Functional Foods (Metabolic Syndrome)

Nowadays, obesity is a major public health problem, not only in Malaysia, but worldwide. Even more alarming is the increasing numbers of childhood obesity. The presence of obesity is highly associated with metabolic syndrome. When seeing any health care providers, they will focus more and more on macronutrients including carbohydrate, protein and fat intake as dietary management in preventing complications of metabolic syndrome. However, there are some functional foods that have ability to fight against metabolic syndrome (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia) and cardiovascular disease.

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Twelve Steps for Heart Healthy Eating

Even you are on medications, following heart healthy eating pattern help to further reduce the risk of heart diseases. Medication is not everything. What you have to do is have fun and enjoy your healthy meals. 

 

1. Never miss three important meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

2. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil and avocado can reduce LDL cholesterol level.

3. Add cereals to your breakfast drink and have some whole oatmeal before you start your day.

4. Choose low fat milk or low fat milk products everyday.

5. Say no to chips, high fat crackers and ice cream.

6. Rarely include deep fried food and butter in your meal. Avoid cream and sour cream.

7. Drink plenty of water everyday and avoid the intake of alcohol.

8. Fish and soy products are recommended to be eaten everyday.

9. Have variety of fruits and vegetable everyday. Make them into special snacks or salads.

10. If possible, prepare meals at home and no fast food anymore.

11. Use less sugar and less salt when preparing meals.

12. When buying food products, read the labels carefully. Choose foods with low sodium, saturated fat, trans-fat, and sugar.

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Coconut

Coconut is often called the “tree of life”. It is used extensively in tropical countries such as Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka etc. The coconut is famous with the production of coconut oil and it becomes so popular. However, the production of corn oil and soy oil against coconut oil because coconut oil is believed to cause harmful to human because of high saturated fat content.

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Fasting and Ramadan

Fasting in Ramadan can improve person’s health. But, if people are not following healthy diet, it can possibly worsen it. Healthy diet should be taken into account to gain full benefits from fasting. Type and quantity of food should be monitored well. Overeating can harm the body and person’s spiritual growth during Ramadan. The diet should be simple and it is not differ too much from non-fasting diet. It should contain all the major food groups include carbohydrate, protein and fat.

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Diet For Diabetes During Ramadan

Fasting during Ramadan is a must for all healthy Muslims. Sick people like diabetes are exempted from the duty of fasting. However, many Muslim diabetic patients wish to fast during Ramadan.

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Diabetes and Ramadan

During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from food, drink, use oral medications and smoking during daylight hours, before fajr (dawn) to sunset. Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory upon every sane, healthy Muslim whose reached puberty and is not traveling during the time of fasting. But how can Muslim diabetic patients restrain from eating their drugs? What are the complications that they may face during Ramadan? 

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About Mint

Mint can be a refreshing image comes to our mind and well known as mouth freshener. It is a cool herb belonging to family Lamiaceae. More than 20 species of mint including pineapple mint, ginger mint, Japanese mint, corn mint, spearmint, peppermint and horsemint, to name a few. Mint leaves are not only used for cooking, but it also can be used for medical purpose.

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Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA)

There are two type of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); omega-3 fats and omega-6 fats. These fats are essential fatty acids means that the body cannot produce them. PUFA has more than one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon in the molecule. PUFA food are liquid at room temperature and when chilled. There are many examples of food high with PUFA such as corn oil, soy oil, regular safflower, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil and flaxseed oil. Many fish also contains PUFA including salmon, mackerel, herring and trout. 

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Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA)

Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) is called as a ‘good fat’. MUFA has one double-bonded (unsaturated) carbon atom. Foods made up mostly of MUFA are liquid at room temperature and changed to solid when they are chilled. There are many examples of MUFA including vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, avocado and nuts such as almonds and peanuts.

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Fat and Colorectal Cancers

Colorectal cancer is the combination of the colon cancer and rectal cancer and it starts in either the colon or rectum. The National Cancer Registry of Malaysia stated that colorectal is the first among male and the second among female in Peninsular Malaysia in 2006. 

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Trans Fat Is A Trouble Maker

It is clear that we need to include fat in our diet. There are many types of fat which can provide benefits or may prove to be unhealthy if too much is eaten. Here, the story is about trans fats or their full name is trans fatty acids. Natural trans fats can be found in cheese, beef, lamb and mutton. Food such as biscuits, cakes, cookies, crackers and other snack food often contain high amount of trans fat in the from of hydrogenated vegetables oil.

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SIMPLE Healthy Snacking on a Low Cholesterol Diet

Maybe, you have too many things to do and eating healthy snack can be low priority in your life. However, we have to face it, snacking is natural. If you are hungry between main meals, your body will tell you that you need nutrition now. Therefore, you should definitely eat something to curb your hunger until the next meal. If you eat the wrong snacks, you will get into trouble.

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