​Did you know that the Dietary Guidelines for Malaysia recommends that the average adult eats at least three (3) servings of vegetables and at least two (2) serving of fruits in their daily diets? But in a 2018 study it was found that 80 per cent of Malaysians do not consume sufficient vegetables and fruits essential for a healthy diet!

Meanwhile the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that the average adult consume 2 ½ cups of vegetables in their daily diet. But USDA food consumption surveys found that the average American is consuming only 1 ⅖ cups of vegetables per day.

We understand that it can be difficult to hit the recommended daily amount, so here are 5 easy tips to help you increase your vegetable intake:

Tip 1: Clean and cut your veggies ahead of time
After you go shopping, aim to block out just 20-30 minutes right after. This will give you time to rinse, chop, and pre portion out your veggies for the week. Don’t forget to store them front and center of the fridge as a great way to remind you to choose those whole food options! 

Tip #2 Try roasting or air frying your veggies
You may feel you don’t like broccoli (or any veggie) after having a steamed version of it. Texture or mouth feel is so important when it comes to our experience with food! Instead try roasting your broccoli. The crunchy texture of roasted broccoli will be a dish EVERYONE can get excited about! 

Tip #3 Sneaking Vegetables into a Dish
Find creative ways to add vegetables into a dish with great flavour so it feels incorporated into what you are eating rather than needing to get through the veggies alone on the side of your plate. Check out a few of our favourite recipes to help you do this.

Tip #4 Add veggies like frozen spinach, kale or cauliflower to your smoothie.
You may be thinking - what in the world - but we swear by this tip! We LOVE it! Adding frozen riced cauliflower gives your smoothie a creamy consistency. 

Tip 5: Add veggies to your breakfast
A sure fire way to get closer to the recommended amount of vegetables is starting early with breakfast. Add your favourite veggies to those egg muffins, smoothies, omelettes, or breakfast sandwiches!

Eating vegetables is crucial for our health and wellness.

Try out these 5 easy tips and if you are looking for more guidance, support, and accountability...

If we polled our members to ask if eating healthy food was important, most of us would say ‘of course’. And if we asked whether exercise is key for health and wellness, everyone would most likely respond with a ‘yes’. So if we know that nutrition plus fitness is the magic key to a thriving, healthy life, why don't many of us dial into it? Why do we prioritize one over the other? Why do we put some of these factors on the back burner and only get serious about it when we’ve been slapped in the face by a wake-up call, such as no longer being able to wear that favorite pair of pants or a poor health screening?
 
In our experience working with hundreds of individuals at Lah and beyond, the key component is accountability. We’re all too often willing to let ourselves down again and again, but when someone else is counting on us, we show up.
 
We show up for others because we don't want to disappoint them, but yet we knowingly disappoint ourselves over and over. We justify why we can't follow through on our nutrition, why we can’t get 10,000 steps a day or make excuses for why we have to skip the gym and we follow it up with a promise to try again tomorrow—or to start fresh on Monday. Meanwhile, we’re subconsciously tabulating every time we don't succeed as another failure, and over time, we begin to see ourselves as incapable.
 
Relying on others to hold us accountable works for the short term. When we’re getting started in any new habit, we need that assistance and support. At Lah, we have a framework of accountability to help those wanting to get started. We send reminders, we check in, we acknowledge you every time you walk through the door, we high-five, we follow up and we celebrate with you each time you reach a milestone.
 
Our #famiLAH also helps in this accountability effort. That friend who is normally in class with you notices when you haven't been there and sends you a friendly text asking how you’re doing. Or someone notices that huge PR posted in SugarWOD and gives you a fistbump and a GIF for it. We’re all in this together. We want each other to succeed.
 
Now here’s where the truth hurts: No matter how you get started with being accountable, it ultimately comes down to you. It’s up to you to consciously choose every day to keep taking steps toward your goals. We will always cheer you on and help you, but if you haven’t bought into the process, it won't stick in the long term. You need to want it. You need to be dialed in. 
 
So how do we stop letting ourselves down and instead create a path to reach our goals?
 
Here are 10 tips for holding yourself accountable to your goals:
 
1. Engage with the #famiLAH. We want to help you! If you don't engage, you are missing out on a big piece of the magic. Who wouldn't want a group of like-minded people cheering you on every step of the way?
 
2. Set reminders. Schedule your classes like appointments that you can't miss. Put a reminder on your phone to get up and walk every hour to ensure you’re getting movement throughout the day. Set an alarm for when you need to start prepping dinner so that you don't look at the clock, realize you have no time and do Grabfood instead. 

3. Tell a coach or class friend when you’re planning to come to class. By putting your intentions into the universe, you have created an expectation that you will want to follow through on.
 
4. Print off a calendar, hang it in a visible spot and cross off the days you hit the gym or stayed on point with your nutrition so that you can literally see all the marks of your success. It’s satisfying to see your efforts adding up and will reinforce your habits!
 
5. Share on social media. There’s something to be said for putting it all out there! Even if no one on social media follows up with you on your progress, making it public will make you more likely to keep to your goals and your word.
 
6. Take progress pics. These are powerful, far more than you would imagine. We get used to how we currently look because change is subtle and seems slow. You see yourself naked every day. You may not notice the change, but by looking back and comparing to where you are now, you can literally see the progress you’ve made.
 
7. Set quarterly goal-setting meetings with a coach. If you are a member at Lah, we want to schedule these meetings FOR FREE with you every quarter, so reach out to get yours on the calendar! If you aren't a current member, find a friend who needs accountability, and set some dates to review your progress and set goals for the future.
 
8. Constantly remind yourself of your "why". A goal is great, but if we don't know why we want to reach it, it doesn't mean much. Ask yourself why you want to focus on these goals you set for yourself. How will it impact your life? How will it make you feel? Once you have a solid "why," remind yourself of it daily so that you internalize it and keep it close to your heart.
 
9. Don't make it all or nothing. Instead focus on that 1% better every day. We are on a journey, not a quick trip to the mall. There will be ups and downs. There will be plateaus. There will be stress, hurtles and self-doubt. Don't let those things mess with you. Acknowledge them and move on.
 
10. Reward yourself for reaching micro-goals. We all like to win, let's’ be honest. Set micro-goals along the path to your BIG goals and reward yourself for hitting those milestones along the way. An example is if someone wants to lose 20kg, they can give themselves a little gift for every 5 kilo’s lost. These rewards don't have to cost anything, either—get creative with things you enjoy and treat yourself!
 
There are many other ways to keep yourself accountable, so find what works for you. Something that worked once might not work forever—switch things up often to stay excited and motivated about your success.
 
If you need help getting started on your health and wellness path, feel free to reach out! We would love to set up a Strategy Session (or a  No-Sweat Intro for new members) with you where we talk about your current lifestyle and your goals, and help you make a plan of action.

Did you know that chronic disease often begins in the gut due to poor nutrition? Therefore, it is incredibly important to encourage a healthy lifestyle for our kids from a young age! Here’s how you can help:
​
Be the example!
If you are telling your kids they can’t have juice or soda, don’t drink it yourself! Your kids look up to you so lead by example and follow a healthy lifestyle.

It’s never too early or late to start.
Start your kids off from a very young age eating fruits and vegetables. Use things like hummus dips or toothpicks to make vegetables more fun and interesting. If they didn’t like something the first time then you can reintroduce it at a later date, prepared a different way.
 
Do you have a picky eater at home?
If mealtimes are a struggle, try these 4 tips to help your child develop better eating habits.

1. Make it a family affair by planning family mealtime. Eat meals at the table as a family. Do not offer food while your child is playing, watching television, or walking around.

2. Try different preparation methods -- roasting, air frying or using different seasonings.

3. Try new foods when they are most hungry at the beginning of the meal. Continue offering new foods even if your child has said no to them before. It can take as many as 10 times for a child to try a food and like it. Don’t give up!

4. Be a role model. Your child will eat better and be more willing to try new foods if she sees others at the table eating the same foods. Family members, including older brothers and sisters, are important role models for healthy eating. How can you preach eating whole foods when one kid or parent is eating sugary cereals and doughnuts? Doing a pantry clean out is tough, but sometimes necessary to get all the unhealthy processed food is out of the house. 

You can use these tips for a child of any age. It’s never too late to start having a healthier and more enjoyable mealtime.