Category Archives: Diet & Nutrition

Diet & Nutrition, Features Indonesian

Manfaat Ikan Bagi Kesehatan Manusia

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  • Siapa yang tidak tahu ikan? Ikan merupakan salah satu protein hewani yang sangat baikuntuk kesehatan. Manfaat ikan ada banyak yang bisa didapatkan jika mengkonsumsi secara rutin. Apapun jenis ikannya, karena lemak yang terdapat dalam ikan adalah lemak tak jenuh, hal ini membuatnya mudah untuk bisa dicerna oleh tubuh dengan baik.

Kandungan nutrisi ikan

  • Asam lemak Omega-3
  • Vitamin : D dan B2 (riboflavin).
  • Kalsium
  • Fosfor
  • Mineral : zat besi, seng, yodium, magnesium, dan kalium.

Artikel ini akan memberitahu dahsyatnya manfaat ikan bagi kesehatan manusia. Apa sajakah itu?

1. Cegah Terjadinya Penyakit Jantung

Manfaat pertama dari konsumsi ikan adalah mencegah terjadinya penyakit jantung. Menurut sebuah penelitian, suku  bangsa  Eskimo yang bertempat tinggal di Greenland memiliki prevalensi dari penderita penyakit jantung yang sangat rendah. Hal serupa juga terjadi di Jepang, disana jarang sekali ditemukan orang yang menderita  penyakit  jan­tung koroner. Apakah yang menyebabkan semua itu terjadi? Rahasianya sederhana saja, orang Eskimo dan orang Jepang suka sekali makan ikan.

Sashimi adalah makanan yang mengandung banyak manfaat ikan salah satunya manfaat ikan salmon. Orang Jepang sering mengkonsumsi makanan ini, dengan bahan utama ikan segar dalam keadaan mentah. Pada umumnya, orang Jepang dan orang Eskimo suka makan ikan dalam jumlah besar sehingga risiko untuk menderita penyakit kardiovaskuler  atau  penyakit jantung bisa lebih ditekan, khususnya untuk menderita penyakit jantung koroner. Dalam sehari, orang Eskimo mengkonsumsi ikan sekitar 300­-400 gram dan orang Jepang biasa mengkonsumsi 100-200 gram ikan setiap harinya.

2. Makanan Pendamping Nasi Terbaik

Jika sedang bosan harus makan siang dengan lauk yang itu-itu saja, bisa coba untuk mulai memasukkan ikan sebagai daftar menu pendamping nasi yang memanjakan lidah. Ikan merupakan sumber protein hewani yang memiliki banyak keunggulan yaitu kaya akan protein, vitamin, mineral dan berkalori rendah. Ikan sangat bagus bagi yang ingin menjaga kesehatan pencernaan selain darimanfaat sayur-sayuran. Kandungan gizi yang terdapat di dalam ikan juga sangat baik bagi tubuh seperti asam amino esensiil  maupun non esensiil serta memiliki daya aborpsi yang tinggi yaitu 90-100 persen. Ikan juga mudah untuk diolah baik itu digoreng, dikukus atau direbus yang lebih sehat.

3. Pencegahan Penyakit Kolesterol

Seseorang yang rentan terkena penyakit jantung koroner adalah orang yang memiliki kadar kolesterol di atas 300 mg/dl. Namun, ancaman dari penyakit kolesterol tidak akan terjadi jika rutin mengkonsumsi ikan.

Manfaat minyak ikan (cold liver) yang ada di dalam ikan, mengandung asam lemak  tak  jenuh yang baik untuk kesehatan jantung yaitu asam lemak omega 3.

4. Memfasilitasi Program Diet Sehat

Jika sedang menjalankan program diet, mengkonsumsi ikan merupakan pilihan yang baik untuk tubuh. Ikan kaya akan vitamin, mineral, dan nutrisi. Orang yang suka mengkonsumsi biasanya akan jarang mengkonsumsi makanan yang banyak mengandung lemak jenuh seperti yang terdapat pada manfaat daging atau keju.

Mengapa ikan penting untuk diet?

Ikan tidak memiliki kolesterol yang tinggi, sangat tinggi protein dan vitamin serta memiliki kandungan omega 3 yang sangat tinggi. Ikan tidak akan merusak rencana diet anda.

5. Menyehatkan Sistem Kardiovaskuler

Manfaat mengkonsumsi ikan dapat mencegah terjadinya penyakit berat seperti gagal jantung. Olahan ikan yang sehat dapat mencegah terjadinya akumulasi trigliserida, mengurangi adanya tingkat trigliserida yang berlebihan, dapat meningkatkan HDL (kolesterol yang baik), dan mencegah adanya pembekuan darah. Hal ini secara keseluruhan akan memudahkan sistem kerja kardiovaskuler.

6. Ingin Pintar ? Makan Ikan

Pernah mendengar istilah atau saran ini ? bagaimana tidak, manfaat omega 3 sangat ampuh sebagai nutrisi yang dapat mencerdaskan otak.

Tips pintar dengan konsumsi ikan:

  • Biasakan makan ikan sejak menyusui
  • Berikan anak ikan secara rutin
  • Ikan tim (bukan digoreng lebih banyak nutrisinya
  • Konsumsi ikan segar, pilih ikan yang tidak terkontaminasi.

7. Menstabilkan Tekanan Darah Tinggi

Asam lemak omega-3 merupakan jenis lemak yang terdapat pada minyak ikan yang sangat penting untuk mencegah dan menstabilkan tekanan darah tinggi. Kandungan tinggi asam lemak omega 3 banyak terkandung dalam ikan salmon dan mackerel.

8. Mengurangi risiko stroke

Tekanan darah tinggi dan makanan tinggi lemak merupakan salah satu penyebab utama terjadinya stroke. Konsumsi daging ikan secara rutin akan membantu mengurangi tekanan darah dan sangat baik untuk sistem kardiovaskuler tubuh. Dengan demikian anda yang suka dengan makan ikan akan sedikit mengurangi risiko penyakit stroke.

9. Mata dan kulit menjadi lebih sehat

Kandungan fosfor dan vitamin yang cukup tinggi sangat penting untuk membantu kesehatan mata dan kulit yang menjadi sehat. Vitamin D dan B2 sangat penting untuk kesehatan tulang dan kulit. Omega 3 juga sangat penting untuk mencegah inflamasi yang menjadi sebab penuaan dini.

10. Mengurangi risiko adanya kanker

Sebuah studi yang dilakukan di Swedia pada 6000 orang selama kurang lebih 30 tahun ternyata menunjukkan bahwa konsumsi ikan secara rutin dapat mengurangi risiko terkena kanker prostat. Kandungan zat riboflavin dipercaya juga dapat mencegah dan menghalau berbagai jenis kanker lainnya yang berbahaya bagi tubuh.

11. Mencegah Terjadinya Peradangan

Zat asam lemak omega 3  sangat ampuh untuk mencegah terjadinya peradangan dan mengurangi risiko terkena penyakit arthritis. Asam lemak pada ikan mampu mengikat radikal bebas yang menjadi sebab utama peradangan selain membantu memberikan nutrisi yang tepat untuk tubuh manusia.

12. Mencegah Depresi

Orang yang mengkonsumsi ikan sangat efektif untuk mencegah terjadinya depresi pada tubuh dan otaknya. Mengapa bisa terjadi seperti ini ? Asam lemak Omega 3 sangat penting untuk mencegah terjadinya depresi. Depresi sering terjadi karena kandungan asam lemak omega 3 yang sangat rendah.

13. Mengurangi resiko terkena alzheimer

Alzheimer merupakan salah satu penyakit yang berhubungan dengan degredasi fungsi otak manusia. Konsumsi ikan dapat membantu meningkatkan fungsi neuron pada otak yang berfungsi untuk memori dan daya ingat otak. Para peneliti di berbagai belahan dunia memang telah mengungkapkan bahwa kandungan gizi ikan ini sangat penting untuk mencegah penyakit alzheimer, terutama ikan kukus (bukan di goreng)

14. Mencegah Dimensia

Dimensia adalah salah satu penyakit yang berhubungan dengan otak, asam lemak omega tiga yang terdapat pada ikan sangat penting untuk mengurangi risiko terkena penyakit dimensia ini.

15. Ibu Hamil dan Masalah Prematur

Kandungan gizi pada ikan, penting untuk mengurangi risiko melahirkan prematur. Selain itu kandungan asam lemak omega 3 juga dapat membantu meningkatkan fungsi otak janin dalam kandungan.

16. Mencegah Diabetes

Ikan adalah salah satu jenis makanan yang baik untuk diabetes, jika anda ingin sehat maka konsumsi lah ikan secara teratur. Selain itu ikan juga dapat membantu melancarkan peredaran darah yang penting untuk mencegah terjadinya diabetes.

Tentu manfaat ikan ini harus kita simak secara jernih karena tidak semua jenis ikan dapat memberikan nutrisi yang sama. ada yang sedikit ada pula yang banyak nutrisinya. Untuk itu ada baiknya kita mengulas manfaat ikan sesuai dengan jenisnya.

Diet & Nutrition, Features Indonesian

Manfaat Nasi Putih Bagi Kesehatan

Manfaat nasi putih bagi kesehatan yang terutama adalah sumber karbohidrat yang menghasilkan energi untuk beraktivitas. Indonesia menjadi salah satu negeri lumbung padi yang menghasilkan beras-beras berkualitas. Faktor tersebut yang membuat swasembada beras, yang menciptakan nasi sebagai makanan pokok kebanyakan orang Indonesia. Tidak bisa dipungkiri, memang banyak mitos terdengar soal nasi yang memicu gejala penyakit diabetas pada kebanyakan orang. Tapi apakah sebahayakah itu nasi, mari kita bahas pada artikel ini.

Manfaat Nasi Bagi Tubuh

Jika kita bicara manfaat nasi putih bagi kesehatan tubuh maka salah satu hal yang paling penting adalah sumber energi bagi manusia.

1. Sumber Energi

Nasi adalah jenis makanan pokok yang sangat penting bagi tubuh manusia, tidak heran banyak penduduk dunia makanan pokoknya adalah nasi. Kandungan karbohidrat dan kalori pada nasi adalah sumber tenaga yang tidak tergantikan. Ia merupakan sumber energi yang cukup besar untuk tubuh.

2. Mendukung pertumbuhan manusia dari bayi sampai tua

Sebagai makanan pokok, nasi merupakan sumber utama untuk mendukung pertumbuhan manusia. Mulai dari bayi hingga orang tua didukung pertumbuhannya oleh nasi. Kandungan zat dan mineral yang ada di nasi, membuatnya adalah sumber terbaik untuk membantu pertumbuhan manusia dan menjadi makanan pokok hingga tua nanti.

3. Meningkatkan mood baik

Serotonin adalah senyawa yang menimbulkan perasaan senang pada otak, kandungan karbohidrat dapat mendongkraknya. Ini juga ditunjukkan pada penelitian, seseorang yang menjalani diet setiap hari dengan komsumsi 1/2 cangkir nasi atau selembar roti, sering mengalami depresi dan kegelisahan.

4. Mencegah kanker

brown rice banyak mengandung serat insoluble yang akan mengurangi resiko sel-sel kanker terjadi pada tubuh. Banyak penelitian yang sudah mempercayai itu

5. Nasi non kolesterol

nasi tidak mengandung lemak berbahaya sama sekali ataupun sodium. maka dari itu, nasi pasti juga baik untuk dimasukkan dalam menu diet seimbang.

6. Kaya akan vitamin

Nasi itu banyak mengandung vitamin dan mineral misalnya niacin, vitamin D, kalsium, serat, zat besi, thiamine, dan riboflavin.

7. Mengobati disentri

manfaat nasi pada kulit arinya, dianggap sebagai obat yang efektif untuk mengobati disentri. Sekam padi yang berusia tiga bulan mengandung diuretic properties. Bahkan orang China percaya bahwa nasi dianggap meningkatkan selera, menyembuhkan sakit perut dan masalah pencernaan.

8. Baik Untuk Tulang

Nasi merupakan “Vitamin” untuk tulang yang dapat membuat pertumbuhan tulang terbentuk secara sempurna. Kandungan kalsium pada nasi sangat penting untuk membentuk tulang agar menjadi kuat dan mencegah osteoporosis di masa tua.

9. Baik untuk gigi

Pertumbuhan gigi juga di topang oleh nasi, sama sepertinya tulang, kandungan kalsium pada nasi sangat berperan untuk membentuk gigi yang kuat.

Fungsi Berdasarkan Kandungan Karbohidratnya

  1. Mengendalikan Berat Badan
  2. Mencegah berbagai penyakit
  3. Baik untuk kesehatan jantung
  4. baik untuk fungsi pencernaan
  5. Mencegah kerusakan jaringan otot
  6. Mengatur kadar gula dalam darah
  7. Mengatasi kecemasan

Polemik Tentang Manfaat Nasi

Sejak awal di negara-negara asia, khususnya Indonesia lebih banyak mengkonsumsi nasi dari pada sumber karbohidrat lain. Hal ini menjadi persoalan di masa sekarang, karena nasi dianggap memiliki kadar gula yang tinggi dibandingkan dengan ubi, kentang atau gandum. Berikut ini, beberapa fakta tentang nasi putih :

  • Apakah nasi menggemukan??

Faktanya, nasi rendah bebas lemak dan kolesterol. Nasi adalah sumber energi yang baik karena kandungan karbohidratnya. Karbohidrat membantu tubuh menjalankan fungsinya dan baik untuk pertumbuhan.

  • Kandungan garam pada nasi tinggi??

Pada kenyatannya nasi adalah makanan yang tidak mengandung garam. Nasi sangat aman dikonsumsi oleh orang-orang yang diet kadar garam dalam tubuhnya.

  • Bagaimana dengan kandungan protein pada nasi??

Setelah karbohidrat, protein merupakan nutrisi yang kedua paling banyak ditemukan pada padi. Manfaat nasi mengandung protein yang dianggap kualitas tertinggi dibandingkan dengan biji-bijian lain. Beras juga merupakan biji-bijian yang tidak mengandung alergi seperti biji-bijian lain atau biasa disebut gluten.

Jadi mulai sekarang, jangan takut mengkonsumsi nasi . Namun jangan lupa seimbangkan dengan buah-buahan dan sayuran sehat pada menu makanan anda.

Waspada Nasi

Terkait dengan manfaat nasi yang menjadi makanan pokok bagi penduduk Indonesia, ada kekhawatiran banyak kalangan yang mengatakan bahwa nasi memiliki kandungan kalori yang sangat tinggi. Waspada konsumsi nasi ketika anda ingin diet, kegemukan, dan memiliki masalah pada kalori seperti mengalami diabetes.

Kandungan gizi nasi memang sangat tinggi kalorinya, sehingga jika anda mengalami gejala diabetes sebaiknya anda waspada dalam mengkonsumsi nasi.

Diet & Nutrition

Chili peppers nutrition facts

Chili peppers nutrition facts

Chili peppers, despite their fiery hotness, are one of very popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. The chili, actually, is a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), within the genus, capsicum.

Scientific name: Capsicum annum. Some of other common members in the Solanaceae family are tomato, aubergine,potato, etc.

Dry chilli peppers with seeds. Raw green chilies in acapsicum annum plant.


Chili plant is a small, perennial shrub with woody stem, growing up to a meter in height. It is native to Central American region where it employed as one the chief spice ingredients in Mexican cuisine for centuries. Later, it was introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish and Portuguese explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today chili pepper is grown widely in many parts of the world as an important commercial crop.

Several cultivars of chili peppers grown all around the world. Depending upon cultivar type, it bears flowers which subsequently develop into fruit pods of variable size, shape, color, and pungency. And again, depending on the cultivar type, their hotness ranges from mild, fleshy (Mexican bell peppers) to fiery, tiny, Nag Jalokiya chili peppers of Indian subcontinent. The hotness of chili is measured in “Scoville heat units” (SHU). On the Scoville scale, a sweet bell pepper scores 0, a jalapeño pepper around 2,500-4,000 units, and a Mexican habañeros may have 200,000 to 500,000 units.

Inside, each chili fruit pod features numerous tiny, white, or cream colored, circular, flat seeds which clinging on to the central white-placenta.

To harvest, chilies can be picked up while they are green, or when they reach complete maturity and dry on the plant itself. In general, the fruits are ready for harvesting once they mature and turn red. They are then left to dry under sunlight and srink in size.

Chilies have a strong spicy taste that comes to them from the active alkaloid compounds: capsaicin, capsanthin andcapsorubin.

 

Health benefits of chili peppers

  • Chili pepper contains an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.
  • Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy pungent character. Early laboratory studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals.
  • Fresh chili peppers, red and green, are rich source of vitamin-C. 100 g fresh chilies provide about 143.7 µg or about 240% of RDA. Vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is required for the collagen synthesis inside the human body. Collagen is one of the main structural protein required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps protect from scurvy, develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity), and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
  • They are also good in other antioxidants such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, a-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.
  • Chilies carry a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
  • Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish.

Chili peppers have amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of recommended daily allowance):

240% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid),
39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine),
32% of vitamin A,
13% of iron,
14% of copper,
7% of potassium,
but no cholesterol.

Sun-dried red chili peppers.

Chili peppers can be available year around in the markets either in the fresh, dried or powdered form. In the stores, buy fresh chili peppers instead of powder since, oftentimes it may contain adulterated spicy mixtures.

Look for raw, fresh chilies featuring brilliant color (green, yellow, orange, red depending on the variety), with healthy stalk, wholesome and compact. Avoid those with spots or those spoiled tips and inflicted by molds.

Once at home, they should be stored in the refrigerator inside a plastic bag where they will stay fresh for about a week. Completely dried red chilies are also available in the markets. Dry chilies can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place, inside airtight containers for many months; and can be milled to powder using mixer/grinder as and when required. If you want to buy dry chili powder instead, go for authentic and branded products. Powdered chili pepper should be stored in cool place inside an airtight container.

 

Medicinal uses

  • Chili peppers contain chemical compound, capsaicin. Capsaicin and its co-compounds being employed in the preparation of ointments, rubs and tinctures for their astringent, counter-irritant and analgesic properties.
  • These formulations have been in use in the treatment of arthritic pain, post-herpetic neuropathic pain, sore muscles, etc.
  • Scientific studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese persons.

 

Culinary uses

Red chili pwder.

Raw, fresh chilies should be washed in clean water before used in cooking in order to remove any residual fungicides, and sand. Chilies, either fresh or ground, can cause severe burning sensation to hands and severe irritation to nasal passages, eyes and throat. Therefore, it may be advised in some sensitive individuals to use thin hand gloves and face masks while handling chilies.

 

Here are some serving tips:

Red chili sauce.
  • Fresh raw bell peppers and other sweet, mild variety peppers are being used as vegetables in cuisines in many parts of the world.
  • Chopped peppers are being used in the preparation of chili sauce, pizzas, rolls, and in variety of dishes using fish, meat and chicken in many Central American and European regions.
  • Dried chili powder is an important ingredient in the spice mix known as curry powder in many Asian countries.
  • Hot chilies used as a condiment in the preparation of soups, chili sauce, spicy water, vinegar-spice mix, etc.
  • Chilies, soaked in yogurt and then dried under sunlight, are used as condiment side-dish which served during dinner time in south-Indian states.

 

Safety profile

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which gives strong spicy pungent character. Capsaicin when eaten causes severe irritation and hot sensation to mouth, tongue and throat.

  • Capsaicin in chilies initially elicits local inflammation when it comes in contact with mucusa of oral cavity, throat and stomach, and soon causes severe burning sensation that is perceived as ‘hot’ through free nerve endings in the mucosa. Eating cold yogurt helps reduce the burning pain by diluting capsaicin concentration and preventing its contact with mucosal walls.
  • Avoid touching eyes with chili-contaminated fingers. Rinse eyes thoroughly in cold water to reduce irritation.
  • Chilies may aggravate existing gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) condition.
  • Certain chemical compounds like aflatoxin (fungal mold), found in spoiled chilies have been known to cause stomach, liver and colon cancers. (Medical-disclaimer).
Diet & Nutrition, Features Indonesian

Gaya Hidup Sehat Dengan Makanan Organik

Mengapa Pilih Makanan Organik?

Ingin hidup sehat? Tentu semua orang akan menjawab iya, tapi hidup sehat seperti apa yang paling anda inginkan? Tentu jawabannya bervariasi dari satu individu ke individu yang lain. Banyak orang sudah mencoba berbagai cara agar tetap menjaga hidupnya tetap sehat yang tentu saja tujuannya agar terhindar dari segala bentuk penyakit, mulai dari berolahraga, menjaga pola makan, menghindari stress, dll. Tapi pernahkah anda membayangkan cara lain yang mudah dan lebih menyehatkan?

Alasan Memilih Gaya Hidup Sehat Dengan Makanan Organik

Tentu anda pernah mendengar tentang makanan organik, yaitu makanan yang berasal dari pertanian atau peternakan yang di tanam dan di pelihara secara alami bebas dari pupuk buatan, hormon tambahan atau insektisida. Dalam proses pemeliharaannya, para petani hanya menggunakan pupuk alami seperti pupuk kandang (berasal dari kotoran hewan) atau kompos (berasal dari tumbuh-tumbuhan/sampah organik), untuk menyuburkan tanaman dan anti hama alami untuk mengusir hama tanaman. Untuk  para peternak organik, mereka hanya memberi makan ternak dengan pakan ternak alami.

Makanan yang di tumbuh kembangkan secara organik terbukti jauh lebih menyehatkan untuk di konsumsi manusia. Mengapa penggunaan bahan kimia dalam pertanian maupun peternakan mengancam kesehatan kita? Ini karena bahan-bahan kimia tersebut akan terserap dan menempel di bahan makanan yang kita makan. Dengan cara apapun, sulit untuk menghilangkan racun yang terserap saat kita mengolahnya menjadi bahan makanan. Sumber makanan yang terkontaminasi zat-zat kimia ini berpotensi besar menimbulkan penyakit jika kita mengkonsumsinya secara terus-menerus., seperti kanker kelainan gen dll.

Dampak Positif Gaya Hidup Sehat Dengan Makanan Organik

Sebenarnya apa dampak nyata dari mengkonsumsi makanan organik? Agar mendapatkan tubuh yang sehat bebas dari penyakit, tubuh memerlukan asupan nutrisi yang di tepat dan seimbang, nutrisi ini berasal dari makanan sehat yang sehari-hari kita makan. Makanan yang sehat tidak hanya kita nilai dari kandungan yang terdapat di dalam makanan itu saja, tetapi juga harus di lihat dari mana bahan makanan itu berasal dan bagaimana proses pemeliharaannya.

Kebanyakan penyakit yang timbul disebabkan oleh makanan tidak sehat yang kita konsumsi sehari-hari, seperti makanan yang tidak bersih pengolahannya, makanan dengan zat-zat tambahan berlebihan  (pengawet, MSG, pemanis buatan dan pewarna) atau makanan dari pertanian non organik, yang banyak memakai bahan-bahan kimia. Zat-zat asing ini, sebagian besar tidak mampu di tolerir di dalam tubuh, sehingga mengendap dan merusak organ-organ penting di dalam tubuh seperti ginjal, hati, paru-paru, usus dll, tak jarang inilah asal muasal terbentuknya sel-sel abnormal sebagai pencetus berbagai penyakit kanker.

Makanan organik sudah terbukti memberi dampak positif bagi tubuh dan menyehatkan.  Berdasarkan penelitian, makanan organik mampu melawan radikal bebas, meningkatkan antibodi serta mampu memperlambat proses degeneratif atau penuaan.

Gaya Hidup Sehat Dengan Makanan Organik memang terkesan sedikit mahal, tapi kesehatan adalah aset yang jauh lebih mahal.

Diet & Nutrition, Wellness

Top 10 places in Malaysia which serves healthy food

Maintaining a healthy balanced diet is important for everyone in general in order to live a healthier lifestyle. Are you a person who loves dining in restaurants which serves healthy food? Fret not! There are loads of places and restaurants in Malaysia which serves the best healthy food for health-enthusiasts like you! Check out the top 10 places below for more details.

1.      The Daily Habit

If you’re a juice lover, you have found the right place! Yummy juices made from celery, carrots, broccoli, apples, raspberries and tomatoes! Their tagline “healthy eating, worth repeating” is what they stay true to as you can tuck into a hearty plate of free range eggs, smoked salmon, rockets and rye bread for breakfast, or come for their crunchy, flavourful salads and wraps.

CHI Fitness@BSC
Lot 1-02 BRDB Tower
(connected to Bangsar Shopping Centre)
285 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar
59000 Kuala Lumpur   Monday to Friday | 8:00am – 5:00pm, Saturday | 8:00am – 5:00pm, Sunday | Closed

 

 

2.      Basileuo Salad

The Basileuo is a salad bar with more than 40 types of colourful, juicy & crunchy toppings along with more than 10 types of homemade dressings. You’ll be spoilt for choice! They serve salad, soup, wraps, baked potato, pasta, comforting stew, various sandwiches, Fairtrade coffee, tea, imported beverages and much more!

3, Persiaran Greentown 5, Greentown Business Centre, Ipoh 30450, Malaysia

Hours: Tue – Sun 11:00 – 10:00

 

 

3.      Green Garden Vegetarian & Healthy Food

Vegetarian food restaurant offering set meals. Menu items include snacks, salad, porridge, organic ramen, mini steamboat, fried rice set, dessert, fresh fruit juice

8 Persiaran Mahsuri 2, Sunway Tunas Bayan Baru

Penang, Malaysia 11900

Tue-Sun 11:00am-9:00pm

 4.     Veggie Planet

Veggie Planet is a vegetarian restaurant with mainly vegan menu that serves Malaysian, Chinese and some Western food. They use organic ingredients and are guided by their 5 principles of saying “No to MSG, Artificial Colouring, Preservatives, Artificial Fragrance and Micro-wave cooking”. Head over to give it a try!

 

41, Jalan Melaka Raya 8, Taman Melaka Raya

Malacca, Malaysia 75000

Mon-Sun 9:00am-10:00pm

5.      Green House of Natural Food

The restaurant claims to have less oil, salt and natural flavouring in the diet concept, dishes usually mushrooms, melons, and pulses the main flavour is more delicate. They also provide activities such as healthy cooking class for some fun!

37 & 39, Jalan Rosmerah 2/11, 
Taman Johor Jaya,
Johor Bahru 81100,
Johor, Malaysia. Mon-Sat : 9:30AM – 6:30PM

6.      Vegan House

The food at this restaurant is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. It has a clean, hygienic and inviting ambience whereby the staffs are friendly and helpful. Do bring your loved ones here to dine together with you and cherish the moment.

 

GRD FLR, LOT 1399,

KUBU ROAD, CENTRE POINT COMMERCIAL CENTRE,

98000, MIRI, SARAWAK.

Mon-Sun: 08:30-21:30

7.      Moon Flower Vegetarian Food

This restaurant serves one of the best stir-fried yellow noodle with cabbage, egg and mocked meat. It’s almost impossible to believe that their dishes are vegetarian as the flavour of the food good and comparable with foods cooked with real meat.

 

Lot 2-0-3, Kolam Center, Phase 2,

88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.  

Mon-Sun : 10AM-10PM

8.      Simple Life

If you love your nasi lemak, but you feel that it’s too much of “lemak” for you, Simple Life is the right place for you. They serve vegetarian nasi lemak alongside with brown rice, which is a much healthier choice compared to white rice!

 

LG-232A, Lower Ground Floor,

The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City,

Lingkaran Syed Putra,

59200 Kuala Lumpur

Mon-Sun: 10am – 10pm

9.      Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie

Although Secret Recipe is known for their yummy cakes, they also have another specific restaurant for health-enthusiasts! If you love vegetarian food, or just wanting to give it a try, head to Beyond Veggie by Secret Recipe for their delicious and healthy food!

 

Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

 54, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail,

 Kuala Lumpur 60000

Daily : 10AM-10PM

10.

Kechara Oasis is a fine-dining vegetarian restaurant located in Jaya One, Petaling Jaya that serves vegetarian dishes from Chinese, Tibetan, Vietnamese and Western cuisine.

 

UNIT 19-LG1, LEVEL B1 BLOCK D JAYA ONE,

 72A JALAN UNIVERSITI, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Daily : 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM

Kechara Oasis New Vegetarian

Diet & Nutrition, Wellness

YOU are what you EAT

Balanced diet and healthy eating is not just about having strict dietary confinements such as staying unreasonably thin or living in denial for the foods you love. Instead, it’s about feeling amazing, having more energy, enhancing your standpoint, and balancing out your state of mind. Having a healthier-eating habit lifestyle could definitely help you to sustain a healthier weight and avoid health problems. However, your mood and sense of wellbeing could also affect your diet in terms of your way of living.

You can always improve your mood and lower your risk to avoid health problems mentally. However, if you have already been diagnosed with a mental health problem, eating sufficient and nutritious meals can even help to manage your symptoms and regain control of your life.  What is most important is your overall dietary pattern, it depends on the type of food you eat, how you eat it and when you eat it. You must keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to completely get rid of the foods that you enjoy eating in order to sustain a healthy diet, because can always counterbalance what you eat by exercising regularly! By doing exercises regularly could also lead a healthier lifestyle regardless of what you eat. So if you still want to enjoy eating your favourite food without worrying of being unhealthy and unfit, make sure you do exercises regularly!

 

 

8 SIMPLE WAYS TO A HEALTHY-EATING HABIT

1.       NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!

You need energy to go through the day, you don’t want to feel tired throughout the day by skipping breakfast do you? At least have a piece of fruit and choose wholegrain bread instead of plain white bread.
2.       EAT WHOLEGRAIN BREAD AND CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST

Always go for good quality wholegrain breads instead of white breads and not to forget, good quality breakfast cereals too because these are the foods we eat almost every day.
3.       DETOX YOURSELF!

Green tea is high in antioxidants and it improves your blood flow and lower cholesterol. It may not taste good, but you got to do it to look after your health!
4.       NEVER SAY NO TO FRUIT AND VEGGIES

Always eat your fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of various diseases!
5.       WATER BOTTLE, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE

Always carry a water bottle with you and drink at least two bottles of water a day!
6.       EAT PROTEINS AND CARBOHYDRATES TOGETHER!

Try having some wholegrain bread with tuna, brown rice with chicken breast, or even yoghurt and fruits!
7.       TAKE TIME TO SHOP

When you’re out of stock, how can you maintain a healthy-eating lifestyle? Plan your schedule each week and list out all the foods that you need to get!
8.       WALK AN HOUR

Too lazy to do any other forms of exercise? No worries! Just walk, it’s the simplest workout that everybody can do. Make sure you walk at least an hour a day!

 

 

Diet & Nutrition, Wellness

Balanced Meals for Daily Consumption

Balanced Meals for Daily Consumption

Healthy life starts with healthy foods. It’s not about strict dietary limitations; it’s all about the balance of nutrients. Consuming a balanced meal is already fundamentally essential advice for everyone. The definition of balanced meals is the elaboration of foods that have nutritional content in accordance with the required nutrient intake. Nutrition needs of each person are different. It’s depending on gender, age, daily activities, and others. Although in a different number of nutrition needs, but we all need carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, fat, and fibre.

Carbohydrates
It needed by the body as a pillar of the main power source for the daily activities of the human body. It’s better to change your daily carbohydrates with the healthier. For example, have brown rice instead of white rice; it also contains 3.5 grams of fibre per cup.
Protein
The function of protein is to help body growth and replacing damaged tissue in the body. It’s good for body building. Good protein source contains no saturated fats and no cholesterol.
Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamins and mineral are essential nutrients your body needs in small amounts to work properly. There are two types of vitamins: water soluble and fat soluble. Water soluble vitamins include vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, Biotin, and Folate. They are not stored in large amounts in the body, and any extra is lost through your urine. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. They can be stored in your body, but the high amounts of fat soluble vitamins are not recommended. It can cause health problems. Vegetables and fruits are the best sources of vitamins.
Fat
Fat is a source of energy as well, but its more difficult to be absorbed by the body. Try to avoid saturated fats for your daily meals. If you have fish as your protein source, it also contains unsaturated fats.
Fibre
Fibre can help lower blood glucose, helps lower blood fat, smooth bowel movement, and make the stomach feel full faster.

 

Source : Widhi to give

Diet & Nutrition

The Hidden Fat Content in Your Diet

Do you nitpick over every last calorie and crumb, but let fat content go by the wayside? Fat grams are just as important to consider as calories, and you may be surprised at which foods have a shockingly high fat content.

It’s probably no surprise that greasy cheeseburgers, French fries, and pizza are loaded with fat. But did you know that even certain vegetables and healthy fish can have a high fat content? Keep in mind that fat is an important part of a healthy dietand while not all fat is bad, the fat content of a given meal should be evaluated just as closely as its calories.

Fat Content in Your Diet: How Much Fat Is Okay?

It’s important to pay attention to how many fat grams you eat each day to make sure you’re getting just the right amount of fat in your diet and no more.

The recommendation is that no more than 30 percent of your daily calories should come from fat, says Anne Wolf, RD, a researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Based on the average daily total intake of 2,000 calories, this means we should eat less than 65 grams of fat each day. “Typically we’re eating well over what we need,” notes Wolf.

There are two kinds of fats, commonly considered “good” and “bad” fats. Saturated and trans fats are bad, as they are linked to a number of health problems, like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unsaturated fats — the good ones — can actually protect your body from some of these conditions. Still, that doesn’t mean you can eat them without limit because too much of any fat, or of any food for that matter, can lead to weight gain.

When tracking the fat content of your meals, make sure that most of your fat intake is in the form of unsaturated fats, that less than 20 grams are coming from saturated fats, and that hardly any are from trans fat.

Fat Content in Your Diet: Fat in Everyday Foods

Think of the foods that frequently make up your daily meals. Have you ever considered their fat content? Here are some commonly eaten foods and where they weigh in on fat (typically the bad kinds):

  • Average fast-food hamburger: 36 grams
  • Average fast-food fish sandwich: 24 grams
  • 10 French fries: 8 grams
  • One ounce of potato chips: 10 grams
  • One slice of cheese pizza: 8 grams
  • Two ounces of bologna: 16 grams
  • One hot dog: 14 grams
  • Three slices of cooked bacon: 10 grams
  • One ounce cheddar cheese: 8 grams
  • One cup whole milk: 7 grams
  • Two tablespoons of peanut butter: 14 grams
  • One teaspoon of butter or margarine: 4 grams
  • One serving of most breads, bagels, and cereals: about 1 gram

If some of those numbers don’t look that bad to you, pay attention to the amounts and serving sizes of each of them. When was the last time you ate only one ounce of potato chips, just 10 fries, or a single slice of pizza? So think about fat content before you indulge in a burger and fries for lunch followed by pizza for dinner.

Fat Content in Your Diet: Surprisingly High-Fat Foods

While the high fat content of certain foods is no surprise, you may not realize that many other foods are loaded with hidden fat:

  • Movie theater popcorn (because of the way it’s processed)
  • Packaged meals with added sauces, butter, or oil
  • Highly marbled red meats, including some cuts of beef and lamb — that white marbling is fat
  • Chicken and other poultry if the skin is eaten
  • Salad dressings

Perhaps the biggest hidden sources of fats to watch out for are prepackaged snack foods and meals. They often contain dangerous trans fats — frequently listed as partially hydrogenated oil or vegetable shortening in the ingredients — because they give these foods a longer shelf life. Trans fats are particularly unhealthy for your heart and cholesterol levels and should be avoided as much as possible.

While you might know that olive and vegetable oils are high in fat, so are nuts, olives, avocados, and certain fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines. These foods contain the good, unsaturated fats — just monitor how much you eat to control yourweight.

Given the high fat content of so many foods, if you’re not careful, you could exceed your entire daily fat allowance by lunchtime! Keep an eye on your fat intake, and opt for unsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans fats. Your health, yourheart, and your waistline will thank you.

Source : http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/101/nutrition-basics/fats-in-some-common-foods.aspx

AFTNews, Diet & Nutrition

Low energy sweeteners help reduce energy intake and body weight, evidence shows

Source: University of Bristol

Summary: Use of low energy sweeteners (LES) in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced calorie intake and body weight – and possibly also when comparing LES beverages to water — according to a new review.

Use of low energy sweeteners (LES) in place of sugar, in children and adults, leads to reduced calorie intake and body weight — and possibly also when comparing LES beverages to water — according to a review led by researchers at the University of Bristol published in the International Journal of Obesity.

For the first time, all available science was integrated into a single review to evaluate the real impact of LES, such as saccharin, aspartame, sucralose and stevia, on energy intake (EI) and body weight (BW) over the short- and long-term. A considerable weight of evidence confirmed that consuming LES instead of sugar helps reduce relative energy intake and body weight.

Lead author Professor Peter Rogers from the University of Bristol said: “We believe that we should shift the question from whether LES are ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ and rather focus on how they should be best used in practice to help in the achievement of specific public health goals, such as the reduction of intakes of free sugars and energy.”

The authors conducted systematic reviews of relevant studies in animals and humans consuming LES in a non-restricted diet. In total, 12 human prospective cohort studies, 228 comparisons in human intervention studies (short and long-term) and 90 animal studies were examined.

Managing energy balance (that is, energy intake vs. energy expenditure) well results in a steady body weight. On the contrary, eating an excessive amount of food causes an increase in body weight as this extra energy is stored in the body as adipose tissue (fat). Low energy sweeteners were developed for consumers looking for ways to reduce their sugar and energy intake.

The comparison between LES beverages and water is important because it shows that LES do not increase appetite. If anything, the evidence suggests that LES beverages reduced weight more than water. One reason for this may be that switching from sugar-sweetened drinks to those with LES may be an easier and more acceptable dietary change to make than switching to water.