For Katrina Palana-Soledad, living well has been a journey — one 12 years in the making.
“Growing up in the Philippines, there’s no such thing as dieting,” she shared.
When she came to the United States, that’s when she began to explore ways to change up her routine by eating more balanced meals and making exercise a daily habit.
In 2011, she launched her website, Fit Chef for Life, and released an eCookbook under the same name. On both, she shares how her food choices have helped her reach her fitness goals and maintain her current lifestyle.
“This lifestyle is basically: when you reach your goal, it’s not over. When I started the website, I wanted to look good and feel good. But after, I just worked on myself and thinking on a long-term basis because I want to be fit for life — not just with the way I look, but with my health and overall wellness. I want to age gracefully — not live forever but to make sure I don’t have diseases,” she said.
Now, she’s a certified fitness nutrition coach, bodybuilder, triathlete and advocate for health, wellness & body positivity. She also has plans to release a cookbook next year tailored for a Filipino audience.
“To me, wellness doesn’t just mean being physically fit. It has to be something that is physical and spiritual — mind, body and spirit. You cannot excel just in one.”
She shared with the Asian Journal some of her tips:
Small changes
Implementing small changes like talking a daily walk or swapping soda with water will go a long way, said Palana-Soledad. When taking on a new workout schedule or trying to eat healthier by eliminating refined carbs or sugar, it’s important not too shock the body too quickly or else it will seem too difficult to keep up with this new routine. She added that a simple swap for Filipinos especially would be to opt for brown rice instead of white.
“Little changes have added up and slowly, but surely, became my lifestyle. It took a while because from eating whatever you want to suddenly changing it step-by-step…is the way to go. When people usually try to be healthy it’s abrupt, so they give up easily because their bodies get shocked and their routines are messed up,” she said.
Set goals
Whether it’s to build muscle or run a 5K, Trina says it’s important to set your intentions and goals. “I try everything in a matter of six months to a year and I try to figure out if that works with my lifestyle and how my body responds to it. I tweak it according to my needs.”
Stay hydrated
Though there are different opinions on what one’s daily water intake should be, the common notion is at least eight 8-ounce glasses a day. It’s important to drink water throughout the day to avoid getting dehydrated. One indicator is the color of your urine — the more yellow it is, it’s a tell-tale sign that you should be drinking more water. For those who think water is too boring, Palana-Soledad recommends adding lemon, mint or berries.
Keep moving
Even if you don’t want to join a gym or think you don’t have time to do a workout, Palana-Soledad says to start by walking during breaks or after work. If you want to kick it up a notch, she recommends using free resources like workout tutorials on YouTube.
Recipes :
