Mum's Chilli Paste Recipe

Chilli Paste

1) 小辣轿
2) Garlic
3) Lime
4) Onion

蓝姜/黄姜 Paste

1) 蓝姜
2) 黄姜
3) 苍芒

Herbs

非洲叶: 对喉咙痛消热气有效

蛇草: Good for sores, white spots and fungi treatment

七星叶: 对治癌消除肿块有效

油麦草: Good for improving kidney function
(Juice/cook 30 叶 with 1 green apple is good for controlling blood glucose and cholesterol)

The miracle of Dragonfruit

I did my blood glucose test this morning and had a shock, it has dropped to 3.4 mmol/l. Lower than the normal glucose range. What did i eat yesterday? I was actually expecting it to be on a normal or higher side as i had fruits (red dragonfruit & peaches) after dinner. I was expecting the dragonfruit to cause my blood glucose to elevate instaed of dropping to a low level.

This result prompt me to do a research on the internet for "impact of dragonfruit on blood glucose level". The search was easy and instant. Immediately, topics on the health benefits of dragonfruit came up. Dragonfruit indeed help to control Type 2 diabetics and reduce glucose level. Dragonfruit also has Vitamin C, fibre, antioxidant (prevent cancer) and other micro-nutrients. Wow, no wonder it is called the "Dragon" fruit.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is an effective natural bacteria-fighting agent that contains many vital minerals and trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, copper, iron, silicon and fluorine that are vital for a healthy body. It also contains many vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin, A, vitamin P, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin B6.

Natural Apple Cider Vinegar is made by crushing fresh, organically grown apples and allowing them to mature in wooden barrels. When the vinegar is mature, it contains a dark, cloudy, web-like bacterial foam called mother, which becomes visible when the rich brownish liquid is held to the light. Natural vinegars that contain the mother have enzymes and minerals; the sparkling clear variety will have practically no health benefits due to over-processing, over-heating, and filtration.

Propagators of this wonder drug claim that the best way to have the vinegar is first thing in the morning. Mix two tablespoons each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water and drink it.

Benefits

Apple cider vinegar is helpful in ailments such as constipation, headaches, arthritis, weak bones, indigestion, high cholesterol, diarrhea, eczema, sore eyes, chronic fatigue, mild food poisoning, hair loss, high blood pressure, obesity, along with a host of many other ailments.

Cholesterol

Pectin in the vinegar is a fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol by soaking up fats and LDL cholesterol and eliminate them, preventing them from being absorbed into the body.

Diabetes

Insulin is secreted by the beta cells of the pancreas in response to high blood sugar, although a low level of insulin is always secreted by the pancreas. After a meal, the amount of insulin secreted into the blood increases as the blood glucose rises. In response to insulin, cells (muscle, red blood cells, and fat cells) take glucose in from the blood, which ultimately lowers the high blood glucose levels back to the normal range.

Type II diabetes is either due to insulin resistance or insulin deficiency. Fiber in apple cider vinegar functions to help in the absorption of excess glucose in your bloodstream and help avoid sugar spikes that lead to problems with diabetes and also food cravings that lead to weight gain.

Food Labels

The secret to reading a food label is knowing what to look for. If you understand the label lingo, it's not so difficult to make the healthiest purchases.

The Essential Information

The most important and reliable information on the label can be found on the nutrition facts panel and the ingredient listing.

Here is the information that's most essential:
Calories. Despite all the talk about carbs and fat, calories are what counts for weight control. So the first thing to look for on a label is the number of calories per serving. The FDA's new Calories Count program aims to make calorie information on labels easier to find by putting it in larger, bolder type.

Serving size and number of servings per container. This information is critical to understanding everything else on the label.

Dietary Fiber. It helps fill you up, and you need at least 25 grams daily. To be considered high in fiber, a food must contain least 5 grams per serving. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide fiber.

Fat. Fat has more calories per gram than carbs or protein, and all fats have 9 calories/gram. Choose unsaturated fats whenever possible, and limit foods with saturated and trans fats (also called trans fatty acids). Manufacturers are required to list the amount of trans fat per serving starting Jan. 1, 2006, and this information is already showing up on labels. In the meantime, look for terms such as "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated," which indicate the product contains trans fats.

Sodium per serving. Sodium should be restricted to 2,300 mg per day (that's less than 1 teaspoon of salt) for healthy adults, and 1,500 mg for those with health problems or family histories of high blood pressure. To reduce your sodium intake, choose less processed foods.

Sugar. It adds plenty of calories, and is often listed on the label in "alias" terms, like "high fructose corn syrup," "dextrose," "invert sugar," "turbinado," etc. Choose foods with less than 5 grams per serving to help control calories.

% Daily Value (% DV). This reflects the percentage of a certain nutrient that the food supplies, based on a 2,000 calorie diet. It gives you a rough idea of the food's nutrient contribution to your diet. The nutrients highlighted in the % DV are a partial list, limited to those of concern to the typical American.

Ingredient List. Manufacturers are required to list all of the ingredients contained in the product by weight. A jar of tomato sauce with tomatoes as the first ingredient lets you know that tomatoes are the main ingredient. The spice or herb listed last is contained in the least amount. This information is critical for anyone who has allergies, and for prudent shoppers who want, say, more tomatoes than water, or whole grain as the leading ingredient.

The FDA sets specific rules for what food manufacturers can call "light," "low," "reduced," "free," and other food terms. Here's the low-down on interpreting these terms:

• "Healthy" food must be low in fat, with limited cholesterol and sodium.


• Anything labelled "free" must only contain tiny amounts of the ingredient in each serving.


• For example, "trans-fat free" or "fat-free" products can have only 0.5 mg of trans fats or fat; "cholesterol-free" foods can only have 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat.


• A serving of "low cholesterol" food can have a maximum of 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat.


• One serving of a "low-fat" food can have a maximum of 3 grams of fat.

• A serving of a food labelled "low sodium" can have a maximum of 140 milligrams of sodium.


• A serving of a "low-calorie" food can have a maximum of 40 calories.


• A serving of a food labelled "reduced" must have 25% less of the ingredient (such as fat) than a serving of the regular version.


• One serving of a "light" food must have 50% less fat or 1/3 fewer calories than the regular version.

Healthy Steamboat Dinner at Yumin's house

Had steamboat dinner at Yumin's house on Hari Raya Holiday. We had a homely and healthy meal.

Ingredients bought for the steamboat are all healthy and quality stuff: Mushrooms, vegetables (brocoli & chinese cabbage), meatballs, fishballs, cuttlefishballs, prawns, udon, corn, pork shabu shabu, crabstick, tofu, tomato etc.

Sauce specially mixed by Yumin: Olives, onion, hua tiao jiu, garlic & olive oil (Not bad, a new taste, with a bit of fresh chili, the taste will be better).



The soup base was very tasty, cooked with corn and some dried shrimps (not the small type, medium sized one) with a bit of soup paste. After adding in the ingredients, the soup become very sweet & tasty. It was a simple meal, but very healthy.

Caffeine

Caffeine - present in tea and coffee

Coffee is one of my favourite drink. I just can't substain the urge when i smell coffee aroma. Having a cup of hot coffee, idling in the cafehouse and reading a good book is an enjoyment to me, esp when it is a rainy day.

Because of my kidney disease, i have slowly kicked the habit of drinking coffee daily to keep myself awake. Now coffee becomes a luxury to me and i told myself that i'll only have it 3 - 4 times a week. Btw... i have to substain from diary products so now my mum only allows me to drink Kopi-O which i have slowly got accustomed to. Better than nothing.

As i only drink 3-4 times of coffee a week, i get very upset when the coffee i drink is not up to standard. I feel that i'm wasting my caffeine intake by drinking unsincere coffee, i might as well drink plain water. Good aromatic coffee is really hard to come by.

Good Coffee (*Recommended)

1. Indochine 2-in-1 coffee (the creamer is non-diary one, non sugar added, the taste is not bad)
2. Old Town white kopi-O (not bad, don't buy the w sugar added one, add own sugar to taste)


Bad Coffee

1. Cedele normal brew (although its organic, the coffee is almost tasteless, the tea in Cedele taste
better)
2. Aik Cheong 2-in-1 coffee mix (not much coffee taste)
3. Cappuchino (too foamy)
4. Gold roast Kopi-O (Very sweet)