Are You More Cultured Than a Cup of Yogurt?

If you are a lover of dairy products, you will never want to miss this food called the Yogurt. There are a lot of health benefits associated with yogurt and you would definitely want to add it into your grocery list the next time you are going to the supermarket. It provides a very good source of nutrition such as Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), probiotics and calcium.

Picture taken from wdexpo.org

Here are some reasons why Yogurt is good for you

1) Good for your bones

An average person would require 1,000mg of calcium a day and a glass of yogurt would easily provides you with 30-40% of calcium required for the day. Calcium is an important mineral as it is required for the development of bones. A high calcium diet would allow you to have strong bones. It also prevents osteoporosis especially for the old people. Choose yogurt which contains Vitamin D because it promotes the absorption of calcium into our body.

2) Boost immune system

Yogurt contains probiotics, good bacteria which are good for the immune system. Probiotics such as Lactobacillus casei has been proven to increase the number immune cells, such as T-lymphocytes,which kill unwanted substances in the body. As the number of these cells increase, the body will have a better immune system. It also prevents cancer.

3) Prevents yeast infection

Women, especially those with diabetes are more prone to Candida infection, commonly known as vaginal or yeast infection. Patients with Candida infection have vaginal pH around 6.0. Research has shown that active culture in yogurt helps to reduce vaginal pH to around 4.0 (normal range), hence, discouraging yeast growth.

4) A healthy gastrointestinal system

For people who exhibits diarrhea due to lactose(milk sugar) intolerance. The high lactase (enzyme which breaks down lactose), low lactose yogurt would reduce this problem.

Healthy bacteria such as Acidophilus prevents the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile. Hence, preventing diseases such as colon cancer and H pylori infection.

Just a tip on how to choose your yogurt. Choose those with active probiotics, low fat and light sweetener.

Ever heard of the phrase "You are what you eat?" If you want to stay healthy, then eat well.

If you have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's Health tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

Red Wine & the French Paradox

Heard of the French paradox? Wondering why albeit their high fat diet, the French still maintains a low mortality for heart diseases. This arouses the attention of scientists and they discovered that Red Wine is the answer.

Picture taken from telegraph.co.uk

Red wine contains many antioxidants which prevent the free radicals from attacking the healthy cells. The most studied antioxidant Resveratol, a derivation of grape skin and seeds, has been scientifically proven for the prevention of heart disease and cancer. On the contrary, white wine contains less Resveratol than red wine because the skins of the grapes are removed during the wine making process.

Resveratol prevents the blood clots from forming. This would allow a good flow of blood, supplying oxygen efficiently to all parts of the body. When blood clots are formed, ischemia(lack of oxygen) would occur. If ischemia occurs in vessels near the brain or heart, it might cause a stroke or a heart attack.

If you have read my article on Cholesterol, you would know that Low-density lipoprotein(LDL) are the bad cholesterol that you would not want too much of them in the body. These LDL cause plaque in the arteries which results in atherosclerosis. What Resveratol does is that it prevents the oxidation of LDL and thus preventing the formation of plaques.

Resveratol also has anti-cancer properties as it has the ability to neutralize the free radicals. Research has shown that Resveratol can cause the apoptosis(self destruction) of certain cancer cells. It can also suppress the formation of tumor by preventing the formation of new blood vessels around the tumor. Hence, cutting of the supply of nutrients to the tumor.

If alcohol is part of your daily diet, Jin's Health tips suggests that you make red wine your choice. Recommended consumption is a glass of red wine daily for women and two glasses for the men. It's important to note that over consumption of alcohol has detrimental effects to the body, especially the liver.

For people who don't drink, please do not start drinking red wine because grape is definitely the better choice as does not contain alcohol at all.

If you have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's Health tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

Cut down your Cholesterol - Jin's Health Tips

Everyone knows that high cholesterol causes cardiovascular diseases and stroke. These diseases are life threatening and if you belong to a high risk group, a good understanding of cholesterol will definitely help you with your health. Are all cholesterol bad? Are there good cholesterol? In this article, Jin's Health tips will share with you what are the different types of cholesterol and tell you the kind of diet and lifestyle you can adopt to keep your cholesterol within acceptable levels.

If you go for health screening often, you would notice HDL counts and LDL counts on your results.

• HDL(The GOOD) is called High Density Lipoproteins. These are good cholesterols which removes cholesterol from the arterial walls. It also helps to reduce blood clots and constriction of blood vessels. Target Level: >1mmol/L
• LDL(The BAD) is called Low Density Lipoproteins. These are the sticky cholesterols which likes to stick onto the arterial walls. This is the cause for blockage(atherosclerosis) and heart attack. Target Level: <2mmol/l

Figure showing actions of HDL and LDL

Diet

Maintaining good cholesterol level requires a healthy diet. Jin's Health tips recommends a low fat, low cholesterol and high fibres diet.

• Eat plenty of fish, fruit, dark green and leafy vegetable, beans (sources of HDL)
• Avoid high fat food, fried food, pastries, sugared drinks (sources of LDL)

Lifestyle

In addition to a good diet, a healthy diet is required to combat High cholesterol levels.

Jin Health tips advices:

• Mild to moderate exercises at least 30mins a day
• No smoking
• Be more health conscious

Go for your health screening regularly and ensure that your cholesterol is within acceptable level. If you belong to the high risk group, it is time you start to change your diet and lifestyle as these two are the key to recovery.

If you do have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's Health Tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

Water VS Sport Drinks - Jin's Health Tips

I'm sure that you have definitely walked past the beverage section of a supermarket and saw a lot sports drinks on the shelf and wondered if they are really better than plain water. In addition, there are so many types of sports drinks in the market that you might not be buying the one suitable for you.

The main reason why we drink when we exercise is to rehydrate ourselves from all the water loss through our perspiration. In addition to losing water, electrolytes and carbohydrates are lost when we exercise all well. That is the very reason why sports drinks existed.

How do you choose your sports drinks?

Primarily, there are three types of Sports Drinks. They are namely hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic.

• Hypotonic: "Hypo-", meaning less, suggests that the liquid is less concentrated as compared to the body. Therefore, it promotes a better uptake of water into our body.

• Isotonic: "Iso-", meaning same, suggests that the beverage has the same concentration as body fluids. It not only hydrates the body but also replenish the electrolytes and carbohydrates in the body. Jin's Health Tips feels that this is the most suitable if your exercise duration is more than 60mins.

• Hypertonic: "Hyper-", meaning more, suggests that liquid is more concentrated than the the body. Jin's Health Tips suggests that you only use hypertonic drinks as a post exercise drink to replenish your energy and replenish lost as it doesn't serve the purpose of hydration.

Water, being Hypotonic to body fluids, are being well absorbed into the body during exercise. It is certainly a very good choice for almost any exercises. Moreover, it is cheap and most readily available.

Which ever drink that you choose, Jin's Health Tips urges you to have proper hydration during exercise to prevent yourself from heat injuries.

If you do have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's Health Tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

Above picure taken from nextgenerationfood.com

Know Your Vitamins - Jin's Health tips

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Functions: Important for the eyes(visual pigments), skin, bones and teeth
Sources: Green and yellow vegetables, dairy products

Deficiency: Night Blindness and flaking skin

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Functions: Good for the muscles, heart and nerves

Sources: Grains, meat

Deficiency: Beri Beri (nerve problems), heart muscle weakness and edema

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Functions: Antioxidants

Sources: Green vegetables, organ meats, egg, dairy products

Deficiency: Inflammation of skin and eyes

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Functions: Good for the skin, nerve system and gastrointestinal tracts

Sources: Meat and grains

Deficiency: Pellagra (scaly dermatitis and mental disturbances) and nervous disorder

Vitamin B5 (Pentothenic Acid)

Functions: Aids fat and carbohydrate metabolism

Sources: Organ meat, eggs and grains

Deficiency: loss of coordination (rare)

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

Functions: Important for the production of red blood cells, helps break down amino acids

Sources: Vegetable, meats and grains

Deficiency: Convulsions, irritability and anemia

Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)

Functions: Important for the production of red blood cells, helps break down amino acids

Sources: Vegetable

Deficiency: Digestive Disorders and anemia

Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)

Functions: Involved in blood production

Sources: Meat and dairy products

Deficiency: Pernicious Anemia

Biotin (Vitamin H)

Functions: needed for healthy skin hair and nails

Sources: Vegetable, Meat and eggs

Deficiency: Mental and muscle problem (rare)

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Functions: Antioxidant, manufacture of collegen fibers

Sources: Fruit and Green vegetable

Deficiency: Scurvy, degeneration of the skin, bone and blood vessels

Vitamin D (Calciferol)

Functions: Aids in calcium absorption

Sources: Dairy products and fish liver oil

Deficiency: Rickets and skeletal deformity

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

Functions: Antioxidant and protect cells from being destroyed

Sources: Green vegetables and seeds

Deficiency: Muscle and reproductive disorders (rare)

If you do have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's health tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

Preventing Hypertension - Jin's Health Tips

Hypertension, also know as High Blood Pressure has become one of the most pressing health issues especially in developed countries. Although there are several forms of treatment available, hypertension cannot be totally cured. As the old saying goes "Prevention is better than cure", therefore, Jin's Health tips would like to share with you ways on preventing high blood pressure.

Let me first give you a brief description on what is hypertension. Hypertension is the increase in blood pressure of the arteries. This increase in blood pressure opens up the Pandora's box of many other health problems such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, dementia, ischemic attack, kidney failure and even loss of vision.

Classification	Systolic pressure		Diastolic pressure
	mmHg	kPa	mmHg	kPa
Normal	90–119	12–15.9	60–79	8.0–10.5
Prehypertension	120–139	16.0–18.5	80–89	10.7–11.9
Stage 1	140–159	18.7–21.2	90–99	12.0–13.2
Stage 2	≥160	≥21.3	≥100	≥13.3
Isolated systolic hypertension	≥140	≥18.7	<90	<12.0
Source: American Heart Association (2003).[5]

This is a guide as to which category does your blood pressure falls under.

Symptoms

If you exhibit the following symptoms, please consult your doctor to check if you have hypertension:

1. Chest pain
2. Breathing problems
3. Dizziness
4. Irregular heartbeat
5. Blood in urine
6. Problems with vision
7. vomiting

How to Prevent Hypertension

1. Regular exercise
2. Reduce dietary sugar
3. Reduce dietary salt
4. Refrain from smoking
5. Reduce stress
6. Abstain from alcohol

Modern medication such as ACE inhibitors, ARB drugs, alpha blockers, beta blockers and diuretics works to reduce the blood pressure which lowers the risk of suffering from the effects of hypertension. However, Jin's Health tips strongly recommends that a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and healthy diet to achieve the best result.

If you do have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's health tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com

When is the best to exercise? - Jin's Health tips

There are so many benefits about exercising that you can't possibly say no it. Exercising improves your cardio, reduces stress, burns calories, makes you stronger, improves your digestion... Simply, exercise makes you healthy!

However, do you when is the best time of the day to exercise? Make a guess, it is in morning, afternoon or night?

Recently "What's good for you?", an Australian health television program, conducted an experiment which measures the fat burn and strength increase percentage of people who exercise at dawn, noon and dusk.

Results:

Morning: Burns the most fats

Afternoon: Increases the most in strength

Night: Moderate increase in fats and strength

If you want to burn fats, you would definitely like to exercise in the morning. After a night of fast, your glucose level is lowest in the morning. Therefore, you will tend to burn more fats compared to other part of the days.

For those who do weights, late afternoon would be a better choice. This is because your body temperature is higher during this part of the day. Your muscles will be more relaxed and thus work better. If you usually hit the gym early in the morning, Jin's health tips suggests that you warm up your body thoroughly to prevent any injury.

People who exercise at night do show an increase in strength and burn fats. However, some have complains of sleeping problem. This is because the increase in body temperature and adrenaline level due the exercise. Hence, you might find it harder to get to sleep.

Choosing when to exercise is definitely a personal preference. Jin's Health tips seeks to give you tips as to when is the best time to exercise if you want to burn fats or gain strength. Most importantly, Jin's Health tips recommends a regular exercise regime to keep yourself healthy.

If you do have any queries, do feel free to email Jin's health tips at tanjinlin@gmail.com