Trans Fats – Killer Fats

So are we still concerned about this fat or have we simply forgotten about it? Actually the newspapers should carry a daily reminder of the dangers this fat poses.

What is it?
Trans fat is actually an artificial, man made fat. It was created about a 100 years ago specifically for to raise the profits of the food manufacturing companies.

It is made by superheating healthy oils to temperatures of 270 degree Celsius. And then in the present of a nickel catalyst, hydrogen is passed thru the heated oil to create a semi-hard tasteless, highly stable fat that could:

a. Replace the more expensive butter and other healthier fats in processed foods
b. Increase the shelf-life of processed food so that there’ll be lesser spoilage and hence, higher profits for the food companies.

How do you spot them?
That's easy - take a trip to the nearest 7Eleven - you can bet that almost every snack item there contains Trans Fat. Check your food labels. Any items that contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils have trans fats in them. They are also contained in margarines and shortenings used in the manufacture of foods like, cookies, breads, cakes, instant noodles, non dairy creamer, 3-in-1 beverages, TV dinners, in fast foods…the list goes on really.

In a test done, it was discovered that one piece of KFC fried chicken contains 7g of trans fat!

Why is it a health hazard?
Unlike natural fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats), our bodies do not know how to process trans fats. As a result the fat gets deposited in our liver, fat cells and arteries. There is now evidence that trans fats are major contributors to increasing obesity, heart disease and even diabetes.

There’re studies showing evidence that high intake of trans fat increases the risk of breast cancer in women, by ^40%! (^Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention September 1997 Issue)

It’s been shown to increase LDL or our ‘bad’ cholesterol and DECREASE the HDL or the ‘good’ cholesterol, in our blood. That’s like having a hammer fall on your head, followed by a huge piano!

The sad thing is that we in Singapore are still pretty ignorant about this fat. Our hawker centers boast of ‘The Healthier Choice’ yet our hawkers are using vegetable (partially hydrogenated) cooking oils. You will be better off consuming lard instead; the actual healthier choice. And we continue to gobble our cookies, french fries and afternoon coffee flavoured buns without a care in the world for our health.

Oh ya; actually we cannot really be blamed for it. How can we when even doctors are still advising us to eat margarine instead of butter (if you have to take butter at all). And we continue to trust the ‘Healthy Heart Pyramid’ found on the packaging of some ‘health’ foods.

Regarding trans fats – we should insist on ‘Zero tolerance’ really. And only then will the food companies comply.

*McDonald’s fries (171g) in Denmark for example contain only 1.0% trans fat as compared to 28% in South Africa. Why? Denmark has very strict laws pertaining to trans fats. (*source: New England Journal of Medicine Vol 354; Apr 2006)

Presentation at Pioneer - Teach Your Child Health

I had a great experience at the presentation at Pioneer today. The topic was “Teach your Child Health” and we had an enthusiastic group.

It was established at the start that none of the parents there would deliberately hurt their children. Some however may innocently be doing so in their food choices for their child.

The key point to remember is that parents themselves have to set the example – the child simply mirrors the parent. Eat healthy, and the child follows.

From the faces of some of the participants, I could tell that they were wondering - “How to make healthy choices. After all, we are working parents you know.” And I can sympathize with you if you are in that predicament as well.

But what if you could prepare almost all the weeks’ meals during the weekend; would that help? Here’s one very healthy way of cooking, called BAGGING.

How to create the BAG
Pull out a length of foil about 70cm long. Fold it in half so that it’s about 35cm. Fold that into half (so that it’s about 17cm). Now fold in 2 edges (twice, to form a good seal so that there’s no seepage) to form a bag, with one edge unsealed.

How to cook a great fish dish
Choose a good fish like Salmon or Cod although any white fish would do. To marinade the fish, rub it with chopped garlic, salt or soy sauce and a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice; place it all into the bag. If you like you could add some sliced mushrooms, spring onions and asparagus.

Seal the remaining edge of the bag. It should end up looking like a silver pillow. Label it a store it in your fridge preferably in the chiller. (The great thing about this is that you can plan and prepare many meals, in advance.) If you have to freeze it, remember to take it out of the freezer for thawing way before the cooking time.

At cooking time (after a hard days work) take it out of the fridge and pop it into the oven at 280 degree Celsius. In 25 minutes you’ll have a very healthy meal. It’s cooked via convection and there’s no washing up as you can dispose of the bag after that, and the kitchen remains clean.

Your family’s meal will be packed with good fish protein, low salt (as you can control the salt), Omega 3, nutrients from the garlic and other ingredients; low in saturated fats and no transfats.

All in 25 minutes!

So how do you begin?

Well the first thing about beginning, after you decide, is to start thinking of your goal.
Is your goal to:

• Lose weight
• Gain mass
• Maintain your weight yet reduce the fat
• Look good for the opposite sex (the goal that’s most prone to failure in the long run)
• Improve Health and lower the risk of disease

This is crucial as it would give you clarity and you’d then be able to choose the food, nutritional supplements and activities that will support your goal. You’ll also be able to join the relevant clubs or interest groups with the same goal as yourself.

So if you want to lose weight in a healthy manner (and the only healthy manner is by exercising and changing what you eat), your goal will help ensure that you do not join a group of body builders but a group of walkers or joggers instead.

Next then is to make a financial commitment in some way. You could, find a personal trainer, buy a book on getting fit, buy a good pair of running shoes, join a gym and if you’re like me, go to a sports shop like B.I.R.D or ADIDAS and buy the correct equipment. And if as a result you look good wearing the equipment, it’s an added bonus. :o)

Face it; you need all the emotional support and mental visualisation to stay on this life changing journey. If you do not think it’s OK to wear what you go to bed in, to work, why would you think it’s OK to wear what you go to sleep in when exercising?

Start appreciating the value and benefits of having proper attire and equipment. They’re designed to give you the proper support and cushioning for the appropriate sport, to prevent injury and long term bodily damage. Besides, they’ll also boost your confidence level and put you into a correct frame of mind.

So if you’re taking up tennis, invest in a good pair of tennis shoes; and do not wear them for jogging. Invest in a pair of jogging shoes instead.

Wearing any pair of shorts to run can be painful and utterly uncomfortable experience. One, it’ll chaff your inner thighs and you’ll develop a John Wayne walk almost automatically. Two, they may not allow certain ‘crucial’ parts of your anatomy to breathe creating a damp environment in your nether regions.

So set your goal and choose the correct activity and equipment to support your goal. It’ll put you on the first path to lifelong health.

Clever Fakes and Cleverer Fakers

Cardboard filled buns, silicone filled eggs, heavy metals in fake prescription drugs; it seems that the Chinese are the kings when it comes to commercially prepared fake food and drugs.

You’re shocked. You’re disgusted. You imagine the all health problems that could befall you if you were one of those who had consumed those disgusting buns. Yeah, you’re right; you could fall terribly ill eating cardboard (which also contains chlorine as a bleaching agent) and silicone eggs.

But how sure are you that your lunch today did not contain the very chemicals found in those fake buns and eggs?

If you had a serving of French Fries today consider this. How is it that the cut, uncooked potatoes in a fast food joint can remain all white and fresh looking; whilst the potato you peel at home quickly turns brown and ultimately black?

Have you ever considered the fact that they’ve been bleached!? (Read ‘Releasing Fat’ by Dr. Ray Strand)

And what about the burgers you eat at the many burger restaurants?

Well first, they have to all be of the same size and weight (being a franchise and all). Real meat shrinks when cooked and each will shrink differently. Franchised meats however have almost uniform shrinkage. Why?

They’re PROCESSED, that’s why.

So what’s involved in the processing process, you ask?

First the meat chosen is not of the best cut. In fact it consists of everything including the ears, offal, ligaments, cartilage; EVERYTHING.

Then every semblance of life within the meat is killed off. Both good and bad bacteria are killed. The aim is to extend the shelf life as the meat is now unable to decompose. If you’re a CSI fan you’ll understand. The flies will no longer lay their eggs in the meat as it no longer contains the nutrients needed for even the maggots.

Processed meat is tasteless and contains almost no nutrients; its dead remember? So now the clever franchise brings in a ‘food doctor’. He or she’s the person who is responsible for creating the flavours that will restore flavour to the meat. That means adding chemicals to the meat to give it some semblance of the flavour of beef or chicken or fish.

It’s then presented as the real stuff. You eat it and think it’s the real stuff. But it stuffed with preservatives, salt, flavouring, trans fats (again to preserve shelf life). You think you’re getting great value for money.


Yeah the Chinese are guilty and that’s because they’ve not mastered the art of hiding all the harmful stuff. When it comes to fakes, check out the American ‘food giants’. They are the real masters – the Cleverer Fakers.

(If you would like to get more information check out the movie, Supersize Me)

Health's a Decision

So now we’ve created the context – HEALTH. As ironic as it seems, many people I’ve spoken to people about health and the need to stay healthy seem to have arguments and excuses. Why it’s not possible for them to choose health.

“No time, too much work, tired, my kids, my wife, my husband, life’s short, just eat”; you’re probably thinking up a few good ones right now. Do send them to me for my reference ya.

Like many other important things in life, Health is a decision. Before you embark on any program, make a decision. And for some, back that decision up with a reason..a WHY.

Why do you want to stay healthy? The answer seems obvious enough. My reason was to attract health and avert disease. Yours could perhaps be so that you can spend the years watching your young child row up.

Make a decision first.

In today’s world, the odds are stacked against you from birth. Babies are fed processed foods, packed with enhancers and preservatives. Then its processed foods like hamburgers, french fries, processed rice, cereals, snacks and sugared drinks like Coke. The list goes on…

It’s an uphill climb to health, with the giant corporations pumping obscene sums of marketing dollars to brainwash you into thinking that the piece of bread holding the highly processed, preservative and trans fat laden meat, is actually made from the freshest of grains and packed with wholesome goodness.

In a meal consisting of white rice, fried chicken and a can of Coke, you could be consuming as much as 17 teaspoons of sugar, and 12 grams to 18grams of saturated and trans fat. And that’s in ONE meal!

Do this over a period of 30 years and one day you’ll begin to feel fatigued; where you’ll be too tired to even enjoy precious moments with your spouse or your young child. Lethargy and even depression sets in. Family life and work suffers. It becomes more and more difficult to focus on your tasks. You go to see a doctor. He does a blood and a glucose tolerance test. “You’re diabetic,” he tells you.

You know what? You made that decision.

The choice is yours.

My First Posting – My Objective

First Let me say..WELL COME!

Yes after all this is what this blog is all about…WELLNESS. My Objective is simple - To educate as many people as possible on how to prevent the onset of disease and slow down the ageing process.

You see my father’s a diabetic; and I refuse to become one. Almost every health provider says that Diabetes is genetic. Well I tend to disagree. Just because I’m South Asian does not make me a candidate automatically.

What’s worse is that such generalisation will be the bane of many, as those traditionally not prone to diabetes, may be lulled into complacency. Guess what? Singapore is the 6th leading country in the world suffering from diabetes with 1 in 10 of us being diabetic. And there could be another huge sector – the lulled ones – who are pre-diabetic.

This blog aims to educate you and help you and your loved ones really understand this disease, learn to avoid it through an unavoidable life style change and ultimately beat the disease.

I’ll provide you with links and additional information, new research and even 'controversial' ones - rather ones that are only now deing discovered and has yet to make its way into coventtional medicine - to help you understand this disease and realise the pandemic we are facing. I’ll give you the figures to the human cost in the near future.

In the meantime what many people are not aware of is that diabetes in itself does not kill; what kills are the associated diseases that result from one being diabetic. Here is a list of deadly complications that arise from diabetes:

• 
  Heart Disease


• Hardening of the Arteries


• Damage to Artery Walls


• Increased Cholesterol Levels


• Increased Triglycerides


• Elevated Blood Pressure


• Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies


• Kidney Disease


• Fat Burning Matabolism slowing down


• Accumulation and Storage of Fat


• Weight Gain -- Obesity

There was an article in the newspaper on Sunday (July15 2007) stating that Heart Disease is the leading cause of Death amongst blue collared workers. Ever wondered why?

Heart Disease and Cancer are the 2 leading causes of death here. I’m willing to wager my last dollar that more than half of those with Heart Disease were also diabetic.