May 17
Chinese culture has been using food as medicine for over thousands of years, here are some examples.
One of the most common foods touted for their health benefits is soy. Soy has been used in China for centuries. It was introduced to Britain in the 1790s and cultivated in Kew Gardens. It is believed to have been taken to the United States by Thomas Jefferson. Today, it is eaten worldwide – green, dried or processed.
As tofu, it is used in a variety of dishes and, in Jamaica, it is a primary source of protein for many vegetarians and vegans.
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Soy milk is also used by many and is ideal for persons who are lactose intolerant. Other popular soy products include, bean paste, soy sauce, miso, tempeh and soy sheets (fu jzu).
Apr 04
Chinese herbs can be infused in all kinds of food as this article shows.
First we had a chance to gawk at a ginseng root that’s 133 years old, from Guangzhou, China. Then it was an introduction to the various Chinese herbs from Eu Yan Sang, with each identified, at the Shang Palace, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.
Its Chinese executive chef Tan Kim Weng had prepared a lunch cooked with a variety of these herbs for us, at the launch of this “Health is Wealth” food promotion recently.
Mar 23
A recent study has indicated that eating white rice regularly can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The risk of type 2 diabetes is significantly increased if white rice is eaten regularly, says a study published last Friday in the journal BMJ.
Led by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the goal of the study was to determine whether this diabetes risk is dependent on the amount of rice consumed and if the association is stronger for the Asian population, who tend to eat more white rice than the Western world.
On average, Chinese populations eat an average of four portions a day while those in the Western world eat less than five portions a week.
Tagged with: Type 2 Diabetes • White Rice
Mar 11
Eating with chopsticks could help you with portion control and help you with weight management.
The Daily Mail reports that writer Eileen Daspin, author of soon-to-be-released book The Manhattan Diet, believes that using chopsticks encourages dieters to take smaller mouthfuls and eat more slowly – which helps them to feel full more quickly.
Ms Daspin told the New York Post that her slender friends employ several tricks to maintain their sample-size bodies.
These include ordering only string beans and rice from the Chinese takeaway because “the oil on the string beans is enough to moisturise the rice”, or indulging in tiny bites of high calorie foods.
Tagged with: Chopsticks • Weight Management
Mar 07
Did you know that eating fish can keep your brain young?
Hugging the news around the world a few days ago was the finding that omega-3 fatty acids keep brains healthy and may slow the mental decline that leads to dementia; among the young, omega-3 improves brain function and memory.
Researchers found that people with the highest blood levels of these essential fatty acids found in fish such as sardines, herring and tuna were more likely to perform well on tests of mental functioning and show healthier, bigger brains.
Other benefits from omega-3, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Zaldy Tan, associate professor at the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and the division of geriatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles, include reducing blood pressure and inflammation. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology.
Feb 08
You can achieve a healthy lifestyle with balance in food.
Diet provides the body with energy to develop and carry out activities that are necessary to human life.
Food can be viewed as “sustenance” that is given to the body via the digestive system.
The input of sustenance into the human body occurs from conception to death, without it there is no existence.
The largest source of nutrition for the body is derived from food. The human body converts food through the digestive system to produce energy.
This energy assists with mental, physical activity and emotional balance in a person. When the body is functioning at an optimum level the body is able to defend itself from external influences that may manifest into illnesses. This suggests that nutritional food is a key to maintaining a person’s health, otherwise the immunity will be weak and you are more likely to become ill.
Dec 20
It’s winter time, which means you may want to consume more food with “yang” properties.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, there is a close relationship between having nutritious food in the winter season and finding balance between yin and yang.
What we eat will create or remove blockages in our energy channels, as well as change our qi (energy) and blood circulation. During the cold winter season, having nutritious food is especially effective in improving our overall health and strengthening our immune system.
Tagged with: Yang
Dec 15
Green tea noodles can help you take a well needed break from all the rich, delectable food you will be eating during the holiday season.
It just wouldn’t be the holidays without the rich delectable food that’s as synonymous with the season as trees and twinkling lights. So it’s no wonder that everyone’s looking to detox from too many holiday cookies and pies. But there’s a much more pleasant way to do so that doesn’t involve colonics or cleanses, and you don’t have to wait ‘til the new year to begin. A new cookbook, “Foodtrients: Age Defying Recipes For a Sustainable Life,” by Grace O hit shelves this week and is full of delicious preparations using good for you ingredients such as tumeric, flax seed, green tea and buckwheat. The book is loaded with gorgeous photographs and makes a fabulous holiday gift for the foodies in your life. Here, take a peek at some of O’s recipes — full of nutritious superfoods — to jumpstart your health kick without sacrificing flavor.
Tagged with: Green Tea Noodles
Dec 10
Eating garlic is good for your health according to a new study.
EATING a clove of garlic may not be the best thing in the world for your romantic life, but it may just be the best thing for your health’s sake.
For centuries, garlic has been the subject of mythology and folklore, from warding off vampires and evil spirits to providing courage to the fearful and strength to the weak. It was fed to the slaves of Egypt and used to embalm the pharaohs.
Plan your Sinulog week ahead and find out what’s in store for Sinulog 2012.
Garlic’s mellow taste and aroma spice up gourmet dishes the world over. Popular with health-conscious cooks because it adds flavor without fat, some people still object to the herb’s strong odor, which is known as bawang among Tagalogs and ahos among the Visayans.
Tagged with: Garlic
Oct 31
Did you know that certain foods contain anti-aging properties that can enhance your immune system and contributes to better health.
Many chronic diseases are connected with poor nutritional habits including overeating, while a healthy diet promotes healing and can slow the ageing process.
Healthy eating is more than just choosing the right foods; it’s equally important to eat a wide variety to give the body all the nutrients it needs, and to prevent the body from a harmful reaction that can be triggered by too narrow a diet.
For optimal health and wellness and to slow the ageing process, your diet should regularly include these 10 food categories:
1. Fish
Our body needs plenty of protein for healing, for weight control, to build muscle mass and keep the immune system strong. Deep sea fish, including salmon, tuna and sardines are very good sources of protein and are best prepared without deep fried oil.
Tagged with: Anti-aging
