Note from Editor: Hi guys! Food Bites is back again with the second edition. The front cover of this issue features an article about the importance of eating breakfast and how it helps to meet nutrition recommendations. So, remember to fuel up your body before heading to class every morning! Besides that, we have tips on the right diet to prevent ourselves from chronic diseases, and also a news from The Institute of Food Technologists about Ginkgo biloba. In the middle section, we have a report on the MIFT event that was held from 13th February till 15th February. The three-day event was in SSMP and there were many events held, including the Tamu Aramaitii, food demonstrations, talks, competitions and many more. And this time in Fun Bitez, we have a sudoku instead of a crossword puzzle. Only, this is not an ordinary sudoku with numbers. This is a sudoku with a twist, that is, the ‘food’ sudoku. Answers will be provided in the next issue. So remember to look out for the third issue, and happy trying-out the ‘food’ sudoku!BREAKFAST: AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET NUTRITION RECOMMENDATIONSA large body of research supports breakfast’s key role in helping adults and children meet nutrition recommendations. Regular breakfast consumption is associated with higher intake of fiber and several vitamins and minerals, for example, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, zinc, and iron, which boosts the likelihood of meeting recommendations for all these nutrients. In particular, breakfasts containing ready-to-eat cereal tend to be higher in micronutrients. This is due to the fortification of these cereals. They are also generally lower in fat.
In contrast, those who skip or did not have breakfast in the morning may not make up for missed nutrients at other meals during the day—whether they are children, adolescents, or adults.
Breakfast Contributes “Food Groups to Encourage”The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identify whole grains, fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products, fruits, and vegetables as “food groups to encourage” to meet nutrient recommendations and help reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Although many Americans fall far short of consuming recommended amounts, research shows that many popular breakfast foods do help people meet recommendations for these food groups.
Breakfast Contributes to Whole-Grain IntakeWhole grains such as whole-wheat flour, oats, barley, and brown rice contribute fiber, vitamins and minerals, plus high levels of antioxidants, and other healthful plant-based nutrients to the diet. The Dietary Guidelines recommends consuming at least three (one-ounce equivalent) servings of whole grains daily (1 serving = 1 slice of bread, 1 small muffin, ½ cup of rice/ pasta), which may help reduce the risk of diabetes and coronary heart disease (CHD) and aid in weight maintenance.
Breakfast Contributes to Fat-Free and Low-Fat Milk and Milk Product IntakeMilk is the most commonly consumed breakfast food, included in almost half (46 percent) of breakfast meals. This suggests that encouraging people to eat breakfast may help more Americans meet recommendations for Milk Group foods, associated with overall diet quality and adequate intake of several nutrients including calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, riboflavin, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin D among children and younger and older adults. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), adolescents need four servings (1 serving = 1 cup of milk, ¾ cup of yogurt, 50g of cheese) daily to meet calcium recommendations.
Conversely, individuals who are lactose intolerant may obtain Milk Group nutrients by using lactose-reduced or low-lactose milk products, consuming small servings of milk several times a day, taking the enzyme lactase before consuming milk products, or eating other calcium-rich foods such as yogurts and cheese.
Breakfast Can Contribute to Fruit and 100 Percent Fruit Juice IntakeWhole fruit and 100 percent fruit juices are valuable sources of vitamin C, folate, minerals (magnesium and potassium), fiber and phytonutrients—unique compounds found only in plants. While most fruit servings should come from whole fruits, a portion of the daily fruit intake can come from 100 percent fruit juice. One-half cup of 100 percent fruit juice equals one-half cup from the Fruit Group. The USDA Food Guide (MyPyramid) recommends four servings (1 serving = 1 medium-sized fruit or vegetable, ½ cup of juice, 1 cup of salad, ½ cup of canned/ frozen fruits/ vegetables) of fruit or 100 percent fruit juice daily for a 2,000-calorie reference diet.
Additionally, it was found that children who consumed higher levels of fruit juice tended to consume more milk and lower amounts of sugar-sweetened fruit drinks and soft drinks.
Bulletin Report for MIFT & Tamu Aramaitii 2009Last month, on the 13th of February (Friday) till 15th of February (Sunday), UMS cooperated with the authorities of Malaysian Institute of Food Technologist (MIFT) to hold an event within the compound area of SSMP. Throughout the event, there were vendors selling food and beverages, clothes, trinkets and souvenirs, and art portraits at the parking lot of SSMP. There was also a blood donation campaign and a health check-up counter available for the public throughout the 3-day event.
The theme Tamu Aramaitii was chosen for the UMS-MIFT in the hopes to attract the crowd to participate in the various programmes and events held in, and hence will help to create a more fun and interesting atmosphere. Food Science, Technology and Nutrition students from other public universities such as UKM, UPM, UMT, UiTM and USM were also invited to participate in a variety of competitions arranged by the authorities of MIFT to compete with SSMP students of UMS. The competitions held were Postgraduate Oral Presentation, Oratory, Poster Presentation, Innovative Food Product Development and Food Bowl Quiz.
On the first day of Tamu Aramaitii (Friday-13/2/2009), seminars about Self Protection for Adult and Cancer Prevention were given by invited speakers in order to raise awareness among the public about health and safety issues. In order to educate the public in preventing fire breakouts and how to use a fire extinguisher, Sabah state fire-fighters set up a display booth. As for the “open-to-public” competitions, the ones held were Reaching for the Sky, Fruit Memory and Karaoke. Each competition was really interesting because the participants really put in a lot of effort to create high-spirited and joyful atmosphere whereby they displayed strong positive teamwork. Slotted in between the karaoke competition was the music and cultural dance performance performed by students of School of Arts (SPS), which clearly grabbed the audiences’ attention.
On the following day (Saturday-14/2/2009), it marked the opening ceremony of the 6th Food Science & Technology Seminar and Tamu Aramaitii 2009. The director of Tamu Aramaitii, the chairman of MIFT, the dean of SSMP and Vice Chancellor of UMS all gave their speech as part of the opening ceremony. There were a lot of competitions held, where highlights include Drawing and Colouring contest for primary school kids, Street Soccer, and Valentine’s Special. Food Demonstration which was presented by chefs from Heng Long restaurant and Scooter Show which showcased scooters with unique designs also became the centre of attraction for guests and participants of Tamu Aramaitii. Postgraduate Oral Presentation, Food Bowl Quiz and Oratory competitions involving interschool public universities students were also held simultaneously with Keynote Address, a talk presented by Executive Director, IDS about conservation of biodiversity in Sabah following the development pace in this day and age. Nur Heliza binti Helmi, from the reality TV show Akademi Fantasia season 5, also made an appearance in Tamu Aramaitii to perform for the audience.
The final day of Tamu Aramaitii (Sunday, 15/2/2009) permitted busy SSMPians involving as AJK for MIFT to call it a day. As early as 8.00am, the final stage for Food Bowl Quiz was held to determine the winning team. “How Good is your Sense?” competition and mini sports event for orphans from Kota Kinabalu Beringis orphanage also took place in the Sunday morning. Held at Bilik Kuliah Utama in SSMP, the closing ceremony of MIFT was started at 11.00am with a short speech from the dean of SSMP, Prof Madya Dr. Mohd Ismail Abdullah. The ceremony proceeded with gift presenting ceremony to the participants of the interschool public university competitions organized by MIFT.
The results of the competitions are as follows:Postgraduate Oral Presentation:1st prize - USM
2nd Prize - UPM
3rd prize - UKM
Oratory1st prize - UPM
2nd prize - UMS
3rd prize - UMS
Poster Presentation1st prize - UPM
2nd prize - UPM
3rd prize - UMS
Innovative Food Product Development1st prize - UPM
2nd prize - UiTM
3rd prize - UMS
Food Bowl Quiz1st prize - UPM (B)
2nd prize - UMS (B)
3rd prize - UPM (A)
Food products displayed by each winning team:UPM:Karatofu – Layered Hard Tofu
Choc Tempt – Crunchy Tempeh in Creamy Caramel & Soft Nougat coated with Chocolate, with added Probiotic
UiTM:Banamoea – Banana Fritter Center-filled with Mashed Sweet Potato
Fibo – Pineapple Flavoured High Fibre Cookies
UMS: Succa Flakes – Emping Ubi Kayu dan Hampas Tebu
Capkies – Biskut Tombong Kelapa berperisa Epal
The chairman of MIFT, Dr. Nik Ismail gave a speech signalling the closing of MIFT. Audio Blaster featuring extensive super loud stereo bass sound system installed in cars and Food Demonstration by Yoshimi Sushi Japanese restaurant were the last events for Tamu Aramaitii 2009. PMSSMP UMS would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who participated and contributed to the welfare of this greatly successful event. Hopefully, everyone who participated in MIFT & Tamu Aramaitii 2009 benefited in one way or another. So long, have a pleasant year 2009, folks!
RIGHT DIET KEEPS DISEASES AWAYIt is always better to prevent than to cure, especially where chronic diseases are concerned. The sad truth is, there is no cure for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.
The risk factors for these chronic diseases are mostly related to diet. Therefore, we have to watch what we eat, in order to prevent these diseases from occurring. Obesity is strongly related to chronic diseases and the possibility of early death. Overweight and obese individuals usually have high levels of triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol (also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol), while having low HDL-cholesterol (‘good’ cholesterol). This increases the likelihood of clogged arteries which can result in heart attack and also stroke. Obese individuals are three times more likely to have high blood pressure.
One of the main reasons for obesity is excessive intake of fat. A diet high in fat not only lead to obesity, it can also increase the risk of breast and prostate cancer. A high-protein diet, especially animal protein, can lead to high LDL-cholesterol levels. This will then increase the risk of chronic diseases. Loss of calcium through the urine is also induced by too much protein. This lack of calcium will then lead to osteoporosis. A very-high-protein diet can speed the progression of diabetic renal disease. Therefore, this diet is especially risky for those with diabetes.
Contrary to popular belief, eating salty food does not cause hypertension. However, overweight people who take a high-salt diet are more likely to have hypertension than those who don’t. Taking too much salt may increase the risk of stomach cancer, as well as aggravate the condition of someone who already has high blood pressure. High consumption of preservatives could also be linked to increased risk of certain cancers, as some experts believe.
BUT…………………
While excessive intake of certain nutrients is bad, nutrient deficiency is also a proven risk factor.
STEPS TO PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASES1. Eat according to the Malaysian dietary guidelines.
2. Eat more vegetables (particularly green leafy vegetables) and a variety of fruits.
3. Maintain healthy body weight.
4. Maintain regular physical activity through exercise and increased daily activity.
5. Try not to consume alcohol.
6. Limit consumption of fatty foods, particularly those from animal sources.
7. Limit consumption of salted foods, and usage of salt in cooking.
8. Use herbs and spices as natural seasoning.
9. Store perishable food properly so that they do not become mouldy.
10.Refrigerate food to preserve it instead of using preservatives.
11.Do not eat charred food. Eat cured and smoked foods only occasionally.
12.And do not smoke!
Individuals on a low-carbohydrate diet are at higher risk of chronic diseases. Why is this so? The fibre in complex carbohydrate foods can prevent heart disease and certain forms of cancer.
Lack of certain vitamins can also increase the risk of chronic diseases. Lack of folate can increase homocysteine – a compound that is produced when protein in food is broken down and metabolized - levels in our blood. Some theories suggest that high homocysteine levels may increase the risk of heart disease. Besides that, lack of vitamin B6 and B12 can also contribute to high levels of homocysteine.
Mineral deficiency is also another risk factor. Calcium deficiency throughout childhood and adulthood will result in osteoporosis in later age. Foods rich in calcium can help to prevent high blood pressure and certain forms of cancer, and also lower LDL-cholesterol levels.
We also have to watch out for carcinogenic foods. These are foods that contain cancer-causing agents. Examples of these include charred meat, cured and smoked foods, and some spoiled foods.
Over-consumption of alcohol can also increase the risk of cancer of the mouth and pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, and especially the liver.
In conclusion, non-communicable diseases are closely related to our lifestyle and have major public health implications. Therefore, eat right to obtain a healthy lifestyle free of diseases!
Source : www.nutriweb.org
News From The Institute of the Food Technologists Ginkgo biloba doesn’t prevent dementiaA recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association shows that taking the herb Ginkgo biloba was not effective in reducing either the overall incidence rate of dementia or Alzheimer disease (AD) in elderly individuals with normal cognition or those with mild cognitive impairment.
Over 3,000 elderly people, with an average age of 79.1, were given a twice-daily dose of 120-mg extract of G. biloba or a placebo. The participants were assessed every six months for a median follow-up time of 6.1 years. During this period, 523 participants were diagnosed with dementia, 246 (16.1%) in the placebo group, and 277 (17.9%) in the G. biloba group. The researchers reported no differences in the rate of total dementia or the rate of Alzheimer-type dementia between the two groups.
“One potential limitation of the trial is that, because the delay from initial brain changes to clinical dementia is known to be long, it is possible that an effect of G. biloba, positive or negative, may take many more years to manifest,” wrote the researchers.
However, the researchers also claim that the study is “the largest and first adequately powered randomized clinical trial conducted to evaluate the effect of G. biloba on dementia incidence.”
Source: http://www.ift.org
