DIET AND NUTRITION TIPS

Ms. Princess Sophia Nicole

Our Office held a Diet and Nutrition seminar last June 20. Conducted by Dr. Kiel Martin, it should have only been an hour-long, but due to so many queries, the session stretched to more than two hours. A part 2 is hopefully in order. 

Our thanks to the Management for holding this informative seminar. I’d like to share some of the lessons we learned as they are very practical and useful. Hope this helps a lot of people, especially moms, with their diet and nutrition dilemmas.

Here goes:

1. Try to keep daily food consumption at 1,200 calories.
2. If fast food cannot be avoided, a relatively good order would be Chicken Nuggets which has only 250 calories per serving.
3. Maximum salt intake should be 6 grams/day.
4. Catsup is high in sodium.
5. Consume at least 2 fruits and 3 servings of vegetables daily.
6. Avocado is a high-fibre fruit.
7. “Splenda” is ok for people with high sugar but it may cause diarrhea.
8. Yoghurt is a very healthy snack because of its probiotics (good bacteria). It is rich in calcium and protein and can regulate blood pressure.
9. Evening snack should be taken 3-4 hours before sleeping. Beyond that, just have Green Tea, Black Coffee or Water.
10. “Good food” include: chicken breast, eggs (maximum of 2 pcs a day) and nuts (3/4 cups).
11. The best oil is Olive Oil. It may be used for frying, but do not overfry. However, since Olive Oil is pricey, a good alternative is vegetable oil.
12. Vegetables which are good sources of protein include Spinach (49% of daily needs) and cauliflower (40% of daily needs).
13. Sugar on milk can cause stomach bloating.
14. One piece of Knorr cubes should be diluted in 1 liter of water.
15. Vitamins A, D, E and K are not water soluble.
16. The best (only?) natural source of Vitamin B12 is salmon fish.
17. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and good for the heart and the immune system. There is no overdosage of Vitamin C. Best to get your dose of Vitamin C from natural sources such as fruits.
18. Lemon-infused water makes the water healthier but it also makes it acidic.
19. Ketogenic diet, if sustained, reduces the possibility of cancer and diabetes. But starters usually suffer “Keto flu” which is characterized by symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, irritability, etc.
20. Intermittent fasting, another form of diet, proposes that a person eat only within 12 noon to 8:00PM. However this is not advisable for highly-acidic individuals.
21. To manage hypertension, and for overall good health, exercise at least 90 minutes/week.