`Back to basics' will keep you in good shape
`Back to basics' will keep you in good shape
Maya Santo Soeratman
Contributor
Jakarta
JAKARTA (JP): You are what you eat! This statement is apt to
raise a few eyebrows, but many health conscious individuals
believe that there is truth in this axiom.
The high mobility in today's world has allowed us to change
our diet and lifestyle. It no longer limits a particular culture
or people to consuming only the staple foods in their diet. The
ease of travel and global knowledge of food and delicacies have
enabled us to choose and determine what to eat and what not to
eat.
But how does an individual measure his or her health? How does
one know if one lacks a certain nutrient? The objective of modern
man is to keep his body healthy so he can live longer, to enhance
his life energy and fight disease.
Nutritionists and other health experts advise us to have a
balanced diet, a balanced lifestyle and a clear mind. This is a
promise that's hard to keep!. Of course, the easy way out is to
go to the drugstore and purchase one's monthly supply of food
supplements or vitamin pills. But the question is how to find
cheap supplements that are not only beneficial to our health but
also safe to consume.
One easy way to keep your body in prime condition is to go
back to basics and exercise, says Indra Sugiarto, a general
practitioner, internist and natural health practitioner.
The term food supplement refers to something that is needed by
an individual that his or her body lacks. Therefore, if a person
feels he or she needs food supplements, it would be wise to
consult their nutritionist or doctor.
Food supplements needed may differ depending on an
individual's lifestyle.
Indra says that one of the basic foods in Asia is rice, part
of the staple diet of most Asians, which is now gaining
popularity in the West.
However, if we only eat rice, without the addition of
vegetables and fruit that are rich in fiber, this would create an
imbalance. Imbalances could result in illness, fatigue and
lethargy. A properly combined diet of fiber, carbohydrate,
vitamins and minerals would complement each other, creating a
healthier lifestyle.
The rice now sold in the market is too refined. It has more
carbohydrate than its nutritional value as half of its vitamins
have been removed during the refining process. Unrefined rice is
yellowish in color and looks more like wheat grain than rice
because the outer layer which contains fiber needed by a person's
digestion system, is still intact.
If rice is a major part of our diet, then it should be
combined with vegetables, fruit, fish and poultry.
Soybeans, another staple in the Asian diet for thousands of
years can be said to be an ideal food. A naturally occurring
compound called genistein that can block cancer-causing genes is
found in tofu. This compound can also be found in soymilk, soy
protein and most soy flours.
Another winner is garlic and onions. These magical bulbs are
common in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. Sharp in taste and a
bit unfriendly to one's breath, (in Victorian days, the smell of
overpowering garlic would be shunned in the kitchens), garlic
contains sulfur compounds that have been proven by modern science
to kill bacteria and fungi.
Garlic also has a property which slows blood coagulation,
which could reduce the risk of clots and heart disease; a
thinning property similar to aspirin.
A study in India showed that 222 patients with histories of
heart disease were given six to 10 grams of garlic daily which
reduced mortality rates and incidence of nonfatal reinfarction.
Patients taking blood thinners, however, should check with
their doctor before using garlic supplements. Several
epidemiological studies in China also show that a reduction in
stomach cancer risks were found in diets that were rich in
vegetables of the onion family. These included chives, shallots
and leeks.
Simply put, fresh common ingredients found in our mother's
recipes already contain the necessary nutritious foods that are
now the rave of the century.
Researchers come up with new findings every day, but what
surprises us most is the fact that these essentials have been
part of our daily diet for years. One familiar vegetable which is
often unpopular with children is broccoli. We should give a big
round of applause for broccoli though. A study made in 1992 by a
team of scientists at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore,
Maryland, stated that a sulfur-rich chemical in broccoli called
sulphoraphane "may be a significant component of the
anticarcinogenic action of broccoli". Cruciferous vegetables such
as broccoli are bursting with chemicals called indoles that block
certain cancer-causing agents in animals.
Dr. Jon Michinovicz states that capsules of purified indole
speed up the breakdown of the hormone estrogen, a risk factor of
breast cancer. In mice, cruciferous indole substantially reduced
the incidence, size and multiplicity of spontaneous mammary
tumors.
If in a person's diet there is not the regular intake of
fruits and vegetables over a long period of time, taking food
supplements is one way to insure good health -- but improving
your diet is a much healthier choice, says Indra.
According to him, addicts whose bodies have been long consumed
by drugs can also turn to food supplements to recuperate and
improve their health, but a major factor in this is the
individual's mind-set.
We should learn from our ancestors. Indonesians are islanders,
they have the advantage of abundant fish from the sea and edible
greens from our forests and valleys that are rich in vitamins and
minerals, to provide us with a great source of nutritious food.
We also have a lot to learn from our ancestors about foods
that nourish and heal our bodies, so it would be unwise to only
focus to modern day culinary. We should go back to the heritage
of Indonesian cuisine that is so rich in nutritious dishes.
Our multicultural background provides the opportunity to eat a
variety of dishes and food. This variety is beneficial as one can
acquire all the different nutrients found within these foods.