Monday, April 8, 2013

8 doctor’s tips for safe and effective weight loss


: Losing just 5% of your body weight can give you significant health benefits (Thinkstock photo).Losing just 5% of your body weight can give you significant health benefits (Thinkstock photo).
By losing 5 per cent of their body weight, those at moderate or high risk of obesity-related diseases can start to experience significant health benefits. The recommended weight loss is 0.5 to 1kg a week, through diet and exercise. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume.
“Moderation is key to weight loss and excessive or fad dieting can harm your health. For instance, a high-protein diet can raise your blood level of uric acid and cause kidney stones. Crash dieting can cause nausea, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, menstrual irregularities, and even osteoporosis in the long term,” says Dr Tham Kwang Wei, Senior Consultant and Director of the Obesity Metabolic Unit, LIFE CentreSingapore General Hospital.
According to the Health Promotion Board of Singapore Calorie Calculator, a 75kg-man aged 30 to 49 with a light activity level should consume 2,200 calories a day. A 60kg woman of a similar age and activity level should consume only about 1,800 calories a day.
If you consume 500 calories less than your daily recommended amount, or burn 500 calories more than you eat every day for a week, you are likely to lose about 0.5 kg of weight in that period. To lose more, you would need to eat less and burn more calories. However, consuming less than 1,000-1,200 per day may be counterproductive.
That’s because it will cause you to lose a greater proportion of muscle along with fat, unless you ensure adequate protein intake and exercise concurrently. Very low calorie diets (800 calories and less) may slow down your metabolism and affect your ability to exercise.
8 tips to lower your calorie consumption in a healthy way
  • Reduce portion size
  • Limit your intake of high-calorie foods, such as fatty and sugary foods and alcohol, to an occasional treat, no more than twice a week
  • Get tempting foods out of your home
  • Stay busy so you don’t eat because you're bored
  • Drink more water so you don’t mistake thirst for hunger
  • Always eat from a plate, while seated at a table. Avoid nibbling at the fridge, or while watching TV
  • Don't skip meals
  • Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat, so you can control your calorie consumption

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Benefits of Walking


Benefits of Walking

  • The human body is made to walk.
  •  
  • Walking 30 minutes a day cuts the rate of people becoming diabetic by more than half and it cuts the risk of people over 60 becoming diabetic by almost 70 percent.
  • Walking cuts the risk of stroke by more than 25 percent.
  • Walking reduces hypertension. The body has over 100,000 miles of blood vessels. Those blood vessels are more supple and healthier when we walk.
  • Walking cuts the risk of cancer as well as diabetes and stroke.
  • Women who walk have a 20 percent lower likelihood of getting breast cancer and a 31 percent lower risk of getting colon cancer.
  • Women with breast cancer who walk regularly can reduce their recurrence rate and their mortality rate by over 50 percent.
  • The human body works better when we walk. The body resists diseases better when we walk, and the body heals faster when we walk.
  • We don't have to walk a lot. Thirty minutes a day has a huge impact on our health.
  • Men who walk thirty minutes a day have a significantly lower level of prostate cancer. Men who walk regularly have a 60 percent lower risk of colon cancer.
  • For men with prostate cancer, studies have shown that walkers have a 46 percent lower mortality rate.
  • Walking also helps prevent depression, and people who walk regularly are more likely to see improvements in their depression.
  • In one study, people who walked and took medication scored twice as well in 30 days as the women who only took the medication. Another study showed that depressed people who walked regularly had a significantly higher level of not being depressed in a year compared to depressed people who did not walk. The body generates endorphins when we walk. Endorphins help us feel good.
  • Walking strengthens the heart. Walking strengthens bones.
  • Walking improves the circulatory system.
  • Walking generates positive neurochemicals. Healthy eating is important but dieting can trigger negative neurochemicals and can be hard to do.
  • Walking generates positive neurochemicals. People look forward to walking and enjoy walking.
  • And research shows that fit beats fat for many people. Walking half an hour a day has health benefits that exceed the benefits of losing 20 pounds.
  • When we walk every day, our bodies are healthier and stronger. A single 30 minute walk can reduce blood pressure by five points for over 20 hours.
  • Walking reduces the risk of blood clots in your legs.
  • People who walk regularly have much lower risk of deep vein thrombosis.
  • People who walk are less likely to catch colds, and when people get colds, walkers have a 46 percent shorter symptom time from their colds.
  • Walking improves the health of our blood, as well. Walking is a good boost of high density cholesterol and people with high levels of HDL are less likely to have heart attacks and stroke.
  • Walking significantly diminishes the risk of hip fracture and the need for gallstone surgery is 20 to 31 percent lower for walkers.
  • Walking is the right thing to do. The best news is that the 30 minutes doesn't have to be done in one lump of time. Two 15 minute walks achieve the same goals. Three 10 minute walks achieve most of those goals.
  • We can walk 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night and achieve our walking goals.
  • Walking feels good. It helps the body heal. It keeps the body healthy. It improves our biological health, our physical health, our psychosocial health, and helps with our emotional health. Walking can literally add years entire years to your life.

Its good to walk.

Be good to yourself. Be good to your body.
ALL ACCUPRESSURE POINTS ARE IN THE SOLE OF YOUR FEET ......

JUST LIKE YOUR HANDS !!

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Thursday, April 4, 2013

Naturally Occurring Toxins in Vegetables and Fruits

Naturally Occurring Toxins in Vegetables and Fruits
Introduction:      Vegetables and fruits contain nutrients, vitamins and minerals essential for growth and health and are important components of a healthy diet. However, some vegetables and fruits may contain natural toxins which could be potentially harmful to our health. Every now and then, there have been reports of food poisoning cases suspected to have been caused by consumption of raw vegetables and fruits containing natural toxins.
Natural toxins are poisonous substances present naturally in fruits and vegetables. They are produced by plants to defend themselves against fungi, insects and predators, and offer a protective mechanism for the plant.

What fruits and vegetables involved?Fruits and vegetables commonly found with natural toxins include -
  1. Beans 豆類 (such as green beans 四季豆 (photo), red kidney beans 紅腰豆 (photos) and white kidney beans 白腰豆) - These varieties of beans contain naturally a toxin known as phytohaemagglutinin. Food poisoning caused by this toxin in raw and inadequately-cooked beans has a short onset time (1-3 hours) with symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. However, this toxic substance can be destroyed by subjecting the bean to thorough soaking and then cooking thoroughly at boiling temperature. Tinned beans which have been subjected to thorough heat-treatment are safe to eat without further cooking.
  2. Cassavas 木薯 (photo) - They refer to the edible root of cassava plants. Cassavas contain cyanogenic glycoside. The bitter type of cassavas has higher levels of toxins than the sweet type. When raw or inadequately-cooked cassavas are ingested, the toxin will be transformed into a chemical called hydrogen cyanide, which may result in food poisoning. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning occur within a few minutes and may include constriction of the throat, nausea, vomiting, headache, etc., and death has been reported in severe cases.
  3. Bamboo shoots 竹筍 (photo) - The toxicological profile of bamboo shoots is similar to that of cassavas. The natural toxin, cyanogenic glycoside, in fresh bamboo shoots may lead to food poisoning when consumed. To render them safe for consumption, fresh bamboo shoots should be sliced into smaller pieces and cooked thoroughly. Symptoms of poisoning are same as those by cassavas.
  4. Fruit seeds and stones* 果核和種子 - These refer to seeds or stones of apples, apricots, pears, plums, prunes, cherries, peaches, etc. The flesh of these fruits is not toxic, but the seeds (such as bitter apricot seeds 北杏 (photo)) and stone contain cyanogenic glycoside. When the consumer chews the fresh seeds or stone, the cyanogenic glycoside in it can be transformed into hydrogen cyanide, which is poisonous to the consumer. Young children are more susceptible and swallowing only a few seeds/stone may cause cyanide poisoning. Symptoms of poisoning are same as those by cassavas and bamboo shoots.
    (*A stone refers to the large hard seed in the middle of a fruit.)
  5. Fresh Jin Zhen 鮮金針 (photo) - It is the floral part of a plant harvested before it was in blossom. Fresh Jin Zhen has been used in dishes as fresh vegetables. A natural toxin known as colchicine is concentrated in the root of the plant and it is also found in the floral part of fresh Jin Zhen. Poisoning may be resulted from consumption of fresh Jin Zhen which has not been soaked well in water and cooked thoroughly. Symptoms of poisoning may include gastrointestinal discomfort, such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. However, colchicine in Jin Zhen is destroyed during cooking and processing and therefore commercially processed Jin Zhen and Jin Zhen in the dried form are non-toxic (photo).
  6. Potatoes 馬鈴薯 - Potatoes contain natural toxins called glycoalkaloids. The levels of these toxins are usually low and do not pose adverse effects in humans. However, potatoes that show signs of greening, sprouting, physically damaged or rotting may contain high level of glycoalkaloids and the majority of the toxins are present in the green area, in the peel, or just below the peel of the potatoes (photo). High levels of glycoalkaloids have a bitter taste and symptoms of poisoning may include a burning sensation in the mouth or severe stomach ache nausea and vomiting. Cooking and frying cannot destroy glycoalkaloids.
  7. Ginkgo seeds 銀杏/白果 - Ginkgo seeds contain toxins which are mainly neurotoxic. Vomiting, irritability, and tonic or clonic convulsions are the classical symptoms in ginkgo seeds poisoning and usually begin 1 to 12 hours after ingestion. Children are especially susceptible to this type of food poisoning. In severe cases where large amounts have been taken or in susceptible individuals, loss of consciousness and deaths may occur. It has been reported that ingestion of 10-50 of the cooked seeds at one time can cause acute poisoning in humans. The unripe and uncooked seeds are more toxic and the toxicity is reduced after cooking.

      
    How to Reduce the Risk?
    The risk of poisoning by natural toxins in fruits and vegetables can be avoided or significantly reduced
     by taking the following  measures -
         Selection of Foods:
  1. Cook beans such as green beans, red kidney beans and white kidney beans, cassavas, bamboo shoots thoroughly at boiling temperature after thorough soaking in clean water.
  2. Do not use raw or inadequately-cooked green beans or other bean species in the preparation of salad dishes. Always bear in mind a few raw beans can cause food poisoning symptoms.
  3. When eating fresh fruits, avoid eating seeds of fruits, such as apples, apricots, pears, etc., whereas the flesh of these fruits is nutritious and safe to eat.
  4. Cook bitter apricot seeds thoroughly and eat them in strict moderation.
  5. If fresh Jin Zhen is chosen in food recipe, soak it well in water before cooking and cook it thoroughly.
  6. Store potatoes in a dark, cool and dry place and avoid eating potatoes that show signs of greening, sprouting or rotting.
  7. Limit the intake of the ginkgo seeds to not more than a few seeds per day and avoid eating uncooked seeds, especially for children.
  8. Take a balanced and varied diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables as they are nutritious and safe to eat after observing the above risk avoidance or reduction measures.