope this article has given you a clearer insight on what binge eating is, what causes it and how to stop binge eating. Don't forget that not eating doesn't help. It simply slows your metabolic rate down and when you start eating normally again, you'd gain double the amount back!

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

My love-hate relationship with food.

Got you drooling?

The sad fact lies in this: I love food, but my waistline thinks I eat a little too much from time to time.

Recently I've been on a  food-spree. And by recently I mean the past 2/3 months indulging in some of Singapore's best and worst foods (Ranging from good old hawker centre foods to posh restaurants) I've been searching for places to eat, and being very particular about the foods I consume, I decided to visit places worth my time like Royal China, Riders Cafe amongst many others.

Always.

But it's come to the point where I've realized I've gain quite a significant amount of weight it's a tad bit depressing. Don't get me wrong, I exercise frequently. Three to five times a week to be precise, to keep up with the amount of food I've been consuming. But one day I came across this:

I'm not blessed with an extremely high metabolic rate, neither have I been cursed with a metabolic rate that refuses to co-operate with me. Rather I've been fortunate enough to have a metabolic rate that allows me to eat a decent amount of food without gaining much.

So I've decided I should start eating healthily like I did a few months ago. However, I do believe in moderation. There're no "wrong" foods one should not eat. Rather, it's all about moderating your intake and knowing that one cube of chocolate is enough and that chugging down almost half a pack of oreos won't make you feel any better than you are now.

I'll definitely still blog about foods, no doubt about that. I love food too much to give it up. But from now on, I'll just live life a little healthier than before.

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

How good are we, really?

Saturday: I started off today with a long run, followed by grocery shopping then preparing brunch. Bathed, spring-cleaned my room for a bit then proceeded to lie in bed watching Friends w Benefits and finding out thereafter that the butt-naked Mila Kunis scene was actually a 'butt double'...... And then spamming tons of tissue tearing every 5 minutes and getting up to do more housework. Snacking on a kiwi then an apple and reading up on the news. 

So whilst browsing through Facebook I came across a video with a very simple title: Humanity. As the video unveiled itself in Taiwan, it showed a mother and a child getting off their motorcycle at a traffic light and helping an old lady cross the road as cars and motorcycles horned in irritation once the lights turned green. The whole video spanned 2.30 minutes and you can watch it here.

2 minutes and 30 seconds of my life thinking if I've ever done anything to deserve a ticket to the pearly white gates where St Peter stands.

It was a simple act, one done with courage and with nothing expected in return. It made me wonder how much of a person I've been all my life. Have I given back to the world? Have I done anything worth admiration and respect? 

Thboy and I were in one of the night markets in Taiwan last week shopping when, among a sea of people, Thboy spotted a man. An old man, dressed in a simple tee and shorts, rummaging through a garbage bin looking for something. Something.

I didn't realize him till Thboy told me once we walked away. I stopped to look from across a line of food carts, watching him rummage through the bin only to pick up about half a cup of bubble tea, poking the straw through the plastic film on top again and drinking what was left. I was only left with 100TWD that night, but I decided to take it out and walked against the current toward the man. 

Thboy: "Where're you going?"

Me: "I want to give him some cash."

Thboy: "But how if his intentions aren't good?"

So we spent about a minute observing him from behind a cart, watching as he dug through the trash can looking for more drinks.

But at the end of it all, we walked away. Putting the money back in my wallet, I asked Thboy why he was so skeptical and his reason was simple and rational.

Thboy: "Because we're in a foreign country. And as much as I'd love to help him we don't know what kind of person he is. We don't know if what he's looking for it what we think he needs. But I can't help seeing him like this. I know I'm skeptical but I feel bad."

He made sense. A lot of sense. I processed my thoughts and told him this.

"Think of it as how I would. He looks the least bit sickly. In fact he looks pretty well fed. He's not bloated that's for sure and all he's looking for are drinks. He looks a little mental, too. So maybe he's not what we thought he was. Okay?"

Maybe this is why I've all my life, been second guessing myself. The over-thinking of a situation which results in me wondering if, out of 20 years, I've done anything to show I'm a person of compassion and dignity.

I've bought tissue paper from the aunty walking around the hawker centers, only to find out some ask for exorbitant prices like $10 for 3 packets of tissue. I've helped people who've dropped their things, only for them to grab them like I was going to steal them instead. I've seen people

What's left of this world? Can we still have faith in humanity? Or have we been fooled one too many times to see the good in people?

I'm back. Or am I?

After going MIA for about 2 weeks, I've decided to write a post again since work hasn't been the most exciting thing today and I'm about to snooze off if I don't do something.

Being an avid fan of food (especially sweet treats), I found myself browsing through a series of food blogs and dessert recipes for keepsake. 

So what makes a food blog appealing? Having always been a person who heavily relies on her sense of sight, the rule of thumb in every food blog should be this.

1. Have visually appealing pictures of your food

Sure, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. But I'm certain that unless you don't want readers not patronizing the restaurant/cafe you went to (Either because the food's too darn good or bad), you would want your pictures to turn out good. Even if you don't like your vegetables and you hate the taste of tomato and cucumber in your burgers, just bear with it for a second or two to snap that one perfect shot. 

 Plus point? Shows you how well your photography skills are.

2. Words, fonts and colours do make a difference

With the invention of apps like Instagram, Snapseed and Phonto, you can easily transform your pictures from zero to hero. Even people with nada experience in photography can get this right, surely. Apps like Instagram have pre-sets for you to meddle around with. Phonto allows you to add text (and they provide awesome and unique fonts) to any picture you want. Btw, have I mentioned all these photos are from my iPhone? The beauty of technology.

3. Never. NEVER, take pictures with your in-built flash

I was at Bedok 85 one night and being a IG addict, just had to snap a photo of the BCM boyfriend and I ordered. From past experiences, I gathered that flash photography would almost never turn out good. But being the insistent person I was, took a photo. In the midst of the darkness a bright flash went off, the next table filled with guys stared at me and I told myself "It'll be worth it. It'll be worth it." And look what happened.

The second one was at Balzac, the french restaurant located at Hotel Renaissance. The food was spectacular, and so was the ambience. Filled with french and the more sophisticated, the restaurant was romantically candle-lit. And once my flash went off. Well.... The rest was historyy.

To put it simply, sometimes it's best not to take a photo if it's going to turn out bad. Sure, the presets in instagram and all the other apps I used helped make it look better. But I sure as hell am never going to resort to taking photos with a built-in flash.

Last but not least,

4. Use adjectives to bring your food to life

I love to read. Fictional, non-fictional, autobiographies. You name it I'd probably read it. (I mean if I managed to complete the entire first book of the fifty shades trilogy I can read just about anything now. Kidding!)

But when typing out a post for a food blog, try your best to use adjectives, verbs and a more detailed description of what you're blogging about. Would you rather read a long and boring post or a short but well put together one?