Ten Common Milk Myths - Busted with the Facts!

Myth #1: Consuming dairy products can lead to weight gain.
Fact: Weight gain occurs when one consumes more calories than the body can burn as energy. Contrary to this common myth, research both in animals and humans suggest that including three servings of low fat dairy foods in a calorie controlled diet may help achieve greater weight loss (Zemel, 2005). 


Clinical trials have also shown a strong correlation between increased calcium intake and reduced body weight, body fat percentage and waist size (Zemel, 2005). 

 

Myth #2: Spinach is as good a source of calcium as milk.
Fact: There is more calcium in 1 cup of milk than there is in 16 cups of spinach. One will need to eat more than 48 cups of spinach to get the recommended daily intake of calcium (USDA, 2010). Furthermore, milk contains Vitamin D which enhances calcium absorption (Wasserman, 2004).


 Myth #3: People with lactose intolerance should avoid dairy foods.

 Fact: Lactose intolerance is often confused with milk allergies. Lactose intolerance is not an allergic reaction to dairy foods. Rather it is the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose. Lactose-free milk and yogurt are good alternatives to drinking milk for people that are lactose intolerant. 

Aged cheeses such as Cheddar and Swiss are also low in lactose. Many people with lactose intolerance can drink up to 1 cup of milk daily without problems (Miller et al., 2000). 




Myth #4: Milk causes asthma.
Fact: While infants with milk allergies are more likely to develop 
asthma later in life, there are no scientific data that support that consuming dairy foods makes a person asthmatic.


Myth #5: Consuming dairy foods can increase the risk of heart disease.
Fact: A diet high in saturated fat regardless of the source will likely cause heart disease and not dairy foods. Recently, it was reported that the evidence linking saturated fat intake to heart disease is lacking (Siri-Tarino et al., 2010).

 

Furthermore, today saturated fat from butter is believed to be not as bad as trans fat filled hydrogenated vegetable fats such as margarine and other so-called ‘healthy’ spreads. Those still wishing to reduce their fat intake can consume low fat dairy foods and receive the nutritional benefits of dairy foods without the high fat (Berner, 1992; Miller, 2000). 


Myth #6: If you take calcium supplements you don’t need milk.
Fact: Milk isn’t only a good source of calcium but it also provides other high quality nutrients such as high quality protein, vitamins A, D, B12, riboflavin; zinc; potassium and magnesium. 


Fermented dairy foods such as yogurt also serve as an excellent carrier of probiotic organisms and pediatrics, which are important for gastrointestinal health.


Taking supplements does not provide the enjoyment of drinking a cold glass of milk; pouring cold milk on a bowl of cereal for breakfast; eating a creamy delicious bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day; or enjoying the pleasure of a creamy cheese sauce on nachos, or melted cheese slices on a hamburger.

 

Myth #7: Milk causes mucus.


Fact: After drinking whole milk or eating ice cream some people mistake the thin coat or residue in their mouth and throat for mucus. 


This is the normal creamy texture of milk fat which melts near body temperature and not excess mucus. A study conducted by Pinnock and co-workers (1990) reported that there is no association between milk and dairy products intake and mucus production in healthy as well as rhinovirus infected individuals. 


Myth #8: Humans are not designed to drink cow’s milk.
Fact: Humans are designed to eat plant as well as animal products such as meat and dairy products. Domestication of cattle (and consumption of milk and dairy foods) date back to 6000 BC.  

   

We are equipped with the lactose enzyme in our gut that aids in the digestion of cow’s milk. Consequently humans have enjoyed consuming dairy foods over many, many centuries. 


If we were restricted to consuming milk only from our own species, we would not enjoy many of the dairy foods we enjoy today; such as blue cheese on our salads, ice cream on apple pie, sour cream on baked potatoes, Mozzarella cheese on pizza, shredded cheese on our tacos, and buttermilk in our pancakes. 




Myth #9: Drinking milk can cause kidney stones.
Fact: Milk may actually protect against the formation of kidney stones (NHS, 1990). It was suggested that the calcium in milk may bind to oxalates in food so that they can no longer be absorbed by the body, reducing the risk of kidney stones.


Myth #10: Eating cheese and high fat dairy foods can cause acne.
Fact: Science does not support any link between acne and dairy foods. Importance of vitamins A and D in skin health is well established. Milk is a good source of vitamins A and D in the diet (Miller et al., 2000).

Source: Dairy Herd News - 10 Myths About Dairy Foods Dispelled 4/14/2010

Shopping Guide for Healthy Family : Carbohydrate

Knowing the importance

Why it is essential for us to choose the right carbohydrate for daily consumption? 

Don't be misled by fad diets that make blanket pronouncements on the dangers of carbohydrates. They provide the body with fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function, and they are an important part of a healthy diet. But some kinds of carbohydrates are far better than others.

Choosing the less nutritional carbohydrate might caused you to overeat, consuming more energies and less nutrients, poor glycaemic control and health problems later on life.

How to choose healthy carbohydrates?

Choose the best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains (the less processed, the better), vegetables, fruits and beans—since they promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.  Skip the easily digested refined carbohydrates from refined grains—white bread, white rice, and the like— as well as pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods, since these may contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote diabetes and heart disease.

Shopping Guide: The healthier version.

Why we need such guidance? why we need to really think of the list before we go shopping?

The reason is simple-- what you buy is what you'll prepare at home. The healthier choices you make, the healthier your meal will be. Do you think when you bought the processed grains they'll turn to whole grains when you cooked it?

Grains Section

Here's the common grains among malaysian. Yes, there are plenty of cereals and grains varieties but only some being put on stores shelves. No matter what type it is, always choose the wholegrain types. If it cannot be the whole part of your diet make it as the biggest part. Not only packed with vitamins and minerals, it's also proven to help you in fighting diseases and obesity! 

• Rice : Brown rice is always a better choice. But, not many of us can accept the taste and texture. So, my suggestion is for you to buy regular white rice as well as brown rice. What you can do is to mix the brown rice and white rice during preparation with that you still get the benefits. Eventhough, having solely brown rice is far better. 
• Pasta/noodles : we rarely found wholegrain pasta in Malaysia stores.There always be processed pasta no matter what type it is (penne, lasagna, spagetti, angel hair etc.). So, what to do? if you can find the wholegrain type, just go for it! Some stores might have it, so we'll be lucky enough to grab all those nutrients packed pasta! --Same goes to noodle varieties.
• Flour - we always use processed flour for our pastries, baked goods, cekodok and every other things. So, why not buy whole wheat or wholegrain flour? you can easily differentiate these two flour one is fair white and another one is brown and you can see the seeds/grains altogether. And the taste is quite similar!
• Oat - choose the right labels! Instant is totally instant--means they put alot of effort to get rid all the goodness of oats. Pick oats with labels- oat groats, rolled oat and steel-cut oats. To make it easy, just look at the texture, the simpler it be the less 'whole' it became.

Fruits & Vegetables Section

just pick any and make it colorful! Try different colors, textures, shapes, anything! why? because the differences means different type of vitamins, minerals, phytochemical, antioxidant..you named it!!

•  Red- Red apples, Beets, Red cabbage, Cherries, Cranberries, Pink grapefruit, Red   grapes, Red peppers, Pomegranates, Red potatoes, Radishes, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelon
• Orange/yellow- Yellow apples, Apricots, Butternut, squash, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Grapefruit, Lemons, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Pears, Yellow peppers, Persimmons, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Yellow summer or winter squash, Sweet corn, Sweet potatoes, Tangerines, Yellow tomatoes, Yellow watermelon
• Green- Green apples, Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocados, Green beans, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Green cabbage, Cucumbers, Green grapes, Honeydew melon, Kiwi, Lettuce, Limes, Green onions, Peas, Green pepper, Spinach, Zucchini, watercrest
• Blue/purple- Blackberries, Blueberries, Eggplant, Figs, Juneberries, Plums, Prunes, Purple grapes, Raisins
• White - Bananas, Cauliflower, Garlic, Ginger, Jicama, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Turnips, bean sprout.

Breakfast Cereals Section

Kids love this section. why? because most of the cereals are sugar-coated, it's sweet, tasty and some are not sooo "wholegrain". In other words, it is processed cereals. Only a few cereals that are wholegrain, and they labelled it. Yes, they labelled the goodness, but did everyone notice that some of them also high in calories because of sugar contents?  You'll find cereals made with refined grains with nearly no fiber, and cereals made with whole grains and bran boasting 7 grams or more of fiber. There are cereals with so much sugar they seem more like boxes of little cookies. And there are cereals with sugar listed far down on the ingredient list.So, mum, do check the labels. Here's the tips:

1.     select cereals that are high in fiber, ones that are made with whole grains.

2.     Choose breakfast cereals with the word "bran" in the title, or at least on the box. Bran's biggest benefit is boosting the grams of fiber per serving.

3.     aim for a cereal that gets 25% or less of its calories from sugar. (If the cereal contains dried fruit, this could be a pinch higher.)

Nuts and seed

Typical Malaysian will use seeds in making sweetened porridge, traditional delicacies, ABC, and others. Some are healthy and some are not. Nuts and seeds itself are fabulous but the way you prepare will determine whether it'll be healthier or diet-disaster. 

what to choose at the shelves?

• nuts : any nuts that is unsalted, roasted, not honey/sugar coated. Just simply at it's most natural state! Try to have walnut, cashew, pistachios--- all are expensive but believe me, they're all very nutritious and good snacks!
• seeds : any seeds that you like! pick the different colors, shape and texture-- enjoy it!!

Some of us might not even put nuts and seeds in our shopping list, simply because it's hard to prepare or maybe just don't know how. But, having this in your diet is as good as having fruits and vegies, it's contain a lot of zinc, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, phosporus, phytoestrogen and so many more!!

Bakeries section

• Bread- white bread? wholewheat bread? wholegrain bread? kaya-filled/chocolate filled/red-beans paste bread? so many choices! Currently, we can see a lot of wholegrain bread and it's quite expensive. But buying them means you don't need the diet supplement! It's worthy!
• Cakes, pastries, pies - if it is possible for you too find the baked goods that are using wholegrain flour, take that! but it's really sad to say it's not easy to find one~ and you'll easily get the trans fat and less fibre from these kind of foods.

So, mummies and daddies-- are you ready to shop healthily? why not give it a try. I'm 100% sure you'll feel healthier that way. 

All the best!

Adakah anda obes atau gemuk?

Masyarakat memiliki 'scanner' yang subjektif dalam mendefinisikan kegemukan atau obesiti. Jika kita berjalan dikhalayak ramai, kita boleh melihat beberapa individu memiliki tubuh yang lebih gempal dan lebih signifikan berbanding individu lain. Atau mungkin juga kehadiran kita lebih signifikan berbanding orang lain. Jadi, adakah kita betul-betul gemuk atau obes atau mungkin sekadar saiz tulang aka 'body frame' yang besar sedikit berbanding orang lain?? 

 

Jadi, jom kita tentukan obesiti!

Berikut adalah antara tatacara penilaian obesiti:

1) Peratus Lemak Badan

Lelaki : lebih dari 20%

Perempuan : lebih dari 30%

Jika badan kita 'up' sedikit berbanding orang lain, kita senang untuk menganggarkan kadar keberadaan lemak dalam badan kita. mungkin kita tidak perlukan alat mengukur peratusan lemak! ada orang hanya cuba pusing lipatan-lipatan kulit dan dengan sekali kilas jelas ternampak globul/bintik-bintik lemak. 

Cuba kita lihat ahli bina badan yang terang-terangan hanya sedikit lemak dan lebih otot, lipatan kulit jelas menunjukkan jaluran-jaluran otot bahkan kulit mereka mungkin tidak boleh dilipat!!

permasalahan berat badan sememangnya memerlukan peratus lemak badan sebagai indikator. Manakan tidak,setiap tenaga atau kalori yang berlebihan akan disimpan sebagai lemak. Setiap hari kita menikmati makanan berkalori tinggi, hari kemudian kita tidak pula cuba membakar kalori. Jadi, setiap hari ada sahaja geng-geng lemak baru muncul.

2) ukur lilit pinggang

Lelaki : lebih dari 90 cm

Perempuan : Lebih dari 80 cm

ukur lilit pinggang sangat senang untuk di ukur terutamanya bagi tukang jahit. Senang sahaja, ambil pita pengukur.. tiada? ambil benang atau tali, lilit pada pinggang dan ukur di pembaris-- ok? 

Dan jangan cuba-cuba menipu diri sendiri untuk mengukur di bahagian paling 'slim' sekali, ukur di bahagian paling menonjol. Jangan risau tarikan graviti akan membantu perut anda untuk menonjol.

Berapa bacaan anda? kalau kurang dari digit di atas..saya ucapkan TAHNIAH! jika lebih-- TAHNIAH juga kerana anda mendapat ukuran lebih dari orang lain. The more the merrier!

Tapi ingat, terutamanya kaum lelaki. kerana kaum Adam selalu mendapat obesiti berbentuk epal manakala wanita berbentuk pir. Dan ini adalah faktor-faktor risiko mendapat pelbagai jenis penyakit termasuk penyakit kardiovaskular, jantung koronari dan banyak lagi.

3) Indeks Jisim Tubuh (IJT) atau selalu kita dengar BMI-- Body Mass Index

IJT adalah indeks yang biasa digunakan untuk mengkelaskan kurang berat badan, berlebihan berat badan dan obesity di kalangan dewasa. Ia didefinisikan sebagai berat dalam kilogram dibahagikan dengan tinggi dalam meter kuasa dua. Contohnya, seorang dewasa yang mempunyai berat 70kg dan tinggi 1.75m mempunyai IJT 22.9.

            IJT = 70 kg / (1.75 m)² = 70 / 3.0625 = 22.9

Klasifikasi antara bagi kurang berat badan, berlebihan berat dan obesiti. Anda mana satu???

Klasifikasi	IJT(kg/m2)
Kurang berat badan	<18.50
Sangat kurus	<16.00
Sederhana kurus	16.00 - 16.99
Kurus	17.00 - 18.49
Julat normal	18.50 - 24.99
Berlebihan berat badan	≥25.00
Pra-Obes	25.00 - 29.99
Obes	≥30.00
Obes kelas I	30.00 - 34-99
Obes kelas II	35.00 - 39.99
Obes kelas III	≥40.00

Sumber: WHO 2004

Nilai IJT bergantung kepada umur dan ia adalah sama untuk kedua-dua jantina.walaubagaimanapun.IJT tidak menggambarkan peratus lemak tubuh seseorang kerana berlainan proporsi tubuh.

Bayangkan, ahli bina badan atau atlet angkat berat, tubuh mereka kebanyakannya berat dan BMI mereka mungkin tergolong dalam kategori obes-- tapi mereka tidak! kerana kebanyakan berat adalah otot bukan lemak!

Risiko mendapat penyakit semakin meningkat dengan peningkatan IJT.

Jadi, di atas adalah indikator masalah obes individu. Anda tahu anda dalam kategori kurang berat, ideal, gemuk, atau obes??

lain indikator kenaikan berat badan tanpa anda perlu naik alat penimbang, tentu sekali:

1) apabila baju yang kebiasaan muat, sudah sendat hanya dalam beberapa bulan atau tahun.Melainkan anda pregnant atau anda tengah membina otot dan lain-lain berkenaan.

2) apabila saiz seluar anda dari 30 menjadi 40.. 

3) apabila seluar baggy anda jadi seluar skinny untuk anda..

4) apabila anda mula mengubah saiz baju yang lebih kecil ke lebih besar mungkin XL, XXL, XXXL, SuperXL sekian...

5) mungkin dahulu anda perlukan pin bagi tudung indonesia, sekarang tidak lagi dengan bantuan 'double-chin'

6) apabila saiz kasut anda perlu ditambah bagi mengelakkan melecet akibat keketatan.

7) apabila anda perlukan lebih lubang untuk tali pinggang anda..????

anda sediakan senarai sendiri.. yang pasti, kita tahu kondisi tubuh kita. Sihat atau sebaliknya.

Tiada alasan untuk kekal gemuk atau obes.

Keputusan di tangan anda....