Eating Healthily In Thailand

[cojones]

According to Dr Steven Pratt, there are 14 foods that no healthy diet should be without. These foods are power houses of nutrition, helping you lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, so lowering your risk of heart disease, helping fight cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and, of course, obesity.

So what are these magic ingredients? Dr Pratt’s 14 superfoods are: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yoghurt.

So do your health and your waist a favour! Whether you favour low fat or low carb, read on to see if you’re getting these smart foods…

Salmon and oily fish

These oily fish have fewer calories than red meat and are a good source of protein without the LDL-raising saturated fat. These fish contain omega-3 fatty acids which help lower triglycerides and reduce the stickiness of blood, making clot formation less likely and thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular troubles. Not a fish fan? Smaller amounts of omega-3 can be found in soybean and rapeseed oils, flaxseeds and walnuts. These last two are also brimming with fibre.

Oats and beans by the bowlful

Fibrous foods help keep your appetite and weight in check because they are low in calories and very filling. Insoluble fibre (found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables) is touted for its ability to maintain normal bowel functioning. The fibre in oats - as well as peas, beans, apples, pears and citrus fruit - is known as soluble fibre. It improves heart health by lowering cholesterol and keeping blood sugars more stable. And that's something especially important for diabetics. Beans such as lentils, black-eyed beans and chick peas are full of high quality protein, fibre and folate, packing a protective punch for your heart since folate can lower homocysteine levels, an amino acid which is thought to increase risk of heart disease and stroke. These are great staples in low fat diets and a great source of nutrient-dense carbs in the later phases of Atkins.

Nuts by the handful

All nuts are nutrition powerhouses. The fats found in them - monounsaturated (almonds, cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios and peanuts) and polyunsaturated (walnuts) - are the good fats, the only exception being coconuts which are higher in saturated fat. So choosing nuts over snack foods high in saturated fats (like cheese and crisps) will improve your cholesterol profile. They are also solid fibre providers and contain vitamin E, a potent antioxidant that helps prevent cholesterol from damaging the lining of your arteries. The snag is that they're loaded with fat, high in calories and can be very salty (something to beware of if you are watching your blood pressure). So, choose the unsalted variety and buy them in individual-serving bags to help you keep an eye on that portion size.

Colourful fruit and vegetables

We all know that filling up on fruit and vegetables can help you shed pounds and maintain a healthy weight. But they also contain fibre and a combination of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals, including antioxidants which help protect your heart. These beneficial factors give fruit and vegetables their colour, turning spinach green, carrots orange, blueberries blue and peppers all colours of the rainbow! Try to include these seven colours of health: red in tomatoes; red-purple in grapes; orange in sweet potatoes; orange-yellow in oranges; yellow-green in avocadoes; green in broccoli and white in onions and garlic. Low fat dieters and Atkins followers alike should aim for at least five servings of vegetables each day.

Soy foods

Apart from being low in calories and a good quality protein source without saturated fat, soy foods like soy milk and tofu play a key role in preventing heart disease by decreasing LDL and total cholesterol without decreasing HDL cholesterol. They also have protective antioxidant properties and are a source of omega-3 essential fatty acid. If you’re a vegetarian, you probably already include plenty of soy products in your meals. If not, ease them in with bread made with soy flour, soy muffins, soy burgers or miso soup from the local Japanese restaurant, then move on to soy milk shakes and add tofu, soy beans or textured vegetable protein (TVP) where you’d normally use ground beef.

Turkey

This meat is extremely low in fat and calories and is, of course, carb-free! As a great source of protein, don’t save turkey just for the annual Christmas feast – used minced turkey instead of beef or turkey steak where you’d usually use chicken or pork.

Yoghurt

A great source of calcium, there are more types of yoghurt available almost every day! Whole milk, low fat, live or probiotic – the choice is yours and all types have their merits. If you want good nutrition with next to no calories, go for the diet variety. If you prefer a creamier taste or lower carb content, go Greek! The live bacteria cultures in pro-biotic yoghurts help boost immunity and strengthen the digestive system.

Fancy a cuppa?

Both green and black tea are full of anti-oxidants called polyphenols. These powerful nutrients can help protect us against cancers and heart disease – so put the kettle on!

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how many of the 14 superfoods are available in LOS ???

[Dickie]

Thanks for the health-foodie advert. I ate toad-in-the-hole, spotted dick, sausage and sticky-toffee cake today, washed down with creamy coffee. I feel great. I've been eating like this for years. I've had my cholesterol level checked, my liver enzymes checked, my heart checked and the doctors said I'm in perfectly good health.

My attitude to a healthy diet: ENJOY! (and don't forget that dying at 90 and dying at 50 makes sod-all difference to the worms that eat you).

[pedro01]

Dickie

Having just spent 7 months on the wagon (started with a 7-day fast with colonic irrigation every night), hitting the gym & eating 'right' - I just gotta know a few things to put my mind at rest.

It's going to kill me if you look good on your diet

Please tell me the following:

Height

Weight

Waist measurement

Cheers

Pete

[dugdig]

I'll go against the trend here and actually give you an answer.

Almost everything is available in Thailand...if you lookfor it ...if you're willing to pay for it.

In Chiangrai I sometimes/often/always see beans,broccoli,oranges,pumpkin,salmon,soy,tea,tomatoes,and yoghurt.

I don't know about the others...I've never looked for them...I don't eat farang food.

PS I think these diet things with lists like this are mostly crap but at least this one has got a lot of yummy stuff on it.

[think_too_mut]

So what are these magic ingredients? Dr Pratt’s 14 superfoods are: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, tea, tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yoghurt.

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how many of the 14 superfoods are available in LOS ???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Within first 3 months after moving to Japan I gained 8kg. The food from the list was mostly available but for some an extra effort was needed.

Can't stand uncooked or deep fried food. How many times I ended up paying 100US$ for a traditional dinner just to end up in the first Mac after that.

Since moving permanently to Asia, when in Thailand, I rarely eat Thai food except clear soup with no meat and som tum.

Can't trust the quality of the cheap meat nearby or food hall eateries use.

I am puzzled how can Thais stay slim with the food that looks like a killer in the West. Same with Japanese.