The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Health |
| Posted: 07 Aug 2011 02:07 AM PDT LACTOSE, a type of carbohydrate, is made up of a combination of two different types of sugar – glucose and galactose. It is a naturally occurring sugar in milk that gives milk its natural sweetness and provides energy. Milk and milk products should be among the foods that you choose everyday. It is a nutrient dense food that provides you with a whole lot of benefits – energy, vitamins, minerals and in some case, even probiotics. A certain amount of sugar is allowed in milk to make this nutrient-rich beverage more acceptable and palatable to children. However, manufacturers need to conform to the Malaysian Food Regulations 1985 and the Regulations on Formulated Milk Powder for children. Compared with consuming sweetened beverages, milk is always the recommended choice for growing children to meet their nutrient needs. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Posted: 07 Aug 2011 02:06 AM PDT Milk is essential for your child's growth. CHILDREN grow rapidly, so they have high nutritional needs for growth and development. They need a variety of foods from different sources, including milk. Milk plays a major role in the growth and development of children. Based on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines, children (above two years) should take two to three servings of milk and dairy products daily to fulfil their nutritional needs. Milky differences There are many different types of milk developed by industry and available in the market today to suit the nutritional needs of almost every child. Some of the more common and popular ones include: ● Whole milk, which is also known as full cream milk, has nothing added nor removed from it. It is processed to kill any harmful organisms for safe consumption. Whole milk is highly recommended for young children, as it contains about 3.5% of milk fat, which is vital for growth and development. ● Low fat milk is milk that contains not more than 1.5g of fat per 100ml of milk, and is not recommended for children. However, children who are overweight, or have other health concerns, may replace whole milk with low fat milk in their diet. ● Skimmed milk, on the other hand, is processed to have most, or all of its fat content removed. Therefore, skimmed milk has reduced levels of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, as well as reduced calorie counts, and is not recommended for children. ● Formulated milk for children/growing up milk usually comes in powdered forms, and are fortified with various nutrients, such as vitamins A, B and E, calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium. Some are even fortified with essential fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), arachidonic acid (AA), pre-biotic and pro-biotic as well as antioxidants such as lutein. ● Flavoured milk carries the same essential nutrients as plain, white milk, but has added chocolate, strawberry or vanilla flavouring for better taste. As some children do not like the taste of plain milk, flavoured milk can be a good alternative to encourage young children to drink more milk. ● Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, has a very high percentage of sugar, around 40% to 45%. The milk is then processed, and diluted to have very low nutrient content. This makes condensed milk unsuitable for growing children. ● Condensed filled milk, is similar to condensed milk – it is high in sugar and low in nutrients. The difference lies in the milk fat; in condensed filled milk, its milk fat is replaced wholly, or partly, with an equivalent amount of vegetable oil/fat, such as palm oil. Creamy goodness Milk is not only rich in calcium, it also contains many other nutrients that are important for young children; it is a good source of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, D, B12 and riboflavin (B2), as well as minerals, eg calcium and zinc, all needed for the growth and development of children. One serving of milk provides approximately 36% of the daily requirements of protein and 46% of calcium (based on the RNI for children aged four to six years old). Fat in milk is a good source of energy and contains essential fatty acids, which are useful for the growth and development of young children. Milk is not only packed with nutritional value, it is versatile too. Besides gulping down the creamy goodness as it is, milk can be added into your cooking, favourite beverages, or even as a snack, taking it with biscuits, which can be dipped into milk and eaten. Not all children love the taste of milk though, and getting your child to drink even a single glass of milk daily can be quite tricky. Here are some tips for incorporating milk as a part of a balanced diet for growing kids: ● Be a role model. Children are much more likely to drink milk when they see you drink it too! ● Try serving milk at temperatures they may prefer – chilled milk, or warm the milk up. ● Flavoured milk contains more or less the same amount of nutrients as plain milk; if your child prefers it, serve flavoured milk. You can also blend milk with fruits, such as bananas, to make your own flavoured milk. ● Add milk to cereals, or prepare foods that contain milk, such as oatmeal, pudding, smoothies, pancakes, waffles, mashed potatoes, or even homemade cream soup. ● Offer dairy products, such as fermented milk drinks, yoghurt and/or cheese, if your child refuses to drink milk. If your child constantly suffers from diarrhoea or stomach upset after drinking milk, do check with his paediatrician, in case he suffers from lactose intolerance. Milk and dairy products provide a variety of essential nutrients that are important for the optimal growth and development of young children. In fact, milk has been said to be an almost complete food, full of natural goodness. Introducing milk at an early age can help establish a lifelong habit of drinking milk. This article is brought to you by the Nutrition Month Malaysia (NMM), the annual nutrition promotion campaign jointly organised by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, Malaysian Dietitians' Association and Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity. For more information, please visit www.nutriweb.org.my. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Posted: 07 Aug 2011 02:04 AM PDT Too much sun can be harmful. So be aware of how you can protect yourself. WE live in a country where we do not think much about the sun shining on our faces. It is simply there, providing light and heat to us, 365 days a year. However, as we become more conscious of the effects of UV rays on our skin and health, we have learnt to be more careful with sun exposure. Many women now carry an umbrella when they walk in the sun, wear hats while gardening, and put on sunscreen lotion when they go out of the house. Choosing the right sunscreen can be confusing. The shelves of pharmacies and supermarkets are often filled with rows and rows of sunscreen products with dizzying variations of names, numbers and claims. What is the right sunscreen for you, and how much does it help you? What else do you need besides sunscreen to protect yourself? I hope to answer some of these questions below. UV dangers Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) rays, which is part of the electromagnetic spectrum emitted from the sun. You cannot actually see UV rays with the naked eye, as its wavelengths are shorter than that of visible light. There are three ranges of UV rays within this spectrum: UVA, UVB, and UVC. The first two wave ranges, UVA and UVB, are the ones that penetrate the atmosphere and reach our skin. UVA rays are long-wave rays that penetrate deeply into the skin, while UVB are short-wave rays that only enter the skin's superficial epidermal layers. UV rays do have beneficial effects because they help the body to make vitamin D, which is important for strong bones and teeth. Sunlight is the only known natural source of vitamin D, so we cannot shun the sun completely. However, too much exposure to UVA and UVB rays can lead to harm. UVA is known to damage the DNA in skin cells, which could contribute to skin cancer and suppression of the immune system. UVA also causes skin wrinkling, premature ageing, age spots, and loss of tone and elasticity. UVB is the main cause of skin reddening and sunburns when you are exposed to sun. UVB is also a culprit in skin cancers. Together, overexposure to UVA and UVB can significantly increase your risk of developing different types of skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. How does sunscreen work? Technically, sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV rays. It does not necessarily have to be in the form of skin lotion, cream, gel or spray; it can also be a salve or stick that is applied to the lips, nose or eyelids; sunglasses; sun-protection clothing; or a film screen that we affix to our house or car windows. In this article, we will talk about the effectiveness of sunscreen skin products, because these products offer the most protection for parts of our bodies that are not covered by clothing or coverings. The amount of protection provided by a sunscreen is indicated by the sun-protection factor, or SPF. You will usually see sunscreen lotions with numbers like SPF 15, 30, or 50. The SPF is calculated based on how long it takes for skin that has been treated with sunscreen to burn, compared with skin that hasn't been treated with sunscreen. As a rule of thumb, the higher the SPF number, the better the sun protection. However, it does not mean that you always have to use SPF 60 because you think it gives you double protection compared to SPF 30. Doctors and experts usually recommend that as long as you use SPF 30 or higher, you will get sufficient protection. Not all sunscreen lotions deflect both UVA and UVB; some only protect against UVB. To ensure that you are getting protection from both UVA and UVB, look for the words "broad-spectrum" or "full-spectrum" when purchasing sunscreen products. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, you should look for certain ingredients in sunscreens to ensure broad-spectrum protection. The ingredients are avobenzone, cinoxate, ecamsule, menthyl anthranilate, octyl methoxycinnamate, octyl salicylate, oxybenzone and sulisobenzone. Sunscreens containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are also considered to be safe and effective as neither of these two ingredients penetrate the skin. Using sunscreen correctly Sunscreen has to be applied correctly in order to get the maximum protection against UV radiation. This might sound like common sense, but you would be surprised to learn that many people do not use sunscreen properly. A common mistake is applying too little sunscreen. A tiny dollop will not be enough – be generous; you need about five to six teaspoons of sunscreen to cover the entire body. Slather the sunscreen generously on all body areas that will be exposed to sun, especially your face, ears, hands, arms, lips and head (if don't intend to wear a hat), and rub it in generously. Your skin should be dry and you should apply it 30 minutes before you go outdoors. Sweating, bathing, swimming and drying with a towel can cause sunscreen to wear off, so you have to reapply it at least every two hours or more frequently. Even water- and perspiration-resistant sunscreen cannot offer indefinite protection. Children above the age of six months can already start using sunscreen, and some brands offer child-friendly products with colourful packaging that make it fun and easy for kids to apply sunscreen on themselves. For children below six months, it is best to keep them in the shade with the appropriate clothing. Other ways to protect yourself Sunscreen lotions are not the be-all and end-all in sun protection, as they are only one aspect of the big picture. You may forget to put on sunscreen, or may not be using enough. That is why sun protection should also include avoiding the sun during peak hours, and wearing protective clothing. The highest amount of UV radiation is emitted between 10am and 4pm in the day, so try to avoid spending lots of time under the sun during those hours. Remember that the UV rays can penetrate your skin even through clouds or through windows, so be aware of how much you are being exposed to. Protective clothing is just any clothing that covers your skin, including long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats. If you spend a lot of time doing outdoor activities such as golfing, swimming, gardening or walking, you might want to consider investing in special sun-protective clothing that prevent absorption of UV rays. At the end of the day, sun protection is about common sense. Don't overdo it and avoid the sun completely, as sunlight is still important to generate vitamin D. Just remember that too much of anything is bad for you. Datuk Dr Nor Ashikin Mokhtar is a consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist (FRCOG, UK). For further information, visit www.primanora.com. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader's own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
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