The idea that nuts are bad for you has now changed. Studies show that having a small serving of nuts daily can provide you with many nutrients. Nuts are made up of at least 50-70% fat, mainly unsaturated, and 10-20% protein.
I’m sure you have heard much ongoing debate about the effects of microwaved vegetables. Although these rumours suggest that vegetables lose their nutrients when microwaved, this isn’t true.
Fruit and vegetables contain a variety of vitamins, minerals, beneficial plant substances known as phytochemicals and dietary fibre, which are known to be protective against heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.
Overall brightly coloured fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant substances. As all fruit have their own unique properties which benefit our health, we are encouraged to have a variety.
Is drinking fruit juice or vegetable juice healthier than eating fresh fruit? Listen on to find out. Most agree that eating a whole fruit is more nutritious than having it as a fruit juice. Why?
The Health Promotion Board recommends that you consume 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables every day. Why are fruits and vegetables so good for you? Here are 2 plus 2 great reasons.
Legumes are good meat alternative due to its high protein content. As they are also low in fat, saturated fat and contain no cholesterol, including them in your diet on some days to replace your meat intake, may help reduce cholesterol levels.
Calcium is an important mineral needed for the building and maintaining of bones and teeth. The body gets the calcium it needs from food which are rich in calcium. Major sources of calcium include milk and dairy products. However, non-dairy sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, soya bean products, sardine and ikan bilis are also sources of calcium.
Breakfast is the healthful way to start the day and yet many of us miss this meal because we are either rushing to get the kids to school or getting ourselves ready for work.
Soy beans are nutritious and contain high amounts of protein. Not only that, they also contain calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids and fibre.
It is about 10 am and you are feeling hungry. You walk towards the vending machine and are about to choose a chocolate bar. But, you stop yourself and decide to ignore your hunger pangs. By lunch time, you are so hungry that you eat more than you normally would.
Yoghurt is a fermented milk product, made by adding starter culture of bacteria to pasteurised milk. This culture naturally acts on the milk’s sugar to give yoghurt its characteristic thick, creamy texture and tangy flavour.
Grocery shopping can be interesting and challenging especially when new food products find their way into our supermarket shelves. Before you grab a shopping cart and head for the aisles, here are some tips for you to practice.
Fibre is a type of complex carbohydrate which does not get broken down by the body into glucose. Though it is not a nutrient and eventually gets eliminated, fibre is still beneficial to health. There are two types of fibre, insoluble and soluble fibre. Both have different functions and benefits.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Singaporean women. Consuming a diet high in fat can provide excessive calories and lead to overweight and obesity. Evidence has shown that being overweight and obese not only increase the risk of breast cancer, but also other types of cancer such as colorectal cancer.
Mention eggs and seafood, and the first thing that pops into everyone’s mind is cholesterol. It is true that eggs and some seafood are high in cholesterol, and a diet high in cholesterol may result in an elevated blood cholesterol level. A high blood cholesterol level is a risk factor for heart disease.
Let’s talk about healthier fast foods. Yes you heard me right, healthier fast foods! I’m sure you’ve heard the flak the fast food industry has received about their high fat and sugar content but I’ve good news for you. You can still enjoy fast food occasionally, but be mindful of the portion sizes.
What are nutrient claims? They’re simply claims listed on food products which let you know if a particular product is high in fat, low in cholesterol or high in fibre. Examples of nutrient claims are ‘high-fibre’ biscuits, ‘reduced-fat’ milk and ‘cholesterol-free’ cooking oil.
High Blood Cholesterol is a form of lipid disorder. Lipid disorders are a group of medical conditions which refer to excessive levels of fatty substances in the bloodstream. When your doctor says that you have high blood cholesterol, he usually means that you have excessive levels of LDL or ‘bad’cholesterol in your bloodstream. High LDL cholesterol levels increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Sally and Lily go marketing twice a week together. They’re good friends who always share tasty recipes. Sally is a health conscious person who often cooks tasty and yet healthy meals while Lily prefers to use more salt, sauces, oil and sugar in her cooking. Both Sally and Lily decided to enrol in a cooking class together one day to learn new recipes.
Did you know that each type of fat has different effects on our health? Some fats have desirable effects, and some don’t. Let’s talk more about fats with less desirable health effects They’re saturated and trans fat which can be called the “Bad Fats”.
There are 4 different types of fats: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and trans fat. Each type of fat has different effects on our health. Some fats have more beneficial effects on health while others do not.
Singaporeans love food and enjoy eating out. A recent National Nutrition Survey showed that almost half of adult Singaporeans have their meals at hawker centres 6 times or more a week. Given such eating habits, making healthier food choices when eating out can certainly make a big difference to one’s health.
Fat is an essential nutrient for good health. Some food such as most fruit and vegetables, have almost no fat while food like butter contains a high amount of fat. Besides being naturally present in food, fat is also often added during cooking and during the manufacturing process of food products.
Calcium is needed for bone growth and development throughout the lifespan. Studies show that children, who consume enough calcium daily, have a lower risk of developing "porous bones" or osteoporosis later in life.
Good nutrition during childhood years is vital for the growth and development of your child. Childhood obesity is a growing concern which can lead to health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease later in life.
You may have heard that antioxidants and phytochemicals can prevent heart disease, cancer and some say even ageing. So what exactly are antioxidants and phytochemicals?
Foods high in saturated fats increase the blood cholesterol levels and put you at risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. This is why HPB encourages food centres and food courts to use healthier oil in cooking food.
Losing weight is easy but keeping it off is a challenge. This is a struggle many people face. Surprisingly, maintaining weight is simple, if only, you keep these truths in mind.
The use of health supplements is increasingly popular over the years. Currently, health supplements do not require the approval of authorities to be sold and supplied in Singapore. Therefore, it is very important to know more about these products before taking them.
Fad diets have become popular as they claim to help us shed off extra kilos in a short time. However, many such "restrictive" diets can be harmful if practised for a long period of time because they severely limit the variety of foods one can eat.
Recent research points towards the role of trans fats and the increased risk of heart disease. This week, we are going to talk about trans fat: how it is formed, where it is found, and what you can do to reduce your intake.
Are you planning to cater for your end-of-the-year festive party? Good news! The Health Promotion Board has collaborated with caterers to provide healthier menus.
"HPB is committed to helping Singaporeans attain optimal health through our health promotion and disease prevention programmes. HPB's website, 'HPB Online' offers the latest information about healthy living, health events and links you to a healthy lifestyle."
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Episode 46: Are Nuts Healthy for You?
Episode 22: Healthier food choices