Wanna slim down? Eat Kimchi the Korean way

If one of your new year’s resolution is to slim down, then I have very good news for you if you’re a lover of Korean food, in particular, Kimchi. For Kimchi, also spelled gimchi, is said to be able to help reduce fats as this dish contains a high concentration of dietary fiber, while being low in calories.

Stay slim with Kimchi fried rice for supper
Well, how do I know? I don’t because I don’t eat Kimchi at all but I picked up this tip from Jo of Lolita, who told us how she learnt of it through her girlfriend who never put on weight despite eating a frequent supper of Kimchi fried rice! Interesting isn’t it? So I was intrigued and went on to do some online research and I found various sources promoting Kimchi diet as a way to slim down!

Research shows South Koreans have relatively low prevalence of obesity
According to this paper published by the Research Institute of Food and Nutritional Sciences, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea has a relatively low prevalence of obesity compared with other Asian countries. The research suggests that the traditional Korean diet, which is a low-fat and high-vegetable diet, has played an important part in maintaining this healthy trend. And in discussing the traditional Korean diet, Kimchi was highlighted within the paper and how its ingredients such as radishes, Chinese cabbage, green onions, and garlic account for the high total vegetable intake.

Healthy diet with antimicrobial ingredients
Actually, it kind of make sense since a high cabbage intake contributes to lots of fiber plus the other ingredients of Kimchi promotes intestinal health and helps lower cholesterol. Plus, it’s not oily and it is also possible to make a Kimichi with low sodium so I guess it’s pretty healthy. I’m not into Kimchi but I do take a fair bit of Chinese cabbage and find that it always promote *ahem* flatulence. So yeah, you’ll get lots of fiber eating this one all right!

So any of you liking Kimchi or planning to eat tons of it now that you know it can help you stay slim?

Comments

  1. EcoBeauty says:

    I think I’ll pass… Hehe.
    Kimchi just tastes so… weird.

  2. Sparklewolfie says:

    I am not into kimchi either. But the safe effect can be made just by replacing some food with vegetables because of their low calories! My problem is that I eat too many carbs, so I should replace that with vegetables…

  3. Sparklewolfie says:

    I meant to say “same effect”

  4. MinzyLing says:

    I love KIMCHI !!! That’s sounds good to me. =)

  5. sesame says:

    Oh that’s great…I haven’t got done to acquiring the taste of Kimchi. Wonder if I ever will. ?

  6. sesame says:

    True true…like eating lots of cabbage and other vegetables. This is good news for those who love Korean food or like spicy stuff.

  7. sesame says:

    Haha…I prefer our local version of “ah-cha”…like the sweet vinegar taste.

  8. Audris says:

    My mum makes her own kimchi (no, she’s not Korean) ? so it tastes less fermented and quite fresh really.

  9. Raelynn says:

    i love kimchi! prefer the ones that are not fermented for too long. not much a big fan of a-cha though…

  10. N. says:

    I guess I’m going to start eating kimchi!

  11. stella says:

    i love kimchi! but i wouldn’t go out of my way to find it especially in singapore…i’ll just grab a nice tasty healthy sandwich from the shop downstairs…

  12. sesame says:

    Yeah, it’s not readily available…mostly can only find it in the Korea supermarket. But very interesting I learnt that there is a special Kimchi fridge while researching on this topic.

  13. sesame says:

    Haha…is it easily available where you are?

  14. sesame says:

    There is another preserved Chinese dish using cabbage, usually found in Chinese restaurant. Like that one too.

  15. sesame says:

    Wow, so fortunate you are! This brings back memories of my mom making ah-cha for us when we were kids. ?

  16. zzzmadison says:

    yeah! i am a kimchi lover =D

  17. mandy says:

    good kimchi is hard to find if you’re out of korea. stay away from those you get from food courts, they’re horrendous. oh but i agree about the flatulence. I once ate too much of it at one shot and felt really bloated after the meal.

  18. EcoBeauty says:

    My SO loves taking veggies… he takes probably 1/4-1/2 cup of rice but takes 1 whole plate of veggies! And not only does he keep his weight on check, he has glowing skin, too! I sometimes feel like slapping him when he blushes naturally. Hahahaha!

  19. sesame says:

    Oh that’s good…do you see the connection with weight loss? Any noticeable effects?

  20. sesame says:

    Maybe that’s why I don’t like them too much…probably got to eat it in Korea. I think I somehow skipped it the last time I visited the country.

  21. sesame says:

    Ecobeauty: Wow, does he inspire you? I find that partners do influence our eating habit. I hated vegetables like crazy in the past. Avoided anything that look green. Now, I’ve been influenced by my hubby and eat some of the leafy ones…but not so frequent.

  22. zzzmadison says:

    um… i’ve always been on the thin side, so dun really have any idea hehehe

  23. sesame says:

    Kekeke…

  24. Liesl says:

    Hehe I skipped the kimchi too many years back in Korea. But recently has acquired the liking for kimchi. Try it a few more times you might like it. I prefer the ones bought from korean supermarket. There’s an outlet selling kimchi too in Takashimaya basement but do not like that one.

  25. sesame says:

    Actually, I’m not so fond of Korean food so have very little opportunity to try it. Plus, I’m already on the skinny side and do need some weight gain instead. ?

  26. hazelnutt says:

    Ahem… I am served kimchi everyday coz of where I am working. Not my fav. dish but I will continue eating it since it is supposed to be good for general health. Gives me major kimchi-breathe though…

  27. sesame says:

    Eating every day? Haha…I guess it’s okay if you don’t mind the dish. Keeps you healthy and slim! ?

  28. Abby says:

    I like kimchi, but I feel it’s too ‘hot’ (as in Chinese saying) coz of all the spices in there n I’m scared I’d hv a huge pimple popping up the nxt day lol xD

  29. Lucy says:

    Spicy food in general is good for your metabolism since it gets rid of excess water retention since you sweat, raises metabolism, and you don’t eat as much for your next meal ?

  30. sesame says:

    Interesting…I don’t eat so much spicy food though.

  31. goodtaste says:

    I love kimchi, and kimchi fried rice is one of my favourite no-guilt foods.

    I never had the problem with gas though. I guess because I had it all my life?

    I ate a significant amount of kimchi for a month straight for some reason (probably massive cravings for fried kimchi), and during that time I lost a little bit of weight and my acne completely went away.

  32. sesame says:

    Oh it helped with your acne too? So interesting!

  33. jelly-jamboree says:

    I love kimchi! I eat it whenever I can get it!

    …but I seriously doubt that eating it is the only thing that is keeping South Koreans so skinny. I think that societal pressure is probably a bigger factor!
    My good friend says that whenever she goes back to Korea, people are always telling her she needs to lose weight (they call her Miss Piggy), and she is STICK SKINNY. I honestly don’t get it… ?

  34. sesame says:

    Perhaps…could be a combination of different factors.

  35. sarah chu says:

    kimchi is good, but it is difficult to eat that everyday!

  36. Xi Xi says:

    Kimchi is good but it needs to be eaten in moderation. Kimchi sold at supermarkets is bad because it’s got very high sodium and probably, sugar too. Freshly made kimchi has less salt though.

    Btw, I was told at a dietary workshop the other day, that too much salt and not enough fresh fruits + vegetables leads to stomach cancer.

  37. sesame says:

    Good advice to eat in moderation! It seems preserved foodstuff with salt are bad in general for our health.

  38. Eileen says:

    Does kimchi help to lose weight ? Have you tried it ?

  39. Sesame says:

    Not personally cos I’m quite thin to begin with but others who have tried.

  40. John Noonan says:

    I took up eating Kimchi to get the mind-set of Korean as I take
    a Korean Martial Art class daily. Well, the very first week I dropped
    that five pounds that had been so difficult to loose. I don’t eat it
    by it self but as a side or condiment. It makes a great Ham Sandwich
    using a olive-oil based mayo on some good high-grain bread. Yummy!
    And with Beef Ribs–don’t get me started.

  41. surille says:

    Yesterday, I bought 32 ounces of kimchi in a bucket just because it was on sale…heheh. The taste is addictive, but I’m also interested in the nutrients and healthy bacteria benefits for my skin. With all that spice, there must be a lot of vitamin C (which I rarely consume). But if you buy in the store, carefully look at the ingredient list. Many of the ones I encountered have MSG. Next time, I may try making my own so that it has less sodium. I haven’t been eating kimchi consecutively so I can’t say how it’s affecting me.

  42. Sesame says:

    Oh MSG? I guess it’s expected…unfortunately though.

  43. Annie says:

    What a great post, a pity i didn’t read this earlier! xD i’m just worried about the salt in kimchi though… otherwise, it makes a great low-fat meal

  44. Sesame says:

    I am half-hearted about kimchi…I like it but I’m not sure of the salt content either. Some reports suggest it’s okay but not others. Need to read up more to know for sure.

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