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Pertubuhan Kesihatan Dunia (WHO) telah mewartakan bahawa merokok merupakan risiko yang spesifik bagi mendapatkan COVID19 (1,2). Hal ini adalah kerana, merokok merupakan penyebab kepada komplikasi sistem pernafasan dan organ badan yang lain. Justeru itu, jika virus korona ini menyerang tubuh badan individu yang merokok, peratus untuk individu tersebut pulih lebih rendah berbanding dengan individu yang tidak merokok manakala peratus untuk individu tersebut untuk mengalami kegagalan paru – paru yang serius pula adalah tinggi.
Umum mengetahui, COVID19 adalah virus yang menyerang sistem pernafasan, jadi, individu yang merokok atau yang mempunyai masalah pernafasan dan/atau sakit – sakit kronik yang lain seperti masalah jantung, buah pinggang, kencing manis dan lain -lain jika terdedah kepada virus ini, mempunyai sebanyak 80.7% lebih risiko untuk terdedah kepada kematian berbanding individu yang tidak menghidapi penyakit kronik (3).
Statistik juga menunjukkan bahawa, warga emas yang berusia 60 tahun ke atas mempunyai 62.6% risiko terdedah kepada kematian jika terdedah kepada virus ini berbanding individu yang di bawah usia 60 tahun (3). Lebih menakutkan lagi, jika individu yang berusia 60 tahun ke atas, dan mempunyai sejarah penyakit kronik terdedah kepada virus ini, risiko menghadapi kematian adalah sangat tinggi berbanding dengan individu yang yang berusia kurang dari 60 tahun dan tidak mempunyai sejarah penyakit kronik.
Tabiat merokok itu sendiri yang menyebabkan individu berisiko terdedah kepada pelbagai jenis komplikasi kesihatan, akan tetapi sebelum ini mungkin perokok menghadapi kesukaran untuk berhenti merokok disebabkan faktor rakan sekeliling, tekanan kerja dan sebagainya. Akan tetapi oleh keranan dunia diancam dengan wabak COVID19, individu yang merokok mempunyai lebih sebab untuk berhenti merokok kerana anda mempunya risiko yang lebih tinggi terdedah kematian jika terdedah kepada virus ini.
Antara cara untuk berhenti merokok, yang telah dikumpulkan oleh Pengkalan Data Cochchrane Edisi Istimewa, mengenai cara – cara berhenti merokok adalah dengan menggunakan terapi kombinasi, iaitu penggunaan ubat dan juga sokongan moral (4).
Penggunaan Ubat – Ubatan seperti Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) telah digunakan sebagai salah satu cara untuk berhenti merokok sekian lama. Terapi ini adalah bagi tujuan untuk menggantikan kebergantungan perokok kepada nikotin dan seterusnya menggurangkan motivasi perokok untuk terus merokok. Ia juga membantu mengawal kesan sampingan akibat berhenti rokok/ kurang merokok (4).
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) ini memberikan nikotin dalam dos yang rendah kepada perokok tanpa apa apa bahan merbahaya yang lain seperti yang terdapat di dalam rokok. Terdapat pelbagai jenis Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) dipasaran, iaitu sama ada dengan menggunakan gula getah nikotin (nicotine gum), ‘nicotine inhaler’, ‘nicotine lozenge’, ‘nicotine patch’ atau ‘nicotine nasal spray’. Kesemua jenis produk ini mempunyai dos, cara, dan kekuatan yang berbeza (5).
Produk bagi terapi nikotin telah direka dengan pelbagai jenis mekanisma untuk penyerapan dan perembesan nikotin di dalam badan. Sebagai contoh bagi gula getah nikotin, inhaler nikotin, lozenge nikotin dan nasal spray nikotin, ia memberi kesan kepada otak dengan lebih cepat berbanding nicotine patch akan tetapi mempunyai proses perembesan yang lebih lambat berbanding merokok (5). Nicotine patch pula merembeskan nikotin dos secara perlahan – lahan dan secara pasif, oleh kerana itu terapi nicotin patch biasanya digunakan bersama produk yang lain.
Kepelbagaian produk bagi membantu perokok berhenti merokok memberikan perokok beberapa pilihan untuk berhenti merokok dengan kaedah yang paling sesuai, berdasarkan kekerapan perokok merokok dan kebergantungan perokok kepada rokok tersebut (4,5). Kesemua produk ini berkesan jika digunakan mengikut kesesuaian terhadap tahap aktiviti merokok seseorang individu. (5).
Selain daripada penggunaan ubat – ubatan, terdapat beberapa langkah yang biasanya disyorkan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), iaitu yang pertama ialah dengan membaca atau mendapatkan informasi mengenai bahaya rokok dari sumber yang sahih, berkenaan bahaya merokok dan kelebihan berhenti merokok.
Terdapat banyak kelebihan berhenti merokok kerana merokok memberi banyak keburukan kepada diri sendiri dan orang sekeliling terutama ahli keluarga, sebagai contoh kanak – kanak yang selalu terdedah kepada asap rokok atau asap rokok basi akan lebih sering sakit seperti batuk – batuk, selsema serta jangkitan telinga, hidung dan tekak. Merokok juga boleh membuatkan paru – paru lemah dan penyakit seperti asma (6).
Selain daripada aspek kesihatan bagi orang yang tersayang, merokok juga boleh menyebabkan anda mendapat pelbagai jenis penyakit seperti, kanser paru – paru, penyakit paru – paru yang kronik, strok dan ulser di bahagian bawah lapisan kulit perut. Individu yang merokok juga mengikut statistik mati lebih awal, kerana statistik menunjukan satu dari dua orang perokok mati disebabkan penyakit berkaitan merokok (6).
Tabiat berhenti merokok juga dapat menjimatkan wang, labur wang anda berbanding membeli rokok sebagai contoh
Wang untuk membeli rokok = RM5.00/sehari
Sebulan = RM 150.00
Setahun = RM 1800.00
Jika anda melabur untuk 10 tahun, anda sudah mempunyai RM18,000.00 dalam akaun simpanan anda) (6).
Selain, Ia juga dapat melindungi alam sekitar – Puntung rokok dibuang oleh perokok boleh menyebabkan kebakaran (6).
Terdapat pelbagai kaedah untuk berhenti merokok. Faktor yang paling penting adalah keinginan anda untuk menjadikannya satu kenyataan. Mula dengan menetapkan tarikh untuk berhenti merokok dan pastikan tarikh tersebut boleh dicapai. Dalam pada masa yang sama, anda mesti yakin dengan keupayaan diri untuk berhenti merokok. Katakan pada diri anda “saya bukan perokok” Ulang beberapa kali sehingga menjadi semangat untuk berhenti merokok. Sentiasa berfikiran positif dan dapatkan sokongan daripada orang sekeliling.
Teknik berhenti merokok yang paling selalu digunakan dan disyorkan oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) ialah dengan mengamalkan Teknik 12M (6).
1. Melengah – lengahkan
Sebagai contoh jika anda terasa seperti mahu merokok, lengah – lengahkan tabiat tersebut seperti tunggu 5 minit atau katakan kepada diri sendiri sebentar lagi “saya akan merokok”.
2. Menarik Nafas Panjang
Tarik nafas 3 kali secara perlahan-lahan. Ulangi perkara yang sama sehingga hilang rasa untuk merokok.
3. Minum air
Anda juga boleh mencuba untuk minum air masak bagi mengalihkan perhatian anda dari tertumpu kepada ketagihan rokok.
4. Menyibukan diri
Buat sesuatu bagi mengalih fikiran untuk melupakan rokok. Buat perkara yang dapat mengalihkan tumpuan anda seperti bersenam atau bermain permainan video.
5. Menjauhkan diri daripada individu yang merokok
Oleh kerana musim PKP ini adalah masa yang terbaik untuk berhenti merokok. Anda boleh menjauhkan diri anda dari rakan – rakan dan ahli keluarga yang merokok, gunakan masa yang ada untuk bersama keluarga tersayang.
6. Mengelakkan diri daripada suasana atau situasi yang mendorong kepada merokok
Seperti keadaan berseorangan tanpa berbuat apa – apa (keadaan bosan) atau keadaan tertekan.
7. Mengunyah sesuatu seperti gula getah atau buah-buahan.
Mengunyah dapat membuatkan rongga mulut sibuk dan mengalihkan perhatian dari ketagihan rokok. Elakkan makanan yang manis kerana ia memberi risiko kepada penyakit – penyakit kronik yang lain pula.
8. Membasuh tangan selalu
Membasuh tangan dengan kerap juga dapat menghilangkan ketagihan kerana kita telah mengalihkan perhatian kita daripada keinginan untuk merokok.
9. Mandi dengan kerap
Mandi dengan kerap menyebabkan badan menjadi segar dan dapat melupakan ketagihan yang di alami, seketika.
10. Meregangkan otot
Senaman yang atau regangan otot apabila ketagihan untuk merokok datang dapat menghindarkan diri dari merokok.
11. Meditasi
Meditasi menyebabkan kita ingat kembali sebab – sebab untuk kita berhenti merokok dan boleh membangkitkan kembali semangat kita untuk berhenti merokok.
12. Memohon doa
Memohon doa agar rasa ketagihan dihilangkan dan dipermudahkan urusan untuk berhenti merokok seperti dihindarkan dari perkara – perkara yang boleh menyebabkan keinginan untuk merokok untuk kembali.
Selain daripada Langkah – Langkah yang telah disyorkan anda juga boleh mendapatkan maklumat yang lebih lanjut di laman sesawang KKM. Terdapat banyak bahan – bahan rujukan cara untuk berhenti merokok yang boleh di muat turun di laman sesawang yang sahih seperti di Portal MyHealth Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM)(5). Selain dari bahan – bahan sokongan yang boleh di muat turun, terdapat juga nombor QuitLine yang boleh dihubungi di nombor 03-88834400 bagi keterangan lanjut mengenai cara berhenti merokok dari kaunselor berhenti merokok atau layari laman web jomquit.moh.gov.my (4,5).
Rujukan
Fasting
has long been a part of many religious traditions, including the Jewish and Muslim
holidays of Yom Kippur and Ramadan, respectively. As you read this, billions of
Muslims around the world are participating in this act of faith, which involves
fasting from dawn to dusk. While fasting for Ramadan is based on spiritual
beliefs, many of us fast because we believe it benefits our health. However,
what happens to our bodies when we fast?
The primary source of energy for a person is glucose, which is obtained from carbohydrates such as grains, dairy products, fruits, certain vegetables, beans, and even sweets.
The glucose is stored in the liver and muscles and released
into the bloodstream when the body requires it. This process, however, changes
during fasting. The liver will deplete its glucose reserves after about 8 hours
of fasting. At this point, the body enters a state known as glucogenesis, which
marks the transition into fasting mode.
Glucogenesis has been shown in studies to increase the
number of calories burned by the body. Without carbohydrates, the body burns
its own calories. When there is no carbohydrate available, the body produces
its own glucose, primarily from fat.
The body eventually runs out of these energy sources as
well. Fasting mode then transitions into the more serious starvation mode. A
person's metabolism slows down at this point, and their body begins to burn
muscle tissue for energy. Although it is a well-known term in the dieting
world, true starvation mode occurs only after several days or even weeks
without food. So, unless other health conditions exist, it is generally safe to
go without eating for a day after breaking their fast after 24 hours. (1)
“A detoxification process also occurs, because any toxins
stored in the body’s fat are dissolved and removed from the body,” he adds,
noting that after a few days of fasting, higher levels of endorphins –
“feel-good hormones” are produced in the blood, which can have a positive
impact on mental well-being. As mentioned previously, the study by Dr.Longo and
colleagues suggests prolonged fasting may also be effective for regenerating
immune cells. “When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the
things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that
are not needed, especially those that may be damaged,” Dr.Longo explains. In
their study, publish in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the team found that
repeated cycles of 2 – 4 days without food over a 6-month period destroyed the
old and damaged immune cells in mice and generate new ones.
Furthermore, the team discovered that cancer patients who
fasted for three days prior to chemotherapy were protected against immune
system damage caused by the treatment, which they attribute to immune cell
regeneration. "The good news is that the body got rid of the parts of the
system that might be damaged or old, the inefficient parts, during the fasting,"
says Dr. Longo. "Now, if you start with a system that has been heavily
damaged by chemotherapy or ageing, fasting cycles can literally generate a new
immune system." (2)
Intermittent fasting, on the other hand, is associated with
numerous health risks, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS).
People who fast frequently become dehydrated, owing to their
bodies' inability to obtain fluid from food. As a result, it is advised that
Muslims consume plenty of water prior to fasting periods during Ramadan. Other
people who follow fasting diets should stay hydrated during their fasting
periods.
On the other hand, according to the UK’s National Health
Service (NHS), there are numerous health risks associated with intermittent
fasting.
Fasting can also cause heartburn; lack of food leads to a
reduction in stomach acid, which digests food and destroys bacteria. But
smelling food or even thinking about it during fasting periods can trigger the
brain into telling the stomach to produce more acid, leading to heartburn.(2)
Finally, to sum up, moderation is the key. Know the
precaution step to avoid the potential risk. A person must understand his or
her current health condition before proceeding to any sort of diet plan.
Fasting can also cause heartburn because a lack of food
reduces stomach acid, which digests food and destroys bacteria. However,
smelling food or even thinking about it during a fast can cause the brain to
tell the stomach to produce more acid, resulting in heartburn. (2)
To summarize, moderation is essential. Understand the
precautionary measure to avoid the potential risk. Before beginning any diet
plan, a person must first understand his or her current health situation.
References
Medical News Today (n.d). What Happens If You Don’t Eat For A Day? Timeline And Effects. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322065#can-fasting-promote-weight-loss [Accessed 29 April 2020].
Medical News Today (n.d). Fasting: Health Benefits And Risks. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/295914 [Accessed 29 April 2020].
However, the demand is increasing as well, due to consumers are increasingly concern about nutrition, health and food quality. Major concerns appear also due to food crisis involving pesticide residue on fresh produce, food contamination by chemicals in dairy and seafood products and the unregulated use of additives in processed food (2).
Furthermore, with the rise of obesity, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease people are becoming more aware of the effect of their eating habits on health. Some people opt for organic produce food also due to the environmental awareness and threat posed by pesticides use in the conventional farming activities (2).
Generally, consumers perceive and understand that organic produce food is mostly based on not using fertilizers and pesticides thus it is healthier, but is this true? Is this mean that food that is safe is equivalent to food that is healthy?
But first, let us see what organic produce mean….
“Basically, organic farming utilises natural ways to manage crops. When planting crops, natural fertilisers such as manure or compost are used to feed the soil and plants instead of synthetic fertilisers. Some fastidious parties would even go as far as to ensure that the manure comes from organically bred animals, and that the compost is produced from waste material of organic locations. Instead of using chemicals and insecticides to control pests and reduce plant disease, organic farms use natural ingredients such as enzymes or plant-based pesticides. They also practised companion planting, where certain plants that are known to repel insects (such as marigold or bunga tahi ayam) are planted close to crops (3,4)”
In Malaysia, Malaysia Department of Agriculture (DOA) is the body responsible for the National Standard of Organic Food Industry, they also conduct regular checking on all the organic produce food, and certify it, whilst Malaysia Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) is the body who actively conduct activities to educate farmers on organic farming etc (2).
Thus, from the above statement we know that organic produce food is not necessarily healthy but has safe level of pesticides since the farming method use is more environmentally friendly as compared to conventional produce food. Studies show that organic produce food have one third of the pesticides residue as compared to the conventional produce food on the market (4). However, both produce foods have safe level of pesticide residue, so to said it is safe to consume.
Whether a particular food is healthy or not, it cannot be judged on whether it is grown organically or not only. For a food to be consider healthy, there are many factors that play along. It is very important to remember that, there is no “healthy food like really healthy” food, what might be healthy for you might not be healthy for others, and the same food can also be considered healthy and not healthy merely on the portion consumption. (E.g: chicken is healthy but if you consume two whole chicken per day, then its hard to say that it is healthy anymore). So, to say healthy food itself is a concept comprising eating in moderation, food that has high nutritional value, eat variety of food, eat a balance diet and of course food that is safe to be eaten anddd at the same time food must be eaten according to individuals’ health/ medical condition.
But, if we are looking at the effect of organic food to see whether the consumption of organic food has actually improve health, there is a systematic review on the nutritional – related health effect of organic foods that collect all the studies on the effect of organic food published based on the hypotheses organic food production method results in higher nutrient concentration and that these compositional difference would result in different health responses, such as markers of carcinogenesis (cancer marker) or the bioavailability of phenolic substance (compound use to fight cancer) (1).
The result of the comparison between 12 studies in this review concluded that, antioxidant activity (compound use to fight cancer) was the most common reported primary outcome. Although antioxidant activity is a useful biomarker that maybe relevant to human health it is not direct health outcome itself. In fact, the mechanism of action that link between the effect of concentration of antioxidant and human health is mixed, thus care must be taken in interpretation of such data (1).
So, it is safe to say that, organic food is safer to eat as compare to conventional produce food in terms of pesticides residue but in terms of healthiness of the food, it is healthy to consume food in moderation, variety and balance.
References
Ramadhan is the month where Muslims around the world fast from
dawn to dusk. Healthy Muslims need to fast, begin with the pre-dawn meal called
‘suhoor’ and break the fast at dusk which call ‘iftar’. Apart from Ramadhan,
there are many other occasions where other religions around the world are also
practicing fasting. The difference is only the method and the do’s and don’ts
during the ritual. Since according to World Health Organization (WHO) there is
evidence suggests that fasting have positive effects on health (1), there are
also people who fast in order to lose weight (E.g: Intermittent fasting) and
for health purposes.
What happened to your body during fasting?
During fasting, when no food and drink is consumed, body uses
its stored carbohydrate (in the liver and muscles) provide energy. Once
all the calories from foods consumed have been used up, body will use the
excess food that we consume in the form triglycerides (fat) to provide us with
energy. This is when people usually loss weight.
Our body cannot store water so during fasting the kidneys
conserve as much water as possible by reducing the amount lost in urine.
However, body cannot avoid losing some water during certain process in the body
such as through your skin (perspiration) and when you breathe (2).
Due to all these changes during fasting, we must to make sure
that we practice healthy eating during fasting in order to make sure body that
our body is able to cope with all this changing process by not losing nutrient
needed but instead loss the unwanted fats, sugars, and cholesterol in the body.
4 Tips to eat healthily while fasting in Ramadhan
1.Do not skip ‘suhoor’
This is especially for special groups such as older people,
adolescents, pregnant women, nursing mothers and as well as children who choose
to fast. The meal for ‘suhoor’ must include vegetables, high fiber food
can slow down the empty rates on the stomach and make individuals feel satiety.
A serving of carbohydrates such as rice or bread (whole grain product is
better) and protein – rich food such as egg or/ and dairy product are also a
must.
Since ‘suhoor’ is very early in the morning and mostly people
do not bother to cook for long time, thus people opt to fry their food, it
is healthier to fry using air fryer where less fat (oil) is used, but apart
from frying it is actually recommended to use other cooking method such as
steaming or just stir fry since it use less oil.
During ‘suhoor’ also people tend to cook processed food such
as sausages, nuggets etc, all these processed food actually contain high salt,
it is better to avoid food that is high in salt, cause it will also makes
one very thirsty later, thus food such as pickle, processed foods, salted
meat and fish products, salty cheese and various types of ready-to-eat foods
are best to avoid (1,2).
2. Keep hydrated
Make sure to drink 8 glass of water per day, still. Here
is tip on how to drink 8 glass of water in Ramadhan according to Ministry of
Health Malaysia (3).
Other than this, you can also increase water intake
by consuming hydrating food. Try to add hydrating food such as watermelon,
cucumber, tomato and green salad. You must also avoid caffeinated
beverages such as coffee, tea and cola, because caffeinated beverages are
diuretic (which means it makes one urinate more often when consumed) this will
lead to dehydration as well. Soupy food also rich in water thus it is
suggested to consume this kind of food when break the fast. During the day of
the fasting period, when the temperature is high (E.g: noon) it is important
to remain in a cool and shaded place and to avoid the sun (1,2).
3. Break the fast gently
When it is time for break the fast, avoid filling up on
greasy foods in the form of cakes and deep-fried savory snacks. It is best to
go for dates, fruit or nuts to satisfy your hunger. If you often get caught in
the rush hour traffic, consider keeping these preferred choices handy in small
containers in your handbag or backpack so you do not have to delay your
breaking of fast. This will prevent you from getting overly famished at dinner
after the prayers, where you risk overeating and causing indigestion (4).
In Islam also, it is a sunnah habit to consume dates when
break the fast;
You may also try to consume date and water to break fast and
perform maghrib prayer first, then only begin to eat heavy meals, just as
the suggestion from Ministry of Health Malaysia.
4. Moderation and variation
The changes to eating habits and lack of fluids during the day
may cause constipation for some people. When you can eat and drink, consume
plenty of high fiber foods, such as wholegrains, high fiber cereals, bran,
fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils, dried fruit and nuts alongside plenty of
fluids will help to ease constipation. Do some light physical activity, such as
going for a walk after iftar or right before iftar in the evening will also
helps with the constipation and indigestion after iftar.
While Ramadhan is time for people to reunite however during
the pandemic of COVID19 it is best for people to not make a celebratory feast
together. Iftar meals are often a time for celebration (of the day that you
have successfully refrain yourself from eating and drinking) but it is still
important not to go overboard when eating during Ramadan. Consuming a lot of
deep fried, creamy and sweet foods may cause you to gain weight during Ramadan.
Ramadan can be a good time to make changes to improve the balance of your diet
that you can sustain in the longer term.
Be moderate in preparing ‘iftar’ and ‘suhoor’ menu. Moderation
is the key when you go for grocery shopping as well. You can also practice
‘suku – suku separuh’ during ‘suhoor’ and ‘iftar’.
References
It has been almost two months that
Malaysians persevered under the Movement Control Order (MCO), and then the
Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).The order by the government, enforced
since March 18, was to break the chain of the COVID-19 infection in the
country. As for now, the curve is getting flatter, with Malaysia ranked fourth
out of 105 countries in terms of people’s satisfaction with the government’s
efforts in addressing the pandemic (1,2).
With this being said, the number of
cases daily is also decreasing and the number of people whom have cured from
COVID19 also is increasing, with many new cluster has been surfaced, thus
on May 11, 2020, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyidin Yassin,
announced that the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) is extended until
9 June 2020 (1,2).
This brings sadness to many as the
Hari Raya Aidilfitri is approaching, and the interstate travel is banned thus
for the first time in history, the norms of the Hari Raya celebration are going
to change 360 degrees, with the absence of the ‘balik kampung’ and the open
houses culture (1,2).
Here are some of the tips you may
practice during Hari Raya Aidilfitri new norms since World Health Organization
(WHO) expert in Medical Emergency, Dr. Mike Ryan stated that, once the MCO is
getting less strict people will still maintain the social distance but the risk
of infection will increase:
1.’Balik Kampung’ (1,2,3)
If your ‘kampung’ is in the same
state and everyone is healthy. If you must travel interstate, do not ‘balik
kampung’ stay where you are. Make sure the place you visit has not more than
twenty people with everyone is healthy in the family. The Director General of
Health also said that the “20 visitors per home” rule for Aidilfitri is not an
absolute number and must take into consideration the size of one’s domicile to
ensure social distancing above all. There is also 3Cs rule that is suggested by
Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), which is confined spaces, crowded
spaces and closed conversation that need to be avoided during Hari Raya
period. Furthermore, if the house you are going to visit has elderly who is
sick or baby, do not visit that house. Also before you actually visit a
particular house, call to inform or seek permission first, whether they are
ready to accept people for Hari Raya or not, because we might not know someone
might just have the symptoms on the hari raya itself, thus want to avoid people
during hari raya.
2. Practice 3C (4)
While you are visiting one another
during hari raya make sure to adopt the new norm such as according to Centre of
Disease Control (CDC) three steps you can take to keep yourself and your
community healthy and safe amid the coronavirus outbreak are Clean, Cover
and Contain. Frequently clean your hand by washing it with soap and warm
water for at least 20 seconds. During this hari raya period, avoid the
handshake culture, instead to show respect just put your hand on the chest.
Avoid touching other people and surfaces After every visit that you make, make
sure to clean hands before you enter the premise and after you enter the
premise. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that
contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them
together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with
unwashed hands. The CDC also recommends cleaning and disinfect regularly
touched surfaces daily. These surfaces include but are not limited to:
doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards,
toilets, faucets, and sinks.
Cover your mouth and nose, during
your visit. Make sure to cover your mouth and nose either by wearing mask
or cover your mouth and nose with tissue when you sneeze or use the inside of
your elbow. If you are using tissue, throw the tissue in the covered dustbin
and immediately wash your hands after with soap and water for at least 20
seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer as
instructed above.
Contain the spread of germs and the
virus by staying home if you feel sick except to get medical
care. Self-isolate and avoid close contact with people who are sick. Put
distance between yourself and other people for at least 1 meter, especially
people who are at a higher risk of getting sick. These include elderly and
anyone who has serious underlying medical conditions.
3.The usage of new technology among
elderly
Until early last year many of the
elderly have problem with regards to the usage of the internet, usage of the
gadget and all that. However, since Movement Control Order, many elderly have
learnt and know how to even make video call and buy things online. With Hari
Raya that is going to be celebrated during CMCO period, it is the new norm for
us to adopt this technology and be far from eyes but not in the heart. Call
your loved ones during hari raya, if they do not know, get someone in the area
to teach them on how to accept the call and call them during Hari Raya.
As for duit raya, it has been a
tradition for not only Malay to be giving and accepting ‘duit raya’ during hari
raya, however it is not wise to be giving cash anymore. With the use of e –
wallet and ‘duitnow’ we now able to transfer ‘duit raya’ contactless and
easier. Set aside an amount of your money for ‘duit raya’ and you are set to
give duit raya for your loved ones either through transfer or just scan it!
5.Warn
It is also a good practice, to warn
or advise one another during hari ray since sometimes people might forget the
do’s and don’t’s because we are so happy meeting everyone during hari raya.
Hence, a reminder from one another is very important to make sure everyone is
safe.
Lastly, Selamat Hari Raya
Aidilfitri from us Megalive Family to you and your family, may this Hari Raya
brings you lot of happiness and makes you closer in the heart with your loved
ones.
References
Setiap tahun Hari Raya Aidilfitri ialah pada 1 Syawal tahun Hijrah. Perayaan tersebut juga dikenali sebagai Hari Raya Puasa atau Hari Raya Fitrah atau Hari lebaran. Hari Raya Aidilfitri merupakan sambutan yang diraikan oleh umat Islam di seluruh dunia setelah berjaya menjalani ibadah puasa sepanjang bulan Ramadhan.
Antara amalam – amalan tradisi yang dilakukan semasa Hari Raya ialah amalan ziarah – menziarahi sanak – saudara dan jiran tetangga. Amalan mengeratkan silaturahim ini sangat digalakkan dalam Islam bagi memohon kemaafan di antara satu sama lain. Akan tetapi oleh kerana Hari Raya Aidilfitri tahun ini ialah pada musim Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Bersyarat maka, ikutlah saranan untuk beraya dengan selamat dalam kita menjauhi wabak COVID19. Walaupun sesetengah daripada kita ada yang telah mendapat vaksin tetapi masih ramai yang belum, dan sudah divaksin bukan bermakna anda tidak boleh dijangkiti wabak COVID19.
Semasa bulan Ramadhan sebelum ini, ramai di antara kita mengambil kesempatan menurunkan berat badan dan makan secara sihat. Walau bagaimanapun, apabila tiba musim perayaan, kebanyakan kita mengalami penambahan berat badan. Berat badan yang berjaya diturunkan sepanjang 30 hari menjalani ibadah puasa mungkin meningkat semula hanya selepas 15 hari menyambut Hari Raya. Hal ini adalah kerana, hari raya adalah masa untuk menikmati juadah hari raya yang hanya setahun sekali dimasak dan dimakan bersama – sama oleh kerana itu ramai yang mengambil kesempatan ini untuk makan juadah raya tanpa mengira jumlah kalori dan panduan pemakanan sihat (1).
Sebenarnya pemakanan sihat sangat mudah diikut walaupun ketika hari raya. Makan dengan sihat bukan bermaksud kita tidak dapat menikmati juadah hari raya akan tetapi makan dengan kadar yang betul dan dengan cara penyediaan makanan yang lebih sihat. Kita dapat bahagikan amalam pemakanan sihat ketika hari raya kepada dua kategori iaitu semasa penyediaan makanan dan semasa menikmati hidangan hari raya.
7 Tips Sediakan Hidangan Sihat di Hari Raya (1,2,3)
1. Kurangkan gula, minyak dan lemak dalam penyediaan biskut dan kek.
Gunakan ½ atau ¾ daripada kuantiti gula yang biasa digunakan semasa menyediakan biskut dan kek. Jika perlu, gunakan gula gantian bagi mendapatkan biskut atau kek yang sempurna tekstur dan rasanya.
2. Gunakan daging yang telah dibuang lemak atau ayam yang telah dibuang kulit.
3. Kurangkan mensajikan makanan yang bersantan, bergoreng dan berminyak.
4. Gantikan penggunaan santan dengan susu rendah lemak dalam penyediaan rendang dan kuah lontong.
5. Potong ayam atau daging dalam size yang kecil.
6. Gunakan ramuan tinggi serat untuk membuat biskut dan kuih raya seperti tepung bijirin penuh, oat dan buah prun.
7. Kurangkan penggunaan pewarna tiruan dalam penyediaan kuih-muih, kek dan puding. Sebaliknya gunakan pewarna semulajadi seperti dari sumber daun pandan dan sebagainya.
7 Tips Makan Secara Sihat Di Hari Raya (1,2,3)
1. Makan dalam saiz hidangan atau kuantiti yang kecil.
Pemilihan pinggan yang lebih kecil membantu dalam mengurangkan pengambilan makanan lebih – lebih lagi jika anda makan secara buffet.
2. Pilih makanan yang rendah kalori seperti buah-buahan serta makanan yang kurang minyak, lemak dan santan.
3. Pilih makanan tinggi serat untuk mengelakkan sembelit.
4. Hadkan pengambilan makanan yang manis dan berlemak seperti biskut raya dan dodol.
Anda juga boleh mengehadkan pengambilan kuih-muih atau kek semasa hari raya kepada hanya 5 biji kuih raya sehari dan kurangkan pengambilan makanan manis yang lain.
5. Pilih buah- buahan segar sebagai pencuci mulut.
6. Hadkan pengambilan makanan yang tinggi kandungan garam seperti kerepek
7. Minum air kosong berbanding minuman berperisa, minuman berkarbonat dan minumam yang manis.
Senang bukan? Ikutilah panduan pemakanan sihat semasa hari raya ini, agar usaha anda untuk menurunkan berat badan sepanjang bulan Ramadhan tidak sia – sia. Bagi individu yang mempunyai masalah kesihatan, hari raya bukanlah tiket untuk anda menikmati juadah tanpa mengambil kira faktor kesihatan ya!
Akhir sekali, selamat menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri, semoga hari raya ini memberi keceriaan kepada kita semua!
Rujukan
1. Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM). Bahagian Pemakanan. Perancangan dan Pemilihan Menu Sihat Rumah Terbuka Aidilfitri. http://nutrition.moh.gov.my/wpcontent/uploads/penerbitan/buku/Menu%20Rumah%20Terbuka%20Hari%2 0Raya%202013.pdf
2. Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM). Bahagian Pemakanan. Makan Secara Sihat di Hari Raya. https://www.infosihat.gov.my/index.php/multimedia/bukukecil/item/makan-secara-sihat-di-hari-raya
While in Malaysia, the number of Malaysians aged 60 years and above is estimated to be 1.4 million and is projected to increase to 3.3 million in the year 2020. The percentage of the population that is 60 years of age or older has also increased over the years: 5.2% in 1970, 5.7% in 1990, and 6.3% in 2000. In the year 2020, this percentage is expected to be 9.8% of the population. Between 1990 and 2020, the population of Malaysia is expected to increase from 18.4 million to 33.3 million, an increase of 80%. The aged population, however, is expected to increase from 1.05 million in 1990 to 3.26 million over the same period, an increase of 210% (2).
The population is ageing at a much faster rate than in the past. All countries face significant challenges in ensuring that people's health and social systems are prepared for this demographic shift. The healthcare system and technology must keep up with people's health and needs (1,2).
Many more literatures on the topic of geriatric (elderly) health must be discussed. According to research, the elderly face issues such as frailty, which is frequently exacerbated by issues such as urinary incontinence, instability, falls, and acute confusion states. Furthermore, as people get older, they are more likely to develop chronic diseases (2).
All these issues contribute to elderly malnutrition; in addition, poor dentition, changes in dietary habits, and the types of food available all play important roles in this situation. Thus, if you have an elderly person with a poor appetite, make sure to rule out all physical issues before attempting to improve the elderly person's appetite (2,3).
Ways to stimulate the elderly's appetite as a carer or ways for the elderly to try it themselves (3,4):
References
1. World Health Organization (WHO). Key Facts. Ageing and Health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
2. Mafauzy M. (2000). The Problems and Challenges of the Ageing Population in Malaysia. The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3406209/
3. American Senior Communities. Is Loss of Appetite in Elderly is the Sign of Something Else? https://www.asccare.com/loss-appetite-elderly-sign-something-else/
4. Daily Caring. 6 Ways for Seniors with No Appetite to Eat. https://dailycaring.com/6-ways-to-get-seniors-with-no-appetite-to-eat/
Tinjauan Kebangsaan Kesihatan Malaysia atau Nama Inggerisnya, National Health Morbidity Survey Malaysia (NHMS) adalah survei kesihatan yang dibuat setiap empat tahun oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti status kesihatan rakyat Malaysia. Tinjauan ini adalah tinjauan yang melibatkan negeri di seluruh Malaysia.
Tinjauan ini mengkaji beberapa perihal aspek kesihatan yang terpenting seperti penyakit tidak berjangkit yang dialami oleh rakyat Malaysia iaitu obesiti, kencing manis, darah tinggi, dan masalah kolesterol. Ia juga merangkumi aspek pemakanan seperti pengambilan makanan dan minuman sihat, aspek kesihatan mental, kesihatan seksual dan pengambilan dadah. Selain daripada itu, tinjauan ini juga mengkaji aspek yang melibatkan perkhidmatan kesihatan di Malaysia.
Terdapat beberapa perkara serius menurut hasil dapatan ini iaitu;
1 daripada 2 dewasa di Malaysia adalah obese!
Obese atau obesity adalah masalah lebihan berat badan yang di alami oleh individu, yang berpunca daripada pelbagai faktor. Namun, apa yang lebih membimbangkan adalah, menjadi obese ini sendiri adalah merupakan risiko utama kepada masalah kesihatan seperti kencing manis, darah tinggi, kolesterol, masalah jantung serta masalah kesihatan yang lain – lain lagi.
Jika perkara ini berterusan, bayangkan setiap orang yang anda jumpai separuh daripadanya adalah obese dan mempunyai kencing manis, darah tinggi dan sebagainya!! Menurut kajian ini, inidividu yang mengalami obesity tertinggi adalah wanita iaitu sebanyak 57.6%, kaum india iaitu sebnayak 63% dan dalam kalangan mereka yang berumur 55 – 59 tahun.
Antara lain perkara yang membimbangkan ialah masalah kencing manis dalam kalangan rakyat Malaysia.
1 daripada 5 dewasa mengalami masalah diabetes!
Diabetes atau kencing manis adalah keadaan di mana paras gula dalam darah menjadi tinggi. Hal ini berpunca daripada kekerapan pengambilan makanan yang tidak sihat. Makanan yang tinggi karbohidrat, gula dan lemak dan gaya hidup yang tidak aktif.
Selain daripada peratusan obesity yang semakin meningkat saban hari, yang mengeruhkan keadaan ini juga adalah pengambilan minuman yang manis, menurut tinjauan,sebanyak 53.2% individu di Malaysia minum minuaman manis yang disediakan sendiri setiap hari, 4.2% individu minum minuman berkarbonat setiap hari dan 6.7% individu minum minuam 3 dalam 1 setiap hari.
Menurut tinjauan ini, seramai 3.9 juta dewasa berusia lebih dari 18 tahun menghidapi penyakit kencing manis. Kebanyakkan dari mereka yang berumur 18 – 40 tahun tidak tahu bahawa mereka menghidapi kencing manis.
Antar negeri yang mempunyai prevalen kencing manis yang tinggi adalah Negeri Sembilan (33.2%), Perlis (32.6%), dan Pahang (25.7%).
Antara gejala yang melibatkan masalah kencing manis ialah, keletihan, kerap membuang air kecil, kehausan yang melampau, penurunan berat badan, dan kerap mengalami jangkitan kuman. Sekiranya anda tidak mempunya gejala seperti ini, anda juga boleh melakukan saringan kencing manis jika anda mempunyai berat badan yang berlebihan, BMI melebihi 23 kg/m2 atau ukur lilit pinggang melebihi 80 cm untuk wanita dan 90 cm untuk lelaki.
Kegagalan mengenal pasti masalah kencing manis dengan lebih awal akan menyebabkan komplikasi yang lebih serius di masa akan datang.
4 daripada 10 dewasa mengalami masalah kolesterol
Seramai 8 juta rakyat Malaysia mempunyai masalah tinggi kolesterol, iaitu 4 daripada 10 orang mengalaminya. Bacaan kadar bagi tinggi kolesterol ialah sebanyak 5.2 mmol dan ke atas. Mereka yang berumur 40 – 59 tahun adalah individu yang paling ramai tidak mengetahui bahawa mereka mempunyai tahap kolesterol yang tinggi. Hanya 63% daripada individu yang mempunyai masalah kolesterol yang tinggi Berjaya mengawal tahap kolesterol dengan pengambilan ubat – ubatan.
3 daripada 10 dewasa mengalami Hipertensi
Hipertensi atau tekanan darah tinggi yang tidak dikawal boleh mengakibatkan serangan jantung, strok dan pelbagai penyakit kardiovaskular yang lain. Bacaan kadar tekanan darah tinggi yang tidak terkawal ialah bacaan yang melebihi 140/ 96 mmHg. Lelaki yang berumur 30 tahun ke bawah adalah mempunyai 3 kali ganda lebih ramai menghidapi hipertensi berbanding wanita. Dalam 6.4 juta rakyat Malaysia yang mengalami hipertensi atau tekanan darah tinggi, hanya separuh yang menyedari bahawa mereka menghidapi penyakit ini.
Kesimpulannya, masalah seperti obesity, kencing manis, darah tinggi dan tinggi kolesterol mempunyai perkaitan rapat antara satu sama lain. Penyakit – penyakit ini membawa komplikasi yang lebih serius dalam jangka masa panjang dan merupakan risiko kepada masalah kardiovaskular yang juga merupakan penyebab kematian nombor satu di Malaysia. Seramai 1.7 juta individu di Malaysia mempunyai tiga faktor risiko manakala seramai 3.4 juta individu di Malaysia mengalami faktor risiko utama.
Bagi mengatasi masalah ini, individu perlu mengawal bacaan tekanan darah iaitu bacaan perlu kurang dari 140/ 90 mmHg. Individu juga perlu mengamalkan diet yang seimbang dan sihat bagi mengekalkan berat badan yang ideal, selalu bersenam dan menghindari rokok dan alkohol.
Rujukan
DURIAN!!!
Eat whole durian is equivalent to 3 bowl of rice?
Durian or ‘King of fruit’ is a well-known fruit for its
smell. Anthony Bourdain, the late renowned food critic describes durian as “It
smelled like you buried someone holding a big wheel of Stilton (cheese) in his
arms, then dug him few weeks later” (1). That is to describe how horrible the
smell of durian is, but to certain people who like to eat durian the smell of
durian to them is heaven!
Durian actually has more than 30 species but the one
that people usually eat are about 8 species only, due to its exotic nature,
people have started to commercialized durian even to the international level.
The most common durian being exported and widely consumed is Durio Zibethinus
(2).
Due to its popularity, people started to questioning
about durian health benefits, whether it is good or bad for health? Unlike
apple, orange, guava and many other common fruits where people always equate it
to “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” which means, consuming all these
fruits are going to make you healthier, since it is packed full with nutrients
that is good for body. For durian, the opinion regarding its health effect is
mixing, some people say that it is good for health and can even be used to
alleviate infertility or PCOS, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and some people
say that it is heaty thus cannot be consumed too much etc. (3).
In general, durian is considered a safe fruit to eat
just like any other fruit, but since durian has high calorie value, thus it is
not advisable to consume in large amount unlike other fruits. Look at the
infographic below to understand, calorie in durian in comparison with other
fruits (4).
Here is the calorie of durian per seeds, surprisingly
eating 5 seeds of durian is equivalent to a bowl of rice! ANDDDD IF A
DURIAN CONSISTS OF 15 SEEDS IT IS EQUIVALENT TO 3 BOWL OF RICE! Thus, the
recommended intake of durian is only 2-3 seeds, which is equivalent to about
per serving of fruits or 90 kcal.
Though, it is crystal clear here that it is safe to eat
durian within recommended amount, but there are people who should be even more
cautious in consuming durian, that is people who are obese, people who have
diabetes and people who have kidney problem. As for people who are obese and
diabetes, it is due to its high calorie, high carbohydrate and high fats value
thus should be extra careful on the consumption of durian. Whereas for people
with kidney problem or undergoing dialysis, due to high potassium content in
durian and it is difficult for their body to excrete potassium, thus, they must
avoid eating TOO MUCH durian at all cost (4)!
Albeit durian has many health benefits, when it comes to
its consumption with other foods and beverages such as alcohol, it is said that
it can interfere with liver function. In detail, durian contain
sulphur-containing volatiles which can inhibit the enzyme aldehyde
dehydrogenase (enzyme that helps in process alcohol), thus explaining why
consuming durian together with alcohol is a deadly mixed (4).
As for the consumption of durian with paracetamol, there
is no study on human has been conducted, so far. But there is study on lab rat
regarding this. The study shows that, rat that receive paracetamol and durian
gives sign of hypothermic effect (significant drop in temperature) thus explain
that the two mixture is toxic. However, the mechanism of toxicity is still
unknown. To be safe, it is not safe to consume durian together with paracetamol
(5).
In conclusion, for people who does not have any health
concerns, consume durian within the recommended intake and consume it in
moderation, is very much advisable. While for those who have health concerns,
eat durian very minimally, it is advisable to eat other types of fruit that
have lower calorie count as compared to durian, but since it is in the season
thus consume it very minimally with caution towards calorie intake from other
food types as well is recommended.
References
On the social media recently, many people starts to sell grape seaweed or better known as latok. It is said that, latok has many health benefits, but to people from the Peninsular of Malaysia, latok is the new hype. Since many people saying that it is good for health, so people have starting to try and consume it. But how true is the claimed?
Latok, grape seaweed or its scientific name is Caulerpa Lentilifera, is a common ‘ulam’ for Sabahan. Study on latok in Malaysia is still very little perhaps because previously there is only small number of people who consume it regularly, but there are actually extensive studies conducted in Philippines on this latok, since it is a very common food in Philippines as well (1).
Surprisingly, according to studies, latok has various health benefits! However, the nutrient content in latok, is vary from one another based on its size, the location where it breeds, the ecosystem of its habitat and the maturity of latok when it is harvest (2).
Previously in Asian countries, seaweed has been utilized as a source of phycocolloids, thickening and gelling agents in the food industry. Since people have not yet discover it health benefits, perhaps it is about time for people to commercialized latok for its health benefits. Since studies shows that, latok is high with iron, zinc, calcium and fibre (2,3).
Latok is even recommended to be consumed by pregnant women, adolescents, and teenagers for its high calcium content, since these two groups of people is at the stage of needing high calcium for their growth and development (2,3).
Apart from its micronutrients, latok also has large amounts of polysaccharides, most of which cannot be digested by humans without the required enzymes for degradation. These polysaccharides can therefore be regarded as excellent source of dietary soluble fibre. This property therefore can lower the risk of constipation (2,3).
There are also studies claiming that, latok has the ability to lower the cholesterol, thus preventing heart disease and it has anti-cancer property (2,3). However, what more important is how people consume it. It is such a culture in Malaysia where people eat ‘ulam’ or vegetables with various kind of gravies such as sambal belacan, budu, cincalok, kicap and many others. It is such a waste to all these high content of nutrients where is supposed to be given benefits to the body but in returns give harm because all these gravies contain high salt content thus can even pose high risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
References
Superfood is a non-medical term, usually refers to foods that have health promoting properties. According to American Heart Association (AHA), there is just no specific category when it comes to superfood. It mostly is plant-based food but sometimes it can be fish and dairy that are nutritionally dense as well. Superfoods usually contain unusually high content of antioxidant to ward of cancer, high in fiber which does not spike blood glucose thus have the properties to prevent diabetes and digestive problem. It is also high with healthy fat to prevent heart disease and contain phytochemicals that is responsible for food deep colors. Example of superfoods are green tea, acai berries, salmon and quinoa (1,2).
What is quinoa?
Quinoa or also known as pseudo-cereals is world most popular superfood, even recognized by Harvard School of Public Health. Quinoa is gluten free, high in protein and one the few plant foods that contain complete all nine essential amino acids (3).
It is not only rare to have all the nine essential amino acids in a food, but it is as well is important and easy for us! To make it easy to understand, for amino acid there are two kind of amino acids, essential and non-essential. Essential amino acid is the amino acids that cannot be synthesized by human body, it must be gathered from diet, while the non-essential amino acids is the amino acids that can be synthesized by human body itself. Amino acid is important for the growth, repairing of body tissue, breaking down the food and many others. Thus, when quinoa has its all, this superfood really is NUTRITIOUS (4,5)!
Quinoa also is high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, E vitamin and various antioxidants (4,5).
Is Quinoa really superfood?
Yes! Even according to Harvard School of Public Health! Quinoa is technically a seed, but due to its nutritious properties it is considered as whole grain. One cup of cooked quinoa provides about 8g of protein and 5g of fiber. Thus, it really promotes satiety and is suitable for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
When it comes to superfood, there are various claim with regards to this. Some critical claim said that, a superfood might be a superfood but the process itself might make the superfood not as nutritious as it would be, which is why, it is really important to understand the cooking process and food process itself.
As for quinoa, it has different level of maturity of seeds even in the same plant, thus it must be hand-picked undergo the process of removing saponin – a bitter chemical compound coating the exterior part of quinoa that act as natural pesticides. After this process, quinoa is then healthy and safe to be eaten!
But due to its high nutrient content, some people said that, it not really palatable, especially with the Asian or Malaysian palate! Thus, there are few cooking or serving suggestion with regards to quinoa if you are to consume this superfood!
Replace your carbohydrate with quinoa
Since quinoa is better than the average rice, pasta, and many other carbs, thus it is advisable to replace it with quinoa. As an example, you may replace quinoa in sushi, pasta salad and you can even prepare it as a breakfast cereal by simply cook it with milk or water and diced in some fruits or pop in some cinnamon and a table spoon of nuts!
But, since Quinoa is prominently in cultivated in country such as Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador, thus it is really difficult to get the quinoa in the country like Malaysia, so what can one do with regard to this ?
It is to.. choose food product that has quinoa as its main ingredients!
You may drink it as it is and still get the benefits from quinoa if its in powder form, or you can even add this product in your salad, as gravy or in less sugar cookies, muffin, bownies or even pancake!
Example below on how quinoa can be served as!
Quinoa as breakfast cereal
Quinoa with salad
Quinoa puffed
Quinoa muffin
Quinoa bites
References
How to shop for healthy food on the market?
As the demands for healthy food is
increasing thus healthy food option on the market is becoming more ubiquitous
as well. In 2017, Forbes wrote that people who view on food related contents is
more than 23 billion and search on healthy food content like vegan or gluten
free food on the internet is increasing more that 100% (1).
As people are started to search for healthy food and
there are many healthy food options on the market, how do consumers make the
right choice in buying healthy food? Or is healthy food is more to marketing
strategy rather than ‘healthy’ itself ?
Tips for buying healthy groceries.
Buying groceries seems easy until, you put into account
your budget, how many heads need to be fed and the need to make healthier food
choices for everyone in the household! Even more headache, if any of the
members in the house have specific food allergies or certain medical condition
that allow only specific food to be eaten. Fret not, here we try to simplify
things for you and smoothen your grocery shopping experience!
1. Plan ahead (2,3,5).
In order to ease your groceries shopping out, you may
actually plan ahead your meal of the week, this can as well make sure that you
only shop within your budget. Meal planning not only saving your money and
time, but it also can ensure you and your family gets healthy and nutritious
meal. Below is the example of meal planning for family of two throughout the
week.
You may get this kind of template for weekly meal
planner online since it can be exciting, to incorporates your family members
favourite dish or trying new recipe using this. Based on this, you get to know
what are the things you need to stock at your kitchen and pantry with.
2. Looking for healthy food on the market (3,4,5,6,7).
Here comes the tricky one! After you have planned your
meal of the week, you may divide it according to classes of food, since food in
the supermarket or even your local grocery shop (support local, small SME), is
usually by category. Food classes can be divided into carbohydrate, protein,
fats, fruits, and veggies.
Carbohydrates (3,4,5).
Always remember to consume food in variation, balance
and in moderation, to keep you and your family a healthy balance diet. When it
comes to carbohydrate, make sure the source of your carbohydrate comes from
variety of source. Example of carbohydrate sources are pasta, rice, bread,
noodle, and some vegetables like potatoes. Vary food from these sources
throughout the week and choose food from the low glycaemic index and
whole-grain product more than the high glycaemic index.
Glycemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods
containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood
sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own. High GI foods are
broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood sugar
level, such as sugary and sugary foods, soft drinks, white bread, potatoes, and
white rice. Meanwhile, low GI food is the kind of food that will slowly spike
your blood because it is broken down slowly and makes you full longer (promotes
satiety). Example of low GI foods are green leafy vegetables, wholegrain food
such as oat and brown rice, legumes and many more.
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Protein (3,4).
Protein can also derive from various food resources,
commonly known are chicken, meat, and fish, but there is also other soy-based
food that is high with protein content, such as ‘tauhu’ and ‘tempeh’. Not only
that ‘tempeh’ (local soy-based food) is high with protein but rich in
probiotics as well.
Always choose white meat over red meat, since red meat
has high saturated fats which is not good for your heart health, it is ok to
consume it but in moderation and not too seldom. Dairy products are important
as well in incorporating healthy, balance meal, thus consider including dairy
product in your diet as well.
Fats (7).
There are many types of cooking oil on the market, they
are also marketed as the cooking oil which has low cholesterol level. Is it
true? This is all marketing strategy, as all of the cooking oil such as
sunflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, olive oil, or even the common one which is
palm oil is derived from plant thus, plant-based food generally does not
contain cholesterol. Cholesterol is only coming from animal -based food.
Below is the classification of cooking oil;
It is suggested to mix your cooking oil in the 1:1
ration, which means 1 part of monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat.
Vegetables & Fruits (3,4,5).
As for vegetables, it is suggested to consume 3 servings
of vegetables per day, thus you can tell that it needs to be the most food
items that you bought for the market in order to make sure everyone consume
enough vegetables.
It is quite troublesome when it comes to vegetables
since most of the vegetables have short life span. Make sure 20%-30% of your
vegetables coming from green leafy vegetables, since these are insoluble fiber
which is good for your digestion and slow down the spike of your blood glucose
level, but these are the kind of vegetables that is easily perishable as well.
The rest you may add with rhizome types of vegetables such as carrot and
radish, and another one us tuber such as potatoes.
Tuber kind of vegetables are mostly high in carbohydrate
as well, it is still helping the digestion, but it can spike your glucose
level. Thus, be careful on the consumption of this kind of vegetables.
3. Looking for LOW sodium, LOW sugar, LOW fat (6).
Always read food labels especially for condiments, but
it is also suggested to use natural herbs as to give flavour to your dish.
Garlic, ginger, celery, onion spring, turmeric, chilli powder are the kind of
herbs that can be used to improve your dish flavour.
As for condiments, less sugar, less salt and low fat,
does not mean that it has no sugar, fat and salt, but it just means that it is
the improve formulation from the previous. Meaning to say as an example if the
previous formulation has 30g of salt the current formulation perhaps has only
15g of salt. Thus, do not go and binge using all these low in salt, sugar and
condiment, still need to use in moderation but it is still the healthier option
for your health!
In conclusion
Though it is very essential to buy healthy food in order
to eat healthy food, but cooking method is as well as important. Make sure most
of your cooking method is boiling, grilling, and steaming. Taste is something
that you can mould if you mould your taste bud into consuming healthy food, as
time passed by you will get use to it and eat healthily.
References
The healthier you in 2021
Every year, everyone has new goals to achieve. Be it set
up new goals to achieve or just simply carry forward the previous goals with
some modification or just carry forward the previous goals as it is since it is
not achieved yet or it has not becoming habit yet.
In this article we are going to share with you, three
areas of health for the healthier you in 2021. They are nutrition, physical
activity, and mental health. These three are really essential components of
health that you need to put an effort to maintain especially as you grow older.
World Health Organization (WHO) in its definition of ‘health’ as well emphasize
on these three factors when describing what health is.
‘Health is state of complete physical, mental, and
social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’
Which also explain why individual who are disabled or
individual who is bedridden can also have the best state of health despite
their lack in certain things and individuals with complete physical well being
might also be not in their best state of health. Since health itself is more
than what can be seen outside.
Nutrition.
Ministry of Health has come up with Malaysian plate to
helps Malaysian to easily practice healthy eating habit. This makes it even
easier nowadays to follow the healthy eating regime, put more plant-based food
into your diet. The requirement is 3 servings of vegetables per day and it is
about 3 ladles of vegetables daily. The types of vegetables that should be consumed
more is the non-starchy vegetables such as green leafy vegetables. When we
consume plenty of plant-based food, it will reduce the intake of food from
carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Which our current scenario is vice versa, the
eating habit that most of us are currently is, we consumed too many
carbohydrates, fats, and protein which is the contributor to the obesity and
various diseases. It is no surprised that we are the fattest country in
Southeast Asia.
By saying this, also implying that weight monitoring and
be more mindful on what we put into our body such as the need to consume less
saturated fat, trans fat and interesterification fat in our daily diet is a
must. Being mindful of our ideal healthy weight helps us to be more cautious to
choose food not only because of its calorie but because of its overall
nutrition content, which is why apart from maintaining healthy body weight, it
is also essential to start monitor your body parameters every year! You may do
blood test, or simply go to the nearest pharmacy or clinic to check on you
blood pressure, blood glucose, blood cholesterol level, and uric acid level.
So, go and check your health parameters before end of this year so you may
start planning for the healthier you in 2021 better with your health
information.
Physical activity
Physical activity is one of the areas that is concerning
healthcare professional especially for Malaysian women since in the previous
years, we can see the gap in women who is exercise as compared to man, but not
anymore. Nowadays, we can see that many Malaysian women started to exercise, be
in the lady’s gym only or be it in the local cycling group in your
neighborhood, you will meet women joining such activities nowadays which is a
good sign. But still, more efforts need to be done to encourage women to
exercise especially those new moms who is still adjusting motherhood. It is
nice to see perhaps in the future gym with kids’ corner where mom can do their
exercise while their kids still can enjoy their own activities all in one
place.
Apart from this, if you are considering starting
exercise in the new year, you may start with something you like, it can be
cycling, jogging, Zumba, Pilates, dancing and many more. The interesting thing
with exercise is that you can try various of things before you will find what
suit you most, and when you have found that exercise that you like. You will
have no more feeling like it is a torture.
As for elderly, perhaps to start with vigorous exercise
is dangerous for your body, so simply stick to exercise that require simple
motion but still makes you move around. It is as simple as gardening, tai chi,
or any other house chores that makes you move your body and make sure you enjoy
that so that you can put that into your habit!
Mental health
Apart from exercise can make body healthier it can as
well improve mental health. Many people are becoming more stress and anxiety
with regards to pandemic COVID19. Staying at home, practicing social distance,
and wear mask has made people paranoid of going out and makes people have no
source of comfort.
There are certain practices which can improve this
according to World Health organization (WHO) such as take time daily for
spiritual renewal, where you can allocate some of your time daily for reading,
praying, meditate, and seek spiritual renewal. A heart primed with gratitude,
forgiveness, and service help you soar over life difficulties, and challenges.
Spend quality time with family and friends also helps in building strong heart
and healthy mind. Relationship teach love and acceptance which makes more room
for kindness which is as well a good fuel to content heart!
Lastly, manage stress and limit the use of tobacco,
alcohol consumption and illicit drugs also will tremendously help. Also, if you
think that the burden is too much to carry learn to let go, learn to share, and
learn to accept things at is.
In conclusion,
With all these tips, we hope that 2021, will be our year
to soar high, to achieve more things, to be magical and fill with lots more
positive vibes, kindness, compassion towards one another as we have gone
through a tough obstacle throughout 2020 from various sides, health, economy,
and politically. Thus, its about time for us to be more understanding of one
another and unite for the betterment of humankind!
How to eat healthily during Chinese New Year Celebration
Chinese New Year is here again, although just like
last year and the year before, where we have to celebrate this with the new
norm, but this year we are more experienced with the SOP’s and many of us
are able to celebrate new year with their loved ones. Despite the the new norm,
we will still be having feast of foods, because that is what Malaysian is and
that is what festival is, here are some suggestions that we would like to share
on how you can eat healthily during Chinese New Year Celebration.
Since
during festival there are usually various kind of dishes and we tend to try it
all, thus it is always better to consume only what necessary rather than
bingeing it all. Try to fit in your seasonal favorite food like your auntie
favorite pie, that you seldomly eat, but do not binge it. Do not eat like there
is no tomorrow. Do not use festive as a cheat day. Enjoy your food but eat in
moderation.
During
festival or holiday, you can still eat a balance healthy meal. It is all just
depending on your choice of food. As an example, if you are going to treat yourself
for some sweet treat then make sure you consume less carbohydrates in your main
meals. If you know that there will be no vegetables or fruits during holiday or
festive seasons, offers to make some. It can be as easy as just cutting and
mixing fresh fruit into a bowl or cutting and mixing vegetables. Adding herbs
or dressing is optional. This can also make everyone has healthier snack
option. (Easy tips: Mandarin Orange is count as healthy snack!)
This is
also a sign of love, isn’t new year is a year where we hope for healthy and
prosperous beginning so by watching out what we and our loved ones eat it may
give everyone a sense of warmth and love that somebody is taking care of
everyone’s health condition. What is coming from heart will be able to
resonates with another heart.
Balancing
also is not only limited to meals but also your beverages, limit your intake of
sugary drink and alcohol. You may still drink it but watch out the amount!
Plan your
mealtime especially if you have diabetes. Do not skip meals to save up for a
feast, it will make it harder to manage your blood sugar, and you will be
hungry and more likely to overeat. If you slip up, get right back to healthy
eating with your next meal.
Eat
according to your usual times can make you blood sugar steady. If your meal is
served or prepared late than your usual mealtime try to choose healthy snacks,
instead of consuming snack full of sugar and salt. This is especially essential
for individual with diabetes.
Playing
indoor games and outdoor games will help to regulate your blood sugar and burn
the calories. It will also help to bond all the family member. Do not just glue
your eyes to your phone or screen. Do talk to each other and ask about their
well-being. But if this Chinese New Year you can’t celebrate it with your
family member, do utilize the technology to be connected with your family
members. You may also use various kind of online games during the celebration
to make sure everyone is being involved. Use online games like Quiziz is one
way of making things fun!
During
celebration of anything people always tend to over prepare, and the preparation
is what making you get lesser amount of sleep. Although it’s a fun thing to do
the decoration together till late night but try to schedule it earlier so that
everyone will get enough sleep and good sleep quality. This is especially
important for individuals with diabetes since sleep less sleep is going to make
their blood sugar haywire as well.
References
Probiotics and COVID-19
World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as
live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts confer health
benefits on the host. It can be found in fermented food (E.g.: yogurt, kefir,
sauerkraut, tempeh, and kimchi), dietary supplements, and cosmetics.
Probiotics may contain variety of microorganisms. The
most common are Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.
There are also other bacteria being used as probiotics (e.g.: Saccharomyces
boulardii.)
According to studies, different types of bacteria exert
different effect to human body. Therefore, choosing the right strains and types
of probiotics is essential for it to works on the said health concern.
How does probiotics help to maintain health?
There are variety of ‘bugs’ that coexist naturally in
the body such as bacteria, fungi, parasite and viruses, these are what
scientists refer to as microbiome. In the body of a healthy person, all these
bugs coexist peacefully. The role of the microbiome is to promote smooth daily
operation of human body. However, conditions such as infectious illness,
certain diet, prolonged use of antibiotics and/or other bacteria-destroying
medications, can lead to body becoming more susceptible to diseases.
Due to this, scientists believe that consumption of
probiotics influence bacteria colonization process, which can lead to speedy
restoration of healthy microbiome and lower risk of being sick.
Probiotics and COVID-19?
Probiotic is link with COVID19 due to its ability to
boost the immune system. Currently, most extensive researched on probiotics
include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Escherichia Coli, Enterococcus, etc.
Although probiotics mechanism profoundly focuses on the gastrointestinal tract,
the effect of probiotics is not confined to the digestive system only.
Probiotics can act on the entire body via immune modulation. Not only that, it
also facilitate the immune system development and maturation and regulate the
interaction between host and pathogen by killing the pathogen and regulate the
immune responses towards it.
One might argue that, but COVID-19 is a viral infection
unlike others. A systematic review described probiotics’ efficacy against viral
diseases where more than 20 strains of probiotics showed the anti-inflammatory
effects on the body and antibody production against viruses.
Moreover, study found out that viral loads were lowered upon
probiotics supplementation, it is postulated due to immune modulation by
microbiota that fights against COVID-19 directly and decrease the risk of
secondary infections due to prolonged antibiotics exposure from multiple
experimental COVID19 treatment.
China’s National Health Commission recommended
probiotics for severe COVID-19 patients to restore the intestinal balance and
protect from secondary infections. Moreover, gut microbiota’s role in
modulating lung diseases has been demonstrated.
In conclusion, scientists in this study suggest that
many more studies should be established on the effectiveness of using
probiotics as prevention and especially treatment of COVID-19. As of now, apart
from practicing social distancing, wearing mask, adhere to the standard
operating procedure (SOP), individuals may also benefit from probiotics rich
foods and supplementation for its boosting immunity properties and fight
against COVID-19.
Reference
Diet suku – suku separuh adalah saranan diet oleh Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) untuk cara pemakanan sihat. Pelbagai langkah dan inisiatif telah dilakukan bagi mempromosikan amalan pemakanan sihat kepada rakyat Malaysia.
MegaLive menyambut baik saranan ini dengan turut sama mempromosikan amalan pemakanan sihat kepada semua.
Suku – suku separuh adalah diet yang merangkumi suku jumlah karbohidrat seperti nasi, mee, bihun, capati, roti dll, suku jumlah protein seperti ayam, ikan, sotong dll dan separuh jumlah sayur – sayuran dan buah – buahan. Pinggan yang dirujuk dalam saranan diet ini adalah pinggan berukuran 10 inci/ 25sm.
Contoh hidangan suku – suku separuh:
Terdapat 5 mesej utama dalam amalan diet suku – suku separuh.
Mesej Utama 1: Makan 3 Hidangan Utama yang sihat dalam sehari.
Ambil sarapan, makan tengah hari, dan makan malam secara sihat dengan mengikuti konsep suku – suku separuh.
Makan pada waktu yang tetap juga membantu pengawalan porsi/ saiz hidangan makanan. Berikut adalah contoh waktu makan harian.
Mesej Utama 2: Makan 1-2 Snek yang Sihat di antara Waktu Makan Jika Perlu
Bagi menggalakan amalan pemakanan secara sihat secara holistik atau sebagai gaya hidup, anda juga digalakkan untuk mengambil snek sihat 1-2 kali/ hari dari sumber buah – buahan, kekacang, dan sayur – sayuran.
Contoh snek sihat yang boleh di ambil 1-2 sajian ialah:
Mesej Utama 3: Makan Sekurang-kurangnya Separuh Daripada Bijirin Anda Sebagai Bijirin Penuh
Malaysia adalah negara di mana, makanan rujinya adalah nasi, oleh itu tidak hairanlah jika kebanyakkan rakyat Malaysia masih berasa tidak kenyang selagi tidak makan nasi. Oleh yang demikian, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) menggariskan pengambilan karbohidrat hendaklah diambil kebanyakkannya dari sumber bijirin penuh, seperti dari sumber nasi beras perang, roti bijirin mil penuh, jagung, barli dll.
Contoh makanan berkarbohidrat yang tinggi serat:
Mesej Utama 4: Makan Hidangan Tidak Bergoreng dan Tanpa Santan Setiap Hari
Seterusnya, lauk -pauk di Malaysia begitu sinonim sekali dengan jenis lauk -pauk yang digoreng menggunakan minyak yang sangat banyak iaitu menggunakan kaedah ‘deep -frying’. Makanan bergoreng dengan minyak banyak yang digunakan secara berulang – ulang dan makanan yang mengandungi jumlah santan yang tinggi boleh meningkatkan masalah kesihatan seperti masalah jantung, darah tinggi, kolesterol dan kanser.
Justeru, pengambilan makanan dengan cara masakan dengan kandungan santan yang tinggi seperti masak lemak, kari, gulai, dan masakkan bergoreng hendaklah dihadkan.
Cara mengantikan pengambilan minyak dan santan dalam masakan dan makanan:
Mesej Utama 5: Makan Makanan yang dimasak di Rumah Lebih Kerap
Makanan yang dibeli di luar secara amnya mempunyai kandungan gula, garam, sos, kicap, perasa, dan monosodium glutamate (MSG) yang tinggi, ia juga kebanyakannya menggunakan kaedah memasak yang kurang sihat iaitu dengan cara menggoreng dengan minyak yang banyak dan berulang- ulang.
Kandungan makanan yang tinggi garam, gula, sos, kicap, perasa dan MSG boleh menyebabkan tinggi risiko kepada masalah kesihatan seperti diabetes, dan juga darah tinggi.
Selain daripada itu, pengambilan makanan dari luar juga seringkali mempunyai saiz hidangan yang tidak mengikut spesifikasi suku – suku separuh, hal ini menyebabkan individu lebih cenderung untuk makan secara berlebihan dan mendapat lebih risiko untuk menjadi obes.
Cadangan hidangan harian di rumah:
Rujukan
Understanding calories.
Calories are the measurement used for the amount of energy in the food and drink.
When we consume food and drink, we put energy into our bodies. This energy will then be used for our everyday activities from breathing, sleeping, to running.
In order to maintain a stable weight, the energy that we put into our bodies must be balanced with the energy that we use through normal body functions and our daily activities. In a simpler words, the more calories put in the body the more activities you needed to burn it and vice versa.
General calories intake
Men on average need about 2500kcal per day while women need about 2000kcal per day. However, as mentioned above, the amount of recommended nutrient intake vary from person to person based on their daily activities, occupation, frequency of exercise, lifestyle habits and also body metabolism.
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The more vigorously you do an activity, the more calories you’ll use. For example, fast walking will burn more calories than walking at a moderate pace. If you’re gaining weight, it could mean you have been regularly eating and drinking more calories than you have been using. To lose weight, you need to use more energy than you consume, this can be achieved via consuming lesser food or exercise more vigorously. Continuously doing this over a period of time will lead you to your desired weight.
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However, when people try to loss weight, they tend to curb their food intake and often times do not enjoy their diet modification. A healthy diet should also be a sustainable diet, thus, cut down on unhealthy food consumption slowly but consistently, consuming more healthier food option and also be mindful about the amount of food consume.
Calorie counter
Nowadays, there are various apps that can be used on mobile phone to track not only your calorie intake but also, your steps, exercise and also energy that you burn. Using all these apps, and gadget are helpful in making sure that you are on track with your diet and exercise.
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One of the apps developed by Ministry of Health Malaysia that is tally with Malaysian variety of foods is my nutri diary 2.0 aps. The app is helpful in monitoring your calorie intake and your weight progress. Often times, when we use calorie tracking app, it frustrates users that the app does not know how much calorie does a nasi lemak have (any local food), but with my nutri diary it covers variety of Malaysian foods option which can be helpful for our daily food consumption.
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Gap between unhealthy diet and body needs
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While trying to loss, putting on or maintaining weight, imbalance consumption of foods may lead to losing some essential nutrients. Hence, to bridge the gap between lack of nutrient from food and body needs, consumption of multivitamin and multimineral are helpful.
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Other conditions includes denture problem, loss of appetite, hectic lifestyle, and many more.