Healthy Eating: What is in a nutritious diet?

Everywhere we go, we’re are bombarded with messages to stay healthy, eat better, exercise and avoid processed food but when we’re inundated with so many alternatives to eating healthy, the pursuit only adds far more unnecessary stress.

So to quell worries and answer some questions that have probably arisen during your quest to adopting a healthier diet, we spoke to Chua Kay Tse, Naturopath Health Educator and Training Manager Singapore, for Blackmores for her expert advice.

What constitutes a healthy diet?

A healthy diet includes whole and natural (unaltered & toxins free) food that constitute nutrients packed with carbohydrates, proteins, healthy lipids and sometimes supplements (when acquirement of such wholesome foods are not possible to fulfill the body’s requirements at different life situations and life stages). Consciously avoiding food that robs our body of the needed nutrients to stay healthy (heavily processed food) and unsuitable foods that impact negatively on the individual’s health.

Common misconceptions about eating healthy?

The most common misconception is listening and blindly following current health trends. Each of us are uniquely created and have different nutrient requirements. As the saying goes, “One man’s meat is another man’s poison”.

How should we incorporate supplements in our diet?

To incorporate supplements in the diet, it is important to first understand one’s body and the strengths and weaknesses (vitality) of the body’s organs and their current requirements (state of health, life stages) as different organs require different nutrients in different concentrations to function well.

Supplements are concentrated nutrients that assist the body in replenishing the nutrients that are lacking in order to bring it back to balance (the state of health). In another words, having too much or too little nutrients can cause an adverse effect on our health. It is recommended to get expert advice from qualified holistic healthcare professionals and naturopaths who will be able to help you in tailoring the various nutrients, dietary and supplement requirements.

What are the alternatives to sugar and caffeine?

Sugar cravings and caffeine additions usually signal a life out of control due to stress. Sugar and caffeine provide quick energy to the body but leave the body in a much exhausted state due to its over stimulating effect on our adrenal gland. More sugar and caffeine is then required and a viscous cycle forms. This greatly disturbs the body’s blood sugar balance and also increases one’s chance of developing diabetes mellitus.

The human body increases its requirements for nutrients and vitamins (especially Vitamin B, vitamin C), and minerals (such as magnesium) during periods of increased stress to support our adrenal function.

Energy is what we need to better handle stress. Exchange your caffeine and sugar with Vitamin B. Vitamin B plays an essential role in the metabolic processes of all living cells by serving as coenzymes in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats to produce energy. The B group supports the normal function and maintenance of the nervous system and is beneficial in times of stress. If the taste of sweetness is an uncompromised preference in life, sweeten your taste buds with natural sweeteners such as Stevia, a non-caloric sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia rebaudiana, that does not disturb the body’s blood sugar balance. Provide your body with the necessary nutrients and watch the cravings disappear.

What are the common dietary concerns amongst Singaporeans?

The most common dietary concern among Singaporeans is eating too much rich food and over eating without taking care of digestion.

To satisfy our taste buds, we tend to overeat which causes the body to be unable to break down and assimilate nutrients from the food that we ingest. This results in adding a lot of digestive load to our body and depriving our body of the necessary nutrients for cell repair and regeneration. The end results will usually be illnesses (e.g. elevated cholesterol and blood sugar, fatty liver, obesity, cardiovascular aliments etc.) due to the malfunctioning of our malnourished cells.

How can we tackle those?

First and foremost, learn and understand the current nutritional requirements of the body and eat accordingly. Also, chew your food thoroughly before swallowing so that the food can be easily digested.

When life becomes too stressful to practice a good diet and eating habits, take digestive aids such as digestive enzymes and probiotics with or right after each meal to ensure that the gastrointestinal tracts stay in good shape and the body gets its nutrients (even if you do not really chew a hundred times before swallowing).

Remember to eat not only to survive, but to stay healthy!

Blackmores is located at#B1-111, Parkway Parade. The naturopath health consultation is available at SGD100 (redeemable with Blackmores products). To make an appointment, call 6225 3933 from Monday to Friday, between 9am to 5pm.

Tarandip Kaur