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Family Life Education Series |
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Ms Chan Tsz-man, Registered Dietician (USA), of the United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service, contributes the following article on a healthy diet. To stay healthy, we must start with our food and have a healthy diet. Nowadays, many urban people have health problems related to diet, such as obesity, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes and different types of cancer. A person who has three or more health problems is considered to have metabolic syndrome. More and more urban people are having metabolic syndrome. Besides elderly people and adults, the younger generation also has such problem. Prolonged intake of imbalanced diets, which are high in fat, salt and sugar with inadequate calcium and dietary fibre, will cause health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, hyperglycemia, osteoporosis and intestinal problems. Among all nutrients, fat has the highest concentration of energy at nine calories per gram. Fat is made up of glycerol and fatty acid and can be classified into Saturated Fatty Acid, Monounsaturated Fatty Acid, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid and Trans Fatty Acid. Saturated fatty acid induces the liver to produce cholesterol, which in turn increases the level of harmful cholesterol in the blood. Saturated fatty acid is mainly found in animal products, such as high-fat meat, chicken skin, whole milk, whole milk cheese, butter and cream, and plant oils like coconut oil, palm oil and their products. Monounsaturated fatty acid can reduce the harmful cholesterol and retain the good cholesterol in blood. It is mainly found in olive oil or canola oil. As fat is an energy-dense nutrient, only an appropriate amount should be consumed to meet body's needs. Polyunsaturated fatty acid can reduce both good and harmful cholesterol. Sunflower seed oil, corn oil, safflower seed oil and soybean oil are the main sources of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Fatty fish like salmon contain omega-3 fatty acid, which is a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acid can lower the harmful cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is advisable to consume a suitable amount of fatty fish to substitute the fatty red meat. Trans fatty acid is an unsaturated fatty acid. To extend the shelf life of food, improve its texture and stabilise its flavour, food manufacturers, will turn liquid oils to semi-solid through the hydrogenation process, during which trans fatty acid is produced. It may raise blood cholesterol level and contribute to heart disease. Common trans fatty food include margarine, vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, and some crispy food like biscuits, pastry pies, cookies, chocolate bars, French fries and chips, Chinese cakes and dim sum. Heart-smart diet tips: * Choose low fat meat like fish, leaner cuts and skinless poultry meat. * Adults are advised to consume about 190-230 grams of meat daily. * Eat no more than three to four egg yolks per week. * Reduce consumption of food or drinks that contain saturated fat and trans fat to avoid stimulating body to produce excess cholesterol. When you dine out, remember to: * Choose steamed, boiled or baked food. * Ask about the ingredients and cooking method of the food. * Reduce consumption of fried noodles and fried rice. Other alternatives are congee, rice noodles, egg noodles or Udon noodles in soup with vegetables and shredded pork. * Wash away the oil on the surface of fatty meat and vegetables with water. * Request for butter and salad dressing-free sandwiches. * Request for boiled plain vegetables without oil. * Choose more fresh meat and vegetables and reduce consumption of cured meat and pickled vegetables like "lap-mei" (Chinese preserved meat, sausages, luncheon meat, "siu mei"(BBQ roasted meat), ham, canned fish, salted fish, salted eggs, "mui choy"(Chinese pickled mustard cabbage), "zha choy"(Sichuan preserved vegetable) and salted sour cabbage to avoid intake of excess salt and sodium and effect on blood pressure. Ways to increase dietary fibre: * Eat red rice, brown rice and rice with corn, vegetables and red beans. * Increase choices of vegetables. * Consume western-style food such as mixed vegetable salad, vegetable rolls, carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes. * Increase intake of other high fibre food, like fruit and farfalle pasta salad. * Cook soup with fruit and vegetables. * Add oat/oatmeal in food, like minced meat with water chestnuts, minced meat with oat and oatmeal porridge. Tips on pre-packaged food labels: In purchasing pre-packaged food, you can find out the percentage of each ingredient from the nutrition label. Watch out for the percentage of sugar, fat and salt in the label. The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations, including the 1+7 nutrition label and nutrition claim, came into effect from July 1. The 1+7 nutrition label includes energy, protein, carbonhydrates, sugar, total fat, saturated fatty acids, Trans fatty acids and sodium. Nutrition claim includes Nutrient Comparative Claim, Nutrient Function Claim and Nutrient Content Claim. The Nutrient Reference Value is also included. It is calculated by per 100g or per 100ml to determine whether the nutrient value in the food is excessive or not. Health tips on a balanced diet: 1. Consume one portion of low fat dairy products. 2. Eat two fruits. 3. Consume cereals, high fibre and low fat food in our three meals. 4. Have four portions (equivalent to two bowls) of vegetables. 5. Eat 190-230grams of meat. 6. Drink seven cups of water. (Welfare Service Group of PS & SR Branch)
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