Dinuka Perera
Want to adopt a healthy lifestyle?
Meet D Perera, the man behind healthandfitness.lk - a Sri Lankan who is a fitness model, nutrition coach and fitness expert. Dinuka is an old boy of Trinity College Kandy.
He shares his secrets on staying fit and how Sri Lankans can adopt healthier lifestyles, on
www.life.lk this week!
.jpg)
Tell us a little bit about yourself, what is your background?
I was born and raised in Kandy, I studied at Trinity College Kandy until my Advanced Levels, and then moved to Colombo. During my high school years I was into sports. At the time, I was staying at my uncle’s place as my parents were in Colombo. My uncle was an old school bodybuilder of the 1960s and he had this old bench press, bar and a few old dumbbells in his unfinished upstairs space which was used as a storage area. I started playing around with these first and my uncle taught me the very basics when I was around 14 years old. Then came the high school gym around the time when I was 16 and from that point onwards till now I have been into fitness/lifting weights and it has helped me to stay fit and healthy all these years.
What is your professional background? Have you been in this line of work from early in your career?
No, before moving into Fitness and Nutrition I was working for a US bank in Japan in the technology sector and I had a career in technology for 14 years.
What caused the transition into Fitness and Nutrition?
There is this “one thing” that you are called to do, that you know how to and no other man has to teach you how to do it, you can always improve by studying further of course, though you know that you can do it inside from your core, for me it's fitness and nutrition, it's been deeply engraved in my system for a long time. When I was in the corporate world in Japan I came across a Mark Twain quote,
“Make your vocation your vacation and you will never work another day in your life”.
From that point onwards I realised that there must be a way to make a living by doing what I love to do and finally I found a way and made it work. If you search hard enough you will always find it, whatever you are looking for.
Do you think Sri Lankans are healthy?
Not very much, I think there's plenty of space for improvement. I personally think most Sri Lankans are not putting in the required effort to stay healthy or they just don't consider it an important part of their life. Your health is like a bank account, the more you put in now the more you can withdraw later in your life, but unfortunately not many Sri Lankans seem to look at it that way.
Most Sri Lankans are aware of savings and that's a very good habit when it comes to finances, but not many look at their health account the same way they look at their bank account. For many it’s too much trouble to put effort into their health account which is a very sad thing, for which they will have to pay the price later with interest.
Most Sri Lankans start to gain a lot of extra weight in their midsections and big stomachs are a very common sight here. What is your view on this?
Generally speaking if you have a big belly there is something wrong with your lifestyle, we are not meant to be like that by nature or evolution, we are designed to be fit species without such big bellies. If that is the case, then your lifestyle may not be in line with your best interest, at least health wise.
In most cases the cause for this is the type of food, the quantity and the time you are eat.
The Sri Lankan diet consists of many white carbohydrates like white rice, white bread, string hoppers, kotthu, fried rice, noodles etc, these white starches have very less nutritional value, but are quite high in calories, these calories add up over time and get converted into body fat which will be stored around your stomach area and waistline. This cycle continues and fat gets stored year after year and before you know it, there you have it! That’s why it’s common to have a big belly when people pass their mid-20’s and are getting close to their 30’s. If continued, it is just going to add up and get bigger and bigger until the point when you realise it and do something about it.
Then of course our national pastime which is “alcohol”. Anything in moderation is acceptable, but when it comes to alcohol we all that how ‘moderate’ the consumption is in our culture. Alcohol is energy/calories, and one gram of alcohol has seven calories if you must know. In most cases alcohol is consumed in very excessive amounts mostly in the evenings or nights so your body is overwhelmed with all this excess calories in the body. It is very unlikely for any Sri Lankans I know to go for jog to burn all that calories after a few drinks. Then your body gets a double punch with a heavy dinner plate full of carbohydrates, and then you get to bed. Your body is bombarded with energy/calories and the next activity you will do is sleep, unfortunately sleeping is not an activity for which you need much energy/calories either, so the only thing your body can do with this excess energy is to store it as fat in your waistline.
So If you’ve got a big belly and are wondering where it came from and your passport says you are Sri Lankan, look no further, it’s very likely from either of the above two reasons or a combination of both.
As a Fitness/Nutrition professional what are a few basic tips you can give to fellow Sri Lankans to improve their health and lifestyle?
I can talk all day about this but I will just lay down the basics which will be most helpful to our readers.
Tip #01 : Reduce the amount of refined white carbohydrates you consume every day, like white bread, white rice, pizza, pasta, noodles, fried rice, kotthu, string hoppers, pastries, cakes, short eats etc. Try to replace these with more vegetables and fruits etc.
You might not be able to cut everything off your diet right away, so just do it gradually, little by little and lose your belly fat first. Once you lose this, you can add these back to your diet with moderation if you must.
Tip #02 : Reduce the amount of fried foods you consume. There is an old saying “If you are frying then you are dying”.
Tip #03 : Reduce the amount of sugar consumption, most Sri Lankans consume quite a bit of excess sugar during the day through beverages like milk tea, soft drinks, tea from vending machines etc. These drinks are loaded with too much sugar and one drink is more than enough to blow you up with all the sugar you need for 2-3 days, but unfortunately most people at least consume a few of these per day.
Tip #04 : Reduce the amount of salt consumption; the other thing I see very excessive in Sri Lankan diet is salt. Too much salt is related to many diseases and too much salt will make you look bloated as it increases the water retention of the body. If you want to look good, salt is definitely something you need to keep your eyes on.
Tip #05 : Eat 5 small meals throughout the day instead of eating 3 large meals, this will help to get your metabolism high, which will in turn help to burn more calories throughout the day.
Tip #06 : Eat more lean proteins like chicken, fish, eggs etc. Your body burns much more calories trying to break down proteins than it burns when it breaks down carbohydrates or fats.
Tip #07 : Increase your green vegetables and salad intake as much as you can and fruit intake moderately, paying attention to fruits with high sugar content like pineapple, banana, mango etc. Fruits with high sugar content should be consumed with moderation and avoided during dinner time if possible.
Tip #08 : Another big flaw I see in the Sri Lankan diet is that for most Sri Lankans the primary meal of the day is dinner, which ideally should be other way around. Dinner should be the least important meal of the day.
After you’ve had that high carbohydrate heavy meal as the primary meal, within the next 1-2 hours most people go to bed instead of using that energy/calories in your body. Your body does not have anything to do with all that excess energy other than to store is as fat.
.jpg)
Make dinner the lightest meal for the day and avoid any refined/white carbohydrates during dinner time where possible and replace those with green vegetables/salads where possible, and try to finish your dinner at least 2 hours before you go to bed.
Tip #09 : Exercise, of course, is a given but most Sri Lankans consider exercise as something that is reserved for the privileged society only. We eat every day, we sleep every day and your body also needs some exercise every day. Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.
Tip #10 : If you need different results than what you have always got, you’ve got to make a change. You have to make a commitment to that change and be dedicated until you get the results you want.
Your current lifestyle and the food choices you made brought you here, if you need to change the way you look, first you have to change your lifestyle and your food choices. Once you get the results you want you can always have whatever you want in moderation.
You are past middle age and married with children. Was it an easy task staying in good shape consistently during all these years? What skill has helped you the most in staying on track?
Of course it’s not an easy task, I’ve had my ups and downs and everyday was and still is a challenge. It needs a lot of dedication, commitment and planning to stay in good shape consistently over the years.
The #01 skill which has helped me over the years has been being able get my priorities right, then stay focused on those priorities with a balanced mind.
Everything has a price, so is being too busy. Sri Lankans are extremely talented in being too busy, unfortunately it happens to me as well when in Sri Lanka unless I stay really focused. In Sri Lanka I hear this all the time, “I’m too busy, I don't have time to exercise. There is no time to get to a gym. I don't have time to cook, or don't have time to spend on healthy eating..”
Unfortunately there's no such thing as no time, time is there every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Time treats all of us the same way irrespective of our social status. I’ve got 24 hours per day and so does the president. It’s just a lack of priorities and spending some time on your health is just not a priority for people who say they don't have time.
There is 24 hours a day and if you sleep 6 to 8 hours, the rest is always there. Whatever the underlying reasons for you to neglect your health, eventually it will come back and bite you in the back, so stay focused and balance out everything. If you don't stay focused and balanced paying attention to all the aspects that need attention then something is going to fall apart.
Do you have any special tips suggestions for parents with children? How can they incorporate healthy living habits into their busy lifestyles?
Good question, if you're single and you are willing to exercise and stay healthy you can do that anytime you feel like it. It's not the case if you’ve got family and every situation is different. You have to find out the best solution for you with trial and error. In my case it's 5:30 AM. I wake-up before my wife and daughter and have about one hour of undisturbed time before they wake up. If I miss that time, I will try to find some time after 9.00 PM. Every household is different, so try a few things and do what's best for you and your household. However just make sure you don't miss the opportunity to make a deposit in your health account..
There is this belief in most third world countries that staying healthy is expensive, and it costs more money to have a healthy lifestyle? What are your thoughts on that?
I do agree to some extent, staying healthy and eating healthy could cause a bit of extra money depending on the situation, but it's a choice you have to make. You can spend now on staying healthy, or you can spend it later on medical fees and hospitals etc. The choice is up to you.
Have you heard the term “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance”? The price you pay by being ignorant is much more expensive than the price you pay for education. If someone says staying healthy is expensive, then try being sick or in bed rest in the latter years of your life. They will never say staying healthy is expensive again. Education is a basic human right, so is staying healthy and active no matter your social status, it should not be something limited to the privileged society. If you cannot afford a gym membership there are many alternatives that do not cost any money.
.jpg)
What are your future plans?
Right now my priority is to take my Fitness and Nutrition Consulting Company [healthandfitness.lk] to the next level and expand to other parts of the world. We want to help and educate as many people we can on Fitness and Healthy lifestyles. The power of “Healthy Living” is heavily underestimated these days and the key to that is “Fitness and Nutrition”.
In our culture and society Academic Education is very highly valued, but there is a massive lack of education in Fitness and especially the area of Nutrition. People are suffering with many diseases due to the chemicals and artificial “junk” they eat every day without even knowing, taking their lives down the drain. People are not aware of what they can achieve or how they can take their life to the next level if they were physically fit and have a healthy lifestyle. People who have achieved this already know this, but there are so many people out there who do not know how to get there.
We have developed a series of signature seminars/workshops that can help anybody understand the benefits of Fitness, Nutrition and then make a lifestyle change and take their life to the next level. There is so much misinformation out there with so many fad diets, fad weight loss programmes etc. so choosing the right path seems to be quite difficult and it's only because of lack of education on Fitness and Mostly Nutrition. Our vision is to help as much as people possible to make the correct decision. It is not rocket science, but for some reason not many people understand this fundamental concept, “Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live".
There is a lot of misinformation out there about Muscle Building, Supplements and Training Methods etc. this is an another area we are focusing on and trying to reach out to educate anybody who wants to get in real good shape. There is massive lack of education in these areas as well, we plan to bridge that gap and educate as many as we can by doing what we do best. There is no better way I can pay it forward and give back to the community.
What is your final message to the readers?
Take a few minutes to analyse what is important to you in your life and where health stands in your list. If you haven't got good health you’ve got nothing in my opinion, understand that and start doing some deposits in your health account. You cannot get really wealthy only by working at it in the latter years of your life, it’s the same with your health. If you want to reap the benefits in the latter years of your life you have to start working on it now, from today start to make small deposits in your health account every day.
Stay Well, Stay Healthy.
Dinuka can be reached via :
.jpg)
.jpg)
0 Comments
Wsantha Galahitiyawa says:
Oct 03, 2013 at 12:00 amKeep this good work going and do help Sri Lankans too .
Thanuja dodanwela says:
Oct 03, 2013 at 12:00 amThis is great...really worth.....tips....i have got....Your service really need for srilanka...!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanuja says:
Oct 03, 2013 at 12:00 amWell done dinuka....i have got good tips....we damnly need your service to srilanka
thanuja says:
Oct 03, 2013 at 12:00 amWell done!!!!!!!..we damnly need your service to srilanka!!!!!!...great health tips...that is really worth for all of us!!!!!!!!!
thanuja says:
Oct 03, 2013 at 12:00 amWell done!!!!!!!..we damnly need your service to srilanka!!!!!!...great health tips...that is really worth for all of us!!!!!!!!!
Dhanushan says:
Oct 14, 2013 at 12:00 amWell said... Really awesome tips you have gave.... Proud to say that I am also a Trinitian........
shawn desilva says:
Nov 24, 2013 at 12:00 amthis was super advise, thanks a lot dinuka , tc and god bless u for helping people all around the world !