Beat the CNY Holiday Binge

January 30th, 2011

By Pooja Vig

Overeating is pretty much accepted as the norm this time of year. Chinese New Year cookies, buffets, office functions, parties, and huge family get-togethers seem to conspire against our usual healthy eating habits. Just as you start thinking about your new year’s health eating plan, February comes along with its many treats to de-rail the best of intentions. Here are some nutritional short-cuts to tackle some familiar situations:

Office Treats

Chinese New Year cookies are everywhere. When they are in the office pantry or on your desk it is just so easy to have just the one, then another. You know how that goes. Most of these treats are sugar. Even the savoury snacks are basically pure carbohydrate, which means that you are likely to succumb to them most easily in the afternoon, sometime between 3 and 5pm.

Tip: Make sure you have some protein at lunch so that your blood sugar levels don’t experience a significant dip in the late afternoon. Your body needs to eat a couple of hours after lunch so plan an alternative snack. A handful of spiced mixed nuts or apple chunks with some peanut butter work well. Take a fibre supplement such as psyllium fibre, mixed in water, 2-3 times a day. This achieves two things: First, it keeps you full you up and it also forms a gel in the stomach that absorbs extra fat and sugar from your food, and draws these out of the body.

The Party

Parties are meant to be enjoyed. But, no one enjoys the feeling that follows an evening of binging. Many people make the mistake of picking at their food during the day, and then overeating at night while at parties. However, this only sets you up for overeating. Instead of saving up for the party, continue to eat regular, light meals during the day.

Tip: Having psyllium mixed in water before heading for the party works like a treat. By the time you reach the party, you won’t feel as full and the fibre will work to remove extra fat and sugar from the food you eat.

Family Dinner

This is where it is perhaps the hardest to eat less. Family members love to encourage more food on the plate making it hard to say no.

Tip: Take charge of your plate. You don’t have to skimp on food, but you do need to be in charge of what does on your plate. Pile up on vegetables and have a good portion of protein. Limit or avoid carbohydrates such as white rice and noodles. Allow yourself a small portion of something you really enjoy as an indulgence.

Buffets

Buffets with incredible displays of fancy foods entice people to eat far more than they ordinarily would. The thought process is: this is a special treat, I’ve paid for this already, and to really make it worth my while, I must eat as much as possible, because that is where the value lies.

The solution: break this pattern by changing your idea of where value lies, and of how a special treat should leave you feeling. The value is not in the food alone, it is in the whole experience. Overeating is not necessary to derive the benefit. Ask yourself how you’d like to feel after a special treat: stuffed, heavy and uncomfortable with indigestion How can it be a treat when the outcome is so negative A treat should add to your sense of wellbeing, not detract from it.

Tip: Wait 20 minutes before getting up for another round so that your brain has time to register how hungry you really are.

Pooja Vig is a nutritional therapist, and trained microbiologist, with an independent practice at The Nutrition Clinic. For more information, visit: www.thenutritionclinic.com.sg

Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong extols benefits of psyllium fibre

January 27th, 2011

LiveStrong.com, the website linked to world-champion cyclist, and cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, gives the thumbs up to the multiple health benefits of regular psyllium fibre husk intake.

Read the full story ‘Is Psyllium Husk Good to Use as a Fiber?’ at LiveStrong.com

Psyllium husk helps the body absorb vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants

January 23rd, 2011

A recent post on Optimum Health Information explains how regular intake of superfoods such as psyllium husk helps the body better absorb the building blocks for better living: minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

Read the story ‘Psyllium Husk Fiber – Dietary Fibers and Antioxidants for a Healthy Body’ at Optimum Health Information.

Five superfoods to lower cholesterol naturally

January 7th, 2011

By Pooja Vig

Do you want to use diet to lower cholesterol?

You are not alone. There is growing interest in using natural nutritional strategies to achieve optimum cholesterol levels for long-term heart health. Here’s some good news: To lower your cholesterol, you need to actually eat more of certain superfoods. These have been studied and shown to make a big impact on cholesterol levels.

There is growing evidence that specific foods and supplements — such as psyllium husk, nuts, cranberry, fish oil and garlic — can help control cholesterol levels as effectively as some cholesterol-lowering medicines. These superfoods not only lower total cholesterol levels but they also achieve better balance between the good (HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels.

Try these five super-foods. Make sure you add each of these into your diet daily for best results:

  • Psyllium Fibre HuskPsyllium Husk
    Psyllium husk has been clinically proven to lower LDL cholesterol levels within 8 weeks of regular consumption.  The tiny husk is an excellent source of soluble fibre, which acts like a sponge in the body. When taken before food, the fibre soaks up cholesterol so you excrete it rather than absorb it into your body. Just an additional 10 grams of fibre does the trick! Studies show that adding by adding 10grams (approximately 2 doses of psyllium husk) to a standard person’s diet, cholesterol levels can lower by as much as 23% and the risk of dying from heart disease decreases by 29%.
    Daily Dose: Aim to add 10 grams of fibre to your diet through psyllium fibre supplementation.  For maximum health benefit, take your daily dose of psyllium half an hour before lunch and dinner.
    Tip: Look for a brand such as C-Lium Fibre that does not bleach the psyllium husk (bleach = more chemicals) but offers it in a natural, minimally processed state. C-Lium’s individual sachets are super convenient. Just two of these will help you achieve the optimal dose needed for cholesterol management.
  • NutsNuts
    Phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium found in nuts can reverse damage to arteries. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat – but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have all been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol. Almonds, walnuts and pistachios have been studied for their heart health benefits. For example, a study conducted at Penn State University showed that eating pistachios significantly lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels while research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed eating walnuts after a high-fat meal might protect the heart.
    Daily Dose: 1 ounce of dry-roasted, lightly salted nuts
    Tip: Pair nut butters (such as unsweetened almond butter) with sliced apple for a healthy and satisfying snack
  • Fish OilOmega 3 Fatty Acids
    Fish oil is rich in omega 3 fatty acids which lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids are noted for their triglyceride-lowering power.
    Daily Dose: Eat at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring. For additional heart protection, take an omega-3 supplement that combines EPA and DHA (two specific types of omega 3 oil).
    Tip: Make sure the fish oil you take has been cleaned of mercury and other environmental toxins.
  • CranberryCranberry
    Based on human studies, researchers have found that cranberry significantly raises levels of good cholesterol in the blood and increases plasma antioxidant levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. Cranberry has also been found to be beneficial for urinary tract health.
    Daily Dose: 3 glasses of pure cranberry juice. However, pure cranberry juice is extremely tart and unpalatable. Moreover, it may irritate the digestive lining.  Many brands of cranberry juice add sugar to mask this taste, but the added sugar is not good for cholesterol or general health.
    Tip: For your daily dose of cranberry, rely on extracts rather than the juice. Aim for 1000mg/day. CranUT all-natural cranberry supplement is a reliable option.

  • GarlicGarlic
    Numerous clinical trials have looked at the role and benefits of garlic supplements in heart disease. Many of these randomized studies showed positive benefits of garlic in heart disease: in particular, lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. A few studies also suggest that garlic prevents narrowing of the arteries.  In one study with 200 people who had heart attacks, garlic reduced the likelihood of another attack occurring in the next three years by two-thirds.
    Daily Dose: 1 fresh clove
    Tip: Try purple and black garlic both of which have higher antioxidant levels, and a unique flavour!

Pooja Vig is a nutritional therapist, and trained microbiologist, with an independent practice at The Nutrition Clinic. For more information, visit: www.thenutritionclinic.com.sg

Cholesterol 101 & Good Nutrition vs. Heart Disease

March 29th, 2010

The CBC News network of Canada explains the basics behind cholesterol and why its important.

Read the full article ‘Cholesterol: Keeping your levels in check‘ at the CBC News website.

CBC News goes one step further and provides advice on better nutrition to protect yourself against heart disease.

Read the full article ‘Nutrition to protect yourself against heart disease‘ at the CBC News website.

Three of a healthy heart’s best buds

March 29th, 2010

Psyllium fibre is mentioned as one of nature’s best friends that reduce heart disease in a report from Canada’s National Post.

Read the full-story at The National Post website.

Constiptation and Children

March 29th, 2010

Constipation is a perennial problem for parents, especially when picky-eating habits or fears about going to public toilets make it difficult for children to have a balanced diet or allow the call of nature to take its course. Regular supplementation of psyllium fibre (discreetly added to soups or cereals, etc) provides a natural and safe way to help increase the daily fibre intake of your child and improve regularity.

Read more from About.com

The Truth About Fibre

March 29th, 2010

In a recent interview on Channel News Asia, Nutritional Therapist Pooja Vig explained the benefits of superfoods such as psyllium which increase daily soluable and insoluble fibre intake, thus helping regularity, assists with maintaining health cholesterol and sheds light on new evidence that fibre plays a role in reducing the risk of breast cancer. See the video interview in full at the Channel News Asia website.