Thursday, December 31, 2009
13 Keys To A Healthy Diet
Developing healthy eating habits isn't as confusing or as restrictive as many people imagine. The first principle of a healthy diet is simply to eat a wide variety of foods. This is important because different foods make different nutritional contributions.
Secondly, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol—should make up the bulk of the calories you consume. The rest should come from low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry, and fish.
You should also try to maintain a balance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body can utilize. Otherwise, you will gain weight. The more active you are, therefore, the more you can eat and still maintain this balance.
Following these three basic steps doesn't mean that you have to give up your favorite foods. As long as your overall diet is balanced and rich in nutrients and fiber, there is nothing wrong with an occasional cheeseburger. Just be sure to limit how frequently you eat such foods, and try to eat small portions of them.
You can also view healthy eating as an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat. A healthy diet doesn't have to mean eating foods that are bland or unappealing.
The following basic guidelines are what you need to know to construct a healthy diet.
1 Eat plenty of high-fiber foods—that is, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These are the "good" carbohydrates—nutritious, filling, and relatively low in calories. They should supply the 20 to 30 grams of dietary fiber you need each day, which slows the absorption of carbohydrates, so there’s less effect on insulin and blood sugar, and provides other health benefits as well. Such foods also provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals essential to good health).
2 Make sure to include green, orange, and yellow fruits and vegetables—such as broccoli, carrots, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The antioxidants and other nutrients in these foods may help protect against developing certain types of cancer and other diseases. Eat five or more servings a day.
3 Limit your intake of sugary foods, refined-grain products such as white bread, and salty snack foods. Sugar, our No.1 additive, is added to a vast array of foods. Just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can add up to 16 pounds over the course of a year. Many sugary foods are also high in fat, so they’re calorie-dense.
4 Cut down on animal fat. It’s rich in saturated fat, which boosts blood cholesterol levels and has other adverse health effects. Choose lean meats, skinless poultry, and nonfat or low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
5 Cut way down on trans fats, supplied by hydrogenated vegetable oils used in most processed foods in the supermarket and in many fast foods.
6 Eat more fish and nuts, which contain healthy unsaturated fats. Substitute olive or canola oil for butter or stick margarine.
7 Keep portions moderate, especially of high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.
8 Keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams per day. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meats, poultry, dairy products, and egg yolks.
9 Eat a variety of foods. Don't try to fill your nutrient requirements by eating the same foods day in, day out. It is possible that not every essential nutrient has been identified, and so eating a wide assortment of foods helps to ensure that you will get all the necessary nutrients. In addition, this will limit your exposure to any pesticides or toxic substances that may be present in one particular food.
10 Maintain an adequate calcium intake. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth. Get your calcium from low-fat sources, such as skim milk and low-fat yogurt. If you can't get the optimal amount from foods, take supplements.
11 Try to get your vitamins and minerals from foods, not from supplements. Supplements cannot substitute for a healthy diet, which supplies nutrients and other compounds besides vitamins and minerals. Foods also provide the "synergy" that many nutrients require to be efficiently used in the body.
12 Maintain a desirable weight. Balance energy (calorie) intake with energy output. Exercise and other physical activity are essential.
13 If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. That is one drink a day for women, two a day for men. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits. Excess alcohol consumption leads to a variety of health problems. And alcoholic beverages can add many calories to your diet without supplying nutrients.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
WHAT IS HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT
One of the easiest ways to check if you’re in a healthy weight is by measuring your Body Mass Index (BMI), which calculates the range of healthy weights for different heights and is a useful guide for most adults. Follow the simple procedures below:
1. Convert your weight into kilograms (kg) and your height into metres (m).
2. Divide your weight by your height squared. This figure is your BMI.
You might have read from some other guidelines that recommend a different cut-off for overweight and obesity. Indeed, the WCRF guide has indicated that healthy BMI for men and women in Asia is between 18.5-22.9. Hence in the public health goal above, BMI was targeted at between 21 and 23.
Malaysian dietary guidelines continue to use BMI of between 18.5 to 24.9 as the desirable weight range. This is also the World Health Organisation recommended range. It is not necessary to be overly hung up on cut-offs. What is important is to bear in mind the recommendation of WCRF to be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.
For cancer prevention, it is important to remember that we should aim for the lower end of this range.
We have noted earlier that where the extra weight is laid down is important. We know that having excess fat around the waist is especially harmful. It is therefore useful to measure waist circumference as an approximate indicator of abdominal fat mass. It is a convenient and simple measurement that can be done using a tape measure.
As a guide, a healthy waist measurement is less than 80 cm (32 inches) for women and less than 90 cm (35 inches) for men. Remember that the measurement should be taken after breathing out!
Tips for maintaining healthy body weight
In most cases, overweight or obesity results from excessive intake of calories and lack of physical activity. You can lose weight by increasing your activity and reducing your food intake. In general, aim to lose no more than 0.5 to 1 kg per week.
The WCRF recommendations have provided several useful tips for maintaining ideal body weight. The Malaysian dietary guidelines have also provided several similar tips. I do believe these are doable things; we just have to tune our mind towards believing in them and actually doing them.
A) Lead a more active life; sneak in some exercises in your daily routine.
B) At work, do desk exercises or walk to your colleague’s work station instead of talking on the phone.
C) Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
D) Walk instead of driving for short distances.
E) If you drive, park further away from your destination and walk.
F) Wash your car yourself, clean your house briskly, do gardening/farming or mow your lawn.
G) Exercise at least three times per week for 20-30 minutes each time.
H) Go jogging, swimming, cycling or do brisk walking.
I) Take up recreational sports.
J) Play golf (minus the buggy).
K) Eat less high-fat, high-calorie foods and snacks.
L) Avoid overeating, nibbling and eating at irregular times.
M) Keep an eye on portion sizes as controlling the amount you eat is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight.
N) Avoid weight-loss diets that severely restrict calories and other nutrients.
O) Trying to lose weight with self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives or diuretics can be dangerous.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
Recognising the high rate of overweight and obesity in this country, firm public health actions should be continued to arrest this increase. I refer again to the strategies and activities outlined in the National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) of Malaysia. It is the responsibility of all to take firm action, today.
Obesity is a chronic disease that creeps slowly into individuals, into the community. You should be aware that overweight and obesity increases your risk to coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure.
It also aggravates arthritis and breathing problems. It is probably less well known that overweight and obesity also causes certain cancers.
Now, the evidence is clear. Now you know that overweight and obesity can also increase risk to certain cancers. There is no doubt that maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer.
It is time that every Malaysian should know his body weight. He should monitor this weight regularly and take steps to maintain it within the desirable range. This should be done while he is still young. What is required is determination and discipline.
The full WCRF report can be obtained from the World Cancer Research Fund International website: www.dietandcancerreport.org/. The Malaysian dietary guidelines on maintaining healthy body weight is available from the Nutrition Society of Malaysia website: www.nutriweb.org.my.
One of the easiest ways to check if you’re in a healthy weight is by measuring your Body Mass Index (BMI), which calculates the range of healthy weights for different heights and is a useful guide for most adults. Follow the simple procedures below:
1. Convert your weight into kilograms (kg) and your height into metres (m).
2. Divide your weight by your height squared. This figure is your BMI.
You might have read from some other guidelines that recommend a different cut-off for overweight and obesity. Indeed, the WCRF guide has indicated that healthy BMI for men and women in Asia is between 18.5-22.9. Hence in the public health goal above, BMI was targeted at between 21 and 23.
Malaysian dietary guidelines continue to use BMI of between 18.5 to 24.9 as the desirable weight range. This is also the World Health Organisation recommended range. It is not necessary to be overly hung up on cut-offs. What is important is to bear in mind the recommendation of WCRF to be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.
For cancer prevention, it is important to remember that we should aim for the lower end of this range.
We have noted earlier that where the extra weight is laid down is important. We know that having excess fat around the waist is especially harmful. It is therefore useful to measure waist circumference as an approximate indicator of abdominal fat mass. It is a convenient and simple measurement that can be done using a tape measure.
As a guide, a healthy waist measurement is less than 80 cm (32 inches) for women and less than 90 cm (35 inches) for men. Remember that the measurement should be taken after breathing out!
Tips for maintaining healthy body weight
In most cases, overweight or obesity results from excessive intake of calories and lack of physical activity. You can lose weight by increasing your activity and reducing your food intake. In general, aim to lose no more than 0.5 to 1 kg per week.
The WCRF recommendations have provided several useful tips for maintaining ideal body weight. The Malaysian dietary guidelines have also provided several similar tips. I do believe these are doable things; we just have to tune our mind towards believing in them and actually doing them.
A) Lead a more active life; sneak in some exercises in your daily routine.
B) At work, do desk exercises or walk to your colleague’s work station instead of talking on the phone.
C) Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
D) Walk instead of driving for short distances.
E) If you drive, park further away from your destination and walk.
F) Wash your car yourself, clean your house briskly, do gardening/farming or mow your lawn.
G) Exercise at least three times per week for 20-30 minutes each time.
H) Go jogging, swimming, cycling or do brisk walking.
I) Take up recreational sports.
J) Play golf (minus the buggy).
K) Eat less high-fat, high-calorie foods and snacks.
L) Avoid overeating, nibbling and eating at irregular times.
M) Keep an eye on portion sizes as controlling the amount you eat is one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight.
N) Avoid weight-loss diets that severely restrict calories and other nutrients.
O) Trying to lose weight with self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives or diuretics can be dangerous.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
Recognising the high rate of overweight and obesity in this country, firm public health actions should be continued to arrest this increase. I refer again to the strategies and activities outlined in the National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN) of Malaysia. It is the responsibility of all to take firm action, today.
Obesity is a chronic disease that creeps slowly into individuals, into the community. You should be aware that overweight and obesity increases your risk to coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure.
It also aggravates arthritis and breathing problems. It is probably less well known that overweight and obesity also causes certain cancers.
Now, the evidence is clear. Now you know that overweight and obesity can also increase risk to certain cancers. There is no doubt that maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of cancer.
It is time that every Malaysian should know his body weight. He should monitor this weight regularly and take steps to maintain it within the desirable range. This should be done while he is still young. What is required is determination and discipline.
The full WCRF report can be obtained from the World Cancer Research Fund International website: www.dietandcancerreport.org/. The Malaysian dietary guidelines on maintaining healthy body weight is available from the Nutrition Society of Malaysia website: www.nutriweb.org.my.
YOU CAN REDUCE YOUR RISK OF CANCER BY MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT
As a result of years of research into the topic, there is now general consensus among scientists, health professionals, and policy-makers that there is a close association between food, nutrition, physical activity, body composition, and the risk of cancer. It is now clear that cancer is, in large part, a preventable disease.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) expert report on: Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer, released in November 2007, presents the evidence for this link and provides detailed recommendations for the prevention of cancers.
The maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.
In the NutriScene write up of September 14, I had summarised all the eight general recommendations and two special recommendations of the WCRF report.
In this instalment, I will look at the first recommendation: be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight. The report discusses the evidence of being overweight or obese and increased risk to some cancers. Various specific recommendations were made in relation to reducing body fatness.
The report highlights that maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.
The evidence
You are aware that cancers can be caused by various toxic chemicals in foods and drinks. You have heard that consuming too much of certain foods increases the risk to certain cancers. It is less well known that overweight and obesity can increase the risk to cancers.
The evidence linking overweight, obesity and cancer is now even stronger than it was in the mid-1990s. There is now convincing evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of the following cancers: colorectal (bowel), oesophagus, pancreas, kidney, endometrium (womb) and breast (in postmenopausal women). Being overweight or obese probably also increases the risk of gallbladder cancer. There is limited evidence suggesting that greater body fatness is a cause of liver cancer.
It is not just the increase in body weight that increases risk to cancers. We also know that where we store extra weight affects cancer risk. Scientists have discovered that carrying excess fat around our waists can be particularly harmful. This is strongly linked to colorectal (bowel) cancer and probably to cancers of the pancreas and endometrium (womb), as well as breast cancer (in postmenopausal women).
There could be several reasons for this link between overweight, obesity and cancer. One example is the relationship between excess fat and the hormonal balance in the body. Research has shown that fat cells release hormones such as oestrogen, which increases the risk of cancers such as breast cancer.
While the exact mechanism for this cause of cancers is unclear, it is however certain that taking steps to avoid becoming overweight or obese is one of the most important things we can do to reduce our cancer risk.
WCRF recommendations
The recommendation of WCRF is therefore to be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.
The public health goals, which are for populations and are therefore principally for health professionals, are:
a)Median adult body mass index (BMI) to be between 21 and 23, depending on the normal range for different populations.
b)The proportion of the population that is overweight or obese to be no more than the current level, or preferably lower, in 10 years.
The personal recommendations, for people as communities, families, and individuals are:
a)Ensure that body weight through childhood and adolescent growth projects towards the lower end of the normal BMI range at age 21.
b)Maintain body weight within the normal range from age 21.
c)Avoid weight gain and increases in waist circumference throughout adulthood.
As a result of years of research into the topic, there is now general consensus among scientists, health professionals, and policy-makers that there is a close association between food, nutrition, physical activity, body composition, and the risk of cancer. It is now clear that cancer is, in large part, a preventable disease.
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) expert report on: Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer, released in November 2007, presents the evidence for this link and provides detailed recommendations for the prevention of cancers.
The maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.
In the NutriScene write up of September 14, I had summarised all the eight general recommendations and two special recommendations of the WCRF report.
In this instalment, I will look at the first recommendation: be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight. The report discusses the evidence of being overweight or obese and increased risk to some cancers. Various specific recommendations were made in relation to reducing body fatness.
The report highlights that maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life is one of the most important ways to protect against cancer.
The evidence
You are aware that cancers can be caused by various toxic chemicals in foods and drinks. You have heard that consuming too much of certain foods increases the risk to certain cancers. It is less well known that overweight and obesity can increase the risk to cancers.
The evidence linking overweight, obesity and cancer is now even stronger than it was in the mid-1990s. There is now convincing evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of the following cancers: colorectal (bowel), oesophagus, pancreas, kidney, endometrium (womb) and breast (in postmenopausal women). Being overweight or obese probably also increases the risk of gallbladder cancer. There is limited evidence suggesting that greater body fatness is a cause of liver cancer.
It is not just the increase in body weight that increases risk to cancers. We also know that where we store extra weight affects cancer risk. Scientists have discovered that carrying excess fat around our waists can be particularly harmful. This is strongly linked to colorectal (bowel) cancer and probably to cancers of the pancreas and endometrium (womb), as well as breast cancer (in postmenopausal women).
There could be several reasons for this link between overweight, obesity and cancer. One example is the relationship between excess fat and the hormonal balance in the body. Research has shown that fat cells release hormones such as oestrogen, which increases the risk of cancers such as breast cancer.
While the exact mechanism for this cause of cancers is unclear, it is however certain that taking steps to avoid becoming overweight or obese is one of the most important things we can do to reduce our cancer risk.
WCRF recommendations
The recommendation of WCRF is therefore to be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.
The public health goals, which are for populations and are therefore principally for health professionals, are:
a)Median adult body mass index (BMI) to be between 21 and 23, depending on the normal range for different populations.
b)The proportion of the population that is overweight or obese to be no more than the current level, or preferably lower, in 10 years.
The personal recommendations, for people as communities, families, and individuals are:
a)Ensure that body weight through childhood and adolescent growth projects towards the lower end of the normal BMI range at age 21.
b)Maintain body weight within the normal range from age 21.
c)Avoid weight gain and increases in waist circumference throughout adulthood.
WHAT IS OVERWEIGHT ACTUALLY?
Anyone who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) (weight divided by height squared) between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight and between 30.0-34.9 is considered obese.
Even more worrying is the fact that this group is at high risk of contracting serious disorders like diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol.
Other than asking people to exercise more and cut down on food, there should also be a change in the mindset?
THE MEDIA’S ROLE
According to M.Manivannan, a sportsman and the national kabbadi coach, the people should constantly be reminded that overweight and obesity has serious repercussions to one’s health in the long term.
This is where the media especially the television should be more proactive in educating the public on healthy eating and living, and not just remind the public repeatedly that taking good care of your health is important.
“The media should better educate the public on the consumption of healthy food and a healthy lifestyle rather than just airing advertisements,” said Manivannan who is the Sukma 2008 national technical delegate for kabbadi.
This slowly can help change the people’s lifestyle for the better.
Educationist Selamat Ahmad Kamal told Bernama that media could inform the public on the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the body. Through this, Selamat said the public could gauge for themselves their daily requirement of sugar, fat and carbohydrates.
obese man“But I am afraid the media will make it too technical and the public will not understand. I hope the media can work with the Health Ministry to come up with short statements on how many spoons of sugar a normal body needs daily.
“As we are aware, the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey in 2003 revealed that only about 40 percent of adults consumed green vegetables on a daily basis and the television can play a good role here by encouraging the public to eat more of these stuff and tell us the benefits of doing so during the prime time news break when most of us will be having dinner,” he added.
“Of course they must tell us how much sugar is in the `teh tarik’ and how many glasses of `teh tarik’ we can consume in a day without fearing the reaction from the teh tarik sellers,” said the former Headmaster of a school in Mentakab, Pahang.
Selamat also told Bernama that the public had to be told that over indulgence in fast food and carbonated drinks too can be disastrous to health.
“I congratulate the former health minister Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek for being bold enough to advice the government to stop certain advertisements deemed detrimental to the public’s health if consumed too much.”
EXERCISE A WAY OF LIFE
Overweight and obesity have increased but how about the physical activities to burn the extra calories?
Heavy machinery foreman Oh Ce Mai believes that exercise should be a way of life.
As many of us will give all sorts of excuse to avoid exerting our body, our daily routines can serve as good exercise regimes especially the walking that we do every day.
To encourage people to walk more, he suggested that the local councils should provide safe and comfortable pedestrian lanes.
“I would like to see more lanes created for walking in towns especially near commercial centres, bus stops and schools. At present there is little or no provision for such lanes covered with tree canopy to encourage people to walk to or from the bus stop, offices and the schools.
“Today we see many school children being obese or overweight as they do not walk much because their parents feel it is too dangerous for their children to walk on the roads,” said Oh, who maintains a healthy body.
Meanwhile, retired army personnel Taharin Abdul Shukor said how are we to encourage people to exercise when fields for recreational activities are out of bounds for the public or taken over for development.
“There are cases where the fields have been fenced up or reserved for elite groups and this saddens me.
“A good example will be a field in my hometown in Temerloh, Pahang. Today a mini stadium is on the field and the public has no free access,” lamented Taharin.
Taharin urged the Youth and Sports Ministry and the local council to look into the matter and to open up all fields like the Temerloh Mini Stadium to the public.
At the end of the day, it is all in the mindset. All we need to do is treat our daily physical activities as exercise regime and keep up with healthy eating habits.
Anyone who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) (weight divided by height squared) between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight and between 30.0-34.9 is considered obese.
Even more worrying is the fact that this group is at high risk of contracting serious disorders like diabetes, hypertension and high blood cholesterol.
Other than asking people to exercise more and cut down on food, there should also be a change in the mindset?
THE MEDIA’S ROLE
According to M.Manivannan, a sportsman and the national kabbadi coach, the people should constantly be reminded that overweight and obesity has serious repercussions to one’s health in the long term.
This is where the media especially the television should be more proactive in educating the public on healthy eating and living, and not just remind the public repeatedly that taking good care of your health is important.
“The media should better educate the public on the consumption of healthy food and a healthy lifestyle rather than just airing advertisements,” said Manivannan who is the Sukma 2008 national technical delegate for kabbadi.
This slowly can help change the people’s lifestyle for the better.
Educationist Selamat Ahmad Kamal told Bernama that media could inform the public on the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the body. Through this, Selamat said the public could gauge for themselves their daily requirement of sugar, fat and carbohydrates.
obese man“But I am afraid the media will make it too technical and the public will not understand. I hope the media can work with the Health Ministry to come up with short statements on how many spoons of sugar a normal body needs daily.
“As we are aware, the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey in 2003 revealed that only about 40 percent of adults consumed green vegetables on a daily basis and the television can play a good role here by encouraging the public to eat more of these stuff and tell us the benefits of doing so during the prime time news break when most of us will be having dinner,” he added.
“Of course they must tell us how much sugar is in the `teh tarik’ and how many glasses of `teh tarik’ we can consume in a day without fearing the reaction from the teh tarik sellers,” said the former Headmaster of a school in Mentakab, Pahang.
Selamat also told Bernama that the public had to be told that over indulgence in fast food and carbonated drinks too can be disastrous to health.
“I congratulate the former health minister Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek for being bold enough to advice the government to stop certain advertisements deemed detrimental to the public’s health if consumed too much.”
EXERCISE A WAY OF LIFE
Overweight and obesity have increased but how about the physical activities to burn the extra calories?
Heavy machinery foreman Oh Ce Mai believes that exercise should be a way of life.
As many of us will give all sorts of excuse to avoid exerting our body, our daily routines can serve as good exercise regimes especially the walking that we do every day.
To encourage people to walk more, he suggested that the local councils should provide safe and comfortable pedestrian lanes.
“I would like to see more lanes created for walking in towns especially near commercial centres, bus stops and schools. At present there is little or no provision for such lanes covered with tree canopy to encourage people to walk to or from the bus stop, offices and the schools.
“Today we see many school children being obese or overweight as they do not walk much because their parents feel it is too dangerous for their children to walk on the roads,” said Oh, who maintains a healthy body.
Meanwhile, retired army personnel Taharin Abdul Shukor said how are we to encourage people to exercise when fields for recreational activities are out of bounds for the public or taken over for development.
“There are cases where the fields have been fenced up or reserved for elite groups and this saddens me.
“A good example will be a field in my hometown in Temerloh, Pahang. Today a mini stadium is on the field and the public has no free access,” lamented Taharin.
Taharin urged the Youth and Sports Ministry and the local council to look into the matter and to open up all fields like the Temerloh Mini Stadium to the public.
At the end of the day, it is all in the mindset. All we need to do is treat our daily physical activities as exercise regime and keep up with healthy eating habits.
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