What we eat has a profound impact on the mind, body and brain, yet the power of nutrition and dietetic supports remain largely underutilised within Australia’s mental health care system.
The nation’s peak body for dietetic and nutrition professionals, Dietitians Australia, released a mental health briefto evidence on how nutrition therapy can be harnessed to tackle the spectrum of mental health challenges faced nationwide.
“Our health care system needs to evolve to manage the often-complex needs of people living with mental health conditions.
“That includes ensuring Accredited Practising Dietitians take the leading role within multidisciplinary teams when it comes to providing effective, evidence-based dietary therapy for the prevention, treatment and management of mental health conditions their symptoms and commonly co-occurring physical illnesses,” Dietitians Australia President Tara Diversi said.
“The brief highlights the emerging evidence that has found making changes to the quality of food intake, can lead to the remission of depressive symptoms in some people.
“Australians must be supported with food and nutrition guidance to prevent occurrences of mental health conditions, with evidence showing eating a diet that isn’t made up of nutritious foods can increase the risk of developing mood and anxiety disorders.
“There are limited pathways for Australians facing mental health challenges to access nutrition therapy and dietetic services through the Medicare system.
“We’ve been calling on the Government to create avenues through Medicare and other funding programs to support Australians with depression, mood disorders and severe mental illness to access individual and group consultations with Accredited Practising Dietitians as part of a holistic and truly multidisciplinary approach to care.
“Currently there are only limited Medicare item numbers for people with eating disorders and other chronic health conditions to access an Accredited Practising Dietitian for mental health care.
“Mental health conditions cost the economy upwards of $70 billion dollars a year from lost productivity.
“The personal and societal impact cannot be quantified, but is an enormous load for many Australians’ who live with and support people with mental health conditions.
“Dietitians stand ready to play a poignant role in transforming the way we manage mental health care in this country and will continue to advocate for ways we can better nourish the minds, bodies and brains of all Australians.
Delegates to the upcoming Vitafoods Asia Conference in Singapore, 25-26 September 2019, will have the opportunity to dive deep into the latest regional trends in the Asian nutraceutical industry. Five clearly focused and tailored content platforms including Personalised nutrition, Nutricosmetics, Digestive health, Mental wellbeing and Sports and fitness nutrition will be presented in an exceptional programme that is perfectly positioned between science and industry. Led by industry experts across two days, discussions will cover current nutraceuticals business challenges, opportunities and market innovation in these core functional areas.
“This year, we are thrilled to present the Vitafoods Asia Conference, which will give delegates the opportunity to learn from, and network with, leading nutraceutical, supplement and functional food industry experts,” said Chris Lee, Managing Director, GHNN Europe at Informa Markets, the organiser of Vitafoods Asia. “We are also particularly excited to bring you sports and fitness nutrition presentations during Vitafoods Asia 2019. The Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest growing sports nutrition region and the presentation will allow participants to learn about the latest ingredient research as well as opportunities to develop new products in the space.”
Conference speaker, Dr Stephen Burns, Associate Professor, Physical Education & Sports Science, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, will discuss evidence that supports the use of ketogenic diets for training and performance in athletes, in consideration of the potential downsides for performance and health.
Another conference speaker, Nabil Bosco, Healthy ageing team leader, Retd. National Institute of Nutrition, Nestle Research (Singapore), will outline a holistic view of the digestive health market, mechanisms of action and fermented products to reassess the benefits of different ingredients aimed at a healthier gut. He will also discuss the role of food and nutrient synergy for digestive health and highlight any new research and market opportunities.
The Vitafoods Asia Conference 2019 sessions will last 2 – 3 hours, allowing participants to flexibly juggle networking, business meetings and educational content.
The full line-up of keynote speakers at this year’s conference include:
Chin-Kun Wang, President, International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods (Taiwan)
Dr Celine Klotz, Clinical Trial Director, Japanese Society of Antiaging Nutrition (Japan)
Dr Madhavan Nair, Scientist, Retd. National Institute of Nutrition, Vice-President Nutrition Society of India (India)
Dr Lin Jing, Researcher, Food Science and Technology Programme, National University of Singapore (Singapore)
Michelle Teodoro, Food Science and Nutrition Analyst, Mintel (Singapore)
David Foreman, President, Herbal Pharmacist Media (US)
The Vitafoods Asia Conference 2019, which runs alongside the Vitafoods Asia Exhibition, is structured to incorporate the latest research as well as a market overview and market innovation. Each session will last two-three hours, enabling participants to flexibly juggle networking, business meetings and educational content.
Register for Vitafoods Asia
The Vitafoods Asia Exhibition and Conference is where the nutraceutical industry comes together to find solutions, share knowledge and create business opportunities. Discover high quality products, ingredients and services, learn about the latest trends and network with 350+ global suppliers from 60+ countries across the global nutraceutical supply chain.
To register for the Exhibition or the Conference, please visit www.vitafoodsasia.com
Vitafoods Asia is pleased to announce that KSM-66 Ashwagandha is confirmed as the headline sponsor for Vitafoods Asia 2019.
Lemon is a popular and refreshing fruit that can be found in many recipes. Used widely in drinks and food, it is a rich source of Vitamin C as well as other health benefits that range from being an antioxidant, antiviral to immune boosting.
It can also be used as a tool for reducing weight as it increases one’s metabolic rate. The easiest way to capitalize on this is by drinking it.
Here’s our simple Lemon Juice recipe.
Ingredients
1 Lemon
Water
Thyme
Directions
Cut the lemon in half and fully squeeze its juice out. Remove seeds if necessary.
Add the juice to a carafe of water. Add a sprig of thyme and stir to mix it.
If the juice is too bitter for your taste buds, try adding honey instead of sugar.
Enjoy!
Drink a bottle of this concoction a day and you’ll be able to see its effects soon! It’s amazing!
This post was written by Lauriane Nativel, AsiaFitnessToday.com‘s intern from La Salle Saint-Charles, Reunion Island.
Eating mini meals. Unlike the snacks you probably nosh on (like an apple or walnuts), which have individual benefits, mini meals provide a balanced combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat. … If you’re moderately active, you can aim for a range of 1,500 to 1,800 calories, or six mini meals each day.
Think of these foods as support mechanisms on your path towards fat loss, as any diet that keeps the pounds off requires sustained effort and exercise.
I spent some time with my 8-year old nephew the other day and as usual, kids ask the darndest questions: “How many calories does a serve of french fries contain?”, he asked. I quickly hit search and discovered that one small little packet of fried potatoes contained 230cals!! That’s about the same amount you would lose if you ran 5kms. Imagine that. His eyes lit up, as though he had an epiphany. Little did he know, his aunt was on that journey already!
So it ignited my curiosity and I started researching about calorie intake and output. Here’s a snapshot of my findings.
Typical Malaysian breakfast
*1 bowl of rice=207 calories
Serving
Calories
Fried vermicelli noodles (meehoon)
1 plate
510
Curry Laksa
1 bowl
589
Nasi Lemak with gravy
1 plate
644
Roti canai and dhal
1 serve
360
Typical Australian breakfast
*2 bread rolls=114 calories
Serving
Calories
Eggs benedict; poached chicken egg, bacon or ham & hollandaise sauce with bread or English muffin
1 serve
238
Breakfast cereal with milk
1 bowl
72
Toast bread with butter and Vegemite
2 slices
319
Bowl of fruit (mango, bananas, blueberries and kiwi fruit salad)
1 bowl
107
What’s our typical daily calorie intake?
Typically, an average person would consume up to 2000 calories per day. However, if you intend to lose off some weight, then you’ll need to consume under that average coupled with exercise to burn off.
Bear this in mind.
3500 calories = 0.5 kg
Safe and practical weight loss programs recommend that we should aim for no more than 0.5kg loss per week. Any more and you could put your health at risk. That means you’re looking at a reduction of 3500 calories from your weekly intake – or, 500 calories reduction (or burnt off) per day. This brings your daily caloric budget to 1500. However, such a low caloric budget per day may not give you the sufficient nutrients you require. There are no shortcuts to it, and one sure way to lose weight is via physical exercise. There are so many ways to incorporate fitness training – speak to your fitness coach and get your goals set together.
Ever wondered what’s your daily calorie burn rate?
A typical white collar office executive would be considered sedentary whilst someone working in retail or F&B, who’s constantly on their feet would be considered someone who has Activity Level 1. Take a look:
*females
Duration
Calories
Standing up at work
1 hour
136
10,000 steps^
1 day
500
Average number of calories expended in a day (sedentary)
1 day
1800
Average number of calories expended in a day (Active level 1)
1 day
2000
The calorie burn rate differs depending on a person’s height, weight and gender. Males would burn an additional 30-40% extra in comparison to women.
^Shape-up America! is a non-profit that tries to combat obesity by encouraging and recommending people take 10,000 steps per day. Likewise at Asia Fitness Today, we aim to make an impact by encouraging co-workers at the workplace to be aware, be conscious about their health and start MOVING. Take the stairs. Park further away from the office and walk – saving you money, and burning you calories. Gather a few colleagues, grab a bike-share and ride to a new spot for lunch.
So, no matter what your fitness goals may be, a good start is to understand your own daily consumption habits, the calorie content of your favourite foods, then adjusting your lifestyle towards achieving those goals.
Chili peppers, despite their fiery hotness, are one of very popular spices known for their medicinal and health benefiting properties. The chili, actually, is a fruit pod from the plant belonging to the nightshade family (Solanaceae), within the genus, capsicum.
Scientific name: Capsicum annum. Some of other common members in the Solanaceae family are tomato, aubergine,potato, etc.
Dry chilli peppers with seeds.
Raw green chilies in acapsicum annum plant.
Chili plant is a small, perennial shrub with woody stem, growing up to a meter in height. It is native to Central American region where it employed as one the chief spice ingredients in Mexican cuisine for centuries. Later, it was introduced to the rest of the world by Spanish and Portuguese explorers during the 16th and 17th centuries. Today chili pepper is grown widely in many parts of the world as an important commercial crop.
Several cultivars of chili peppers grown all around the world. Depending upon cultivar type, it bears flowers which subsequently develop into fruit pods of variable size, shape, color, and pungency. And again, depending on the cultivar type, their hotness ranges from mild, fleshy (Mexican bell peppers) to fiery, tiny, Nag Jalokiya chili peppers of Indian subcontinent. The hotness of chili is measured in “Scoville heat units” (SHU). On the Scoville scale, a sweet bell pepper scores 0, a jalapeño pepper around 2,500-4,000 units, and a Mexican habañeros may have 200,000 to 500,000 units.
Inside, each chili fruit pod features numerous tiny, white, or cream colored, circular, flat seeds which clinging on to the central white-placenta.
To harvest, chilies can be picked up while they are green, or when they reach complete maturity and dry on the plant itself. In general, the fruits are ready for harvesting once they mature and turn red. They are then left to dry under sunlight and srink in size.
Chilies have a strong spicy taste that comes to them from the active alkaloid compounds: capsaicin, capsanthin andcapsorubin.
Health benefits of chili peppers
Chili pepper contains an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties.
Chilies contain health benefiting an alkaloid compound in them, capsaicin, which gives them strong spicy pungent character. Early laboratory studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese individuals.
Fresh chili peppers, red and green, are rich source of vitamin-C. 100 g fresh chilies provide about 143.7 µg or about 240% of RDA. Vitamin C is a potent water-soluble antioxidant. It is required for the collagen synthesis inside the human body. Collagen is one of the main structural protein required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps protect from scurvy, develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity), and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
They are also good in other antioxidants such as vitamin-A, and flavonoids like ß-carotene, a-carotene, lutein, zea-xanthin, and cryptoxanthin. These antioxidant substances in capsicum help protect the body from injurious effects of free radicals generated during stress, diseases conditions.
Chilies carry a good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
Chilies are also good in B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), riboflavin and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them from external sources to replenish.
Chili peppers have amazingly high levels of vitamins and minerals. Just 100 g provides (in % of recommended daily allowance):
240% of vitamin-C (Ascorbic acid),
39% of vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine),
32% of vitamin A,
13% of iron,
14% of copper,
7% of potassium, but no cholesterol.
Sun-dried red chili peppers.
Chili peppers can be available year around in the markets either in the fresh, dried or powdered form. In the stores, buy fresh chili peppers instead of powder since, oftentimes it may contain adulterated spicy mixtures.
Look for raw, fresh chilies featuring brilliant color (green, yellow, orange, red depending on the variety), with healthy stalk, wholesome and compact. Avoid those with spots or those spoiled tips and inflicted by molds.
Once at home, they should be stored in the refrigerator inside a plastic bag where they will stay fresh for about a week. Completely dried red chilies are also available in the markets. Dry chilies can be stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place, inside airtight containers for many months; and can be milled to powder using mixer/grinder as and when required. If you want to buy dry chili powder instead, go for authentic and branded products. Powdered chili pepper should be stored in cool place inside an airtight container.
Medicinal uses
Chili peppers contain chemical compound, capsaicin. Capsaicin and its co-compounds being employed in the preparation of ointments, rubs and tinctures for their astringent, counter-irritant and analgesic properties.
These formulations have been in use in the treatment of arthritic pain, post-herpetic neuropathic pain, sore muscles, etc.
Scientific studies on experimental mammals suggest that capsaicin has anti-bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, analgesic and anti-diabetic properties. It also found to reduce LDL cholesterol levels in obese persons.
Culinary uses
Red chili pwder.
Raw, fresh chilies should be washed in clean water before used in cooking in order to remove any residual fungicides, and sand. Chilies, either fresh or ground, can cause severe burning sensation to hands and severe irritation to nasal passages, eyes and throat. Therefore, it may be advised in some sensitive individuals to use thin hand gloves and face masks while handling chilies.
Here are some serving tips:
Red chili sauce.
Fresh raw bell peppers and other sweet, mild variety peppers are being used as vegetables in cuisines in many parts of the world.
Chopped peppers are being used in the preparation of chili sauce, pizzas, rolls, and in variety of dishes using fish, meat and chicken in many Central American and European regions.
Dried chili powder is an important ingredient in the spice mix known as curry powder in many Asian countries.
Hot chilies used as a condiment in the preparation of soups, chili sauce, spicy water, vinegar-spice mix, etc.
Chilies, soaked in yogurt and then dried under sunlight, are used as condiment side-dish which served during dinner time in south-Indian states.
Safety profile
Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which gives strong spicy pungent character. Capsaicin when eaten causes severe irritation and hot sensation to mouth, tongue and throat.
Capsaicin in chilies initially elicits local inflammation when it comes in contact with mucusa of oral cavity, throat and stomach, and soon causes severe burning sensation that is perceived as ‘hot’ through free nerve endings in the mucosa. Eating cold yogurt helps reduce the burning pain by diluting capsaicin concentration and preventing its contact with mucosal walls.
Avoid touching eyes with chili-contaminated fingers. Rinse eyes thoroughly in cold water to reduce irritation.
Chilies may aggravate existing gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) condition.
Certain chemical compounds like aflatoxin (fungal mold), found in spoiled chilies have been known to cause stomach, liver and colon cancers. (Medical-disclaimer).
