36 Natural Health * August 2011 VOL 11

FOOD & Nutrition

So who are the culprits?

L ife as you know it has evolved with time. These days, our bodily needs i.e., food, is largely depended on

processed food, which I might add, sees large food corporations laughing their way to the bank. With the struggling economy we are drawn to make decisions at the grocery store based on what’s in our pocket rather than the health needs of our body.

For years, health experts have identified several major factors which are held largely responsible for the way we have turned out - Diet, Processed Foods, Alcohol and Sedentary Lifestyle...

Diet The first is of course is related to the nature of the food eaten.

During the last half century or so, food aisles have seen great expansion in the number of convenient and processed foods available in the market. Most of these foods are laden with hidden fats, especially trans-fat, sugar, MSG and bear little resemblance to their original raw materials.

Let’s take a look at a scenario of a modern household. There is no one at home during the day. Adults are at work and children, at school. On returning home, mothers may feel

Syam K of Colourful Appetite

37Natural Health * August 2011 VOL 11

FOOD & Nutrition

too tired to think about cooking, therefore the easiest way is resort to quick and convenient food, where one just has to place ‘dinner’ in a microwave and ta da... dinner is served!

Another norm is the much sought-after ‘tah-paw’. Often adults and children eat at different times and there is no opportunity to prepare and eat a family meal except for weekends, which may seem rare as many would rather grab “meals” at a drive-thru!

Remember the good old days, when we used to get daily home cooked meals to be prepared from raw ingredients on a daily basis and for a family to sit down and eat their dinner together... back then children understood the connection between the food on their plates and the raw ingredients from which it came.

Kids these days have very little idea about the origins of the food that they eat and do not realise how much it has been altered during processing. Try asking the young ones... “where does milk come from?” Chances are, the answer would be “supermarket”... the same answer is also given for chicken as well!

The truth of the matter is, children don’t know much about nature’s abundance because very little emphasis is given to home-cooking – so they have no idea how food is prepared and made! Is this what we want to leave our kids with?

Processed foods The expansion in manufactured and processed foods has seen an enormous rise in the availability of snacks which are designed to be served as ‘junk’ food! Sure, they taste good. But ask yourself this..."Is this what my body really needs?"

These so called "snacks" are more often than not fat induced... there has been studies that show, folks who generally snack on junk food too much, tend to get fat, fall ill and die prematurely...

Alcohol Drinking sets the wheels in motion for many

parties...

When was the last time you looked yourself in the mirror... i mean really looked? Notice that small

pouch around your tummy? Well, congratulations... you have just piled on extra calories - thanks to your drinking habits - alcohol that is!

You see, drinking is often accompanied by eating high calorie snack foods and so you can

see for yourself, just how easily a few evenings of socialising can add to the overall risk of weight gain.

Imagine those after party eating; we would actually park ourselves on a bench at a 'mamak stall' for some hot

'teh tarik, nasi lemak and roti chanai' then head home to bed... and then you wonder... 'where did the extra pounds come from'?

Sedentary lifestylesBack then fewer people owned cars, so getting to work involved walking (sometimes running) in order to catch a bus... children walked to school and played outside... the housing playgrounds were filled with the shrieks of laughter of children playing football, badminton, playing fetch with the dogs as well as kids running aimlessly on the streets (it was safe then!). These days the favourite past times seem to be surfing the net, Facebooking, computers games, television, play station and other electronic whatchamacallit!

Why not try something new... this weekend – make some time to take your family (yes, pack everyone into the car) and make way to the nearest waterfall, to the nearest “tasik”, to the pool in your condo… just do something fun and exciting... something that makes everyone feel alive!

You see, by recognising and acknowledging all these factors, it is therefore up to us to make healthy eating a life-long commitment; it’s an investment for your future and that of your children, so let’s pledge to it...

Wishing you a colourful day!

Kids these days have very little idea about the origins of the

food that they eat

38 Natural Health * August 2011 VOL 11

FOOD &

Tempeh Salad with Roasted Tomatoes drizzled with Orange Y ogurt Dressing

Colourful Appetite offers tailor-made health & fitness programmes, gastronomic healthy eating classes & workshops as well as personalised meal planning and personal chef services for a healthier you. For enquiries you can email syam.healthyfoodies@gmail.com, visit the website www.colourfulappetite.avantagepoint.com or find Colourful Appetite on Facebook or call +6016-687 2034.

Tempting TempehTempeh is an excellent alternative to meat and is a rich source of protein.

ºTempeh is a great choice for people who have difficulty digesting plant-based high-protein foods like beans and legumes or soy foods such as tofu. The process of fermentation makes the soybeans softer.

º It lowers cholesterol level, unlike the protein from animal sources, hence lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke, also raises the HDL cholesterol levels.

ºTempeh can even lower LDL cholesterol levels, apart from raising HDL.

ºOne serving of tempeh contains more fibre than most people consume in one day.

ºTempeh contains magnesium, which plays a vital role in cardiovascular system and in more than 300 enzymatic reactions.

ºThe fibre present in tempeh lowers the risk of colon cancer, by being able to bind the cancer-causing toxins.

Tempting Tempeh

Ingredients:• 2 packets of tempeh (available in

supermarket and wet market)• 1 packet mixed salad (available

in supermarket) or you can use Romaine lettuce (Yu Mah), with some Thai basil and watercress (available at wet market)

• 1 small tub of yogurt• 1 packet cherry tomatoes• 2 nos of oranges• Salt & pepper to taste• Olive oil to pan searing

Method:Roasted Tomatoes: Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celcius. Wash and rinse the cherry. Wash and rinse the salad leaves and pat them dry. Cut the tempeh lengthwise about 1cm (about 5 slices). Heat pan and drizzle some olive oil for searing the tempeh. Sear tempeh until it is lightly browned on both sides. Plate the tempeh on serving plates.

Orange Yogurt DressingSqueeze juice from the oranges into a mixing bowl. Take a few good heaps of yogurt (4 – 5 tbsp). Mix them well. Add the roasted tomatoes. Add a pinch of salt and season with pepper. Toss the mixed salad into the dressing and top it over the tempeh. That’s using local produce to create a gourmet masterpiece. Place tomatoes on lightly oiled baking tray (olive oil) and bake the tomatoes for about 25 – 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, please check and make sure the tomatoes don’t get burn, lightly charred is acceptable because it brings out the flavour.

Here’s a quick recipe for those on a protein diet regime, minus the meat. Here’s a quick recipe for those on a protein diet regime, minus the meat. This lip-smacking appetiser costs less than RM15 but can feed four.This lip-smacking appetiser costs less than RM15 but can feed four.

Recipe toTry!