NOVEMber 2013, issue 28
to h ea l t h y l iving
UPCOMING
ACTIVITY
MICA (P) 121/05/2013
Staying Active
As a Family
“Should I Consider HighIntensity Interval Training”
editor’s pick!
Steer Clear of Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterised
by a high sugar (or glucose) level in the blood.
According to the Diabetic Society of Singapore,
there are more than 400,000 people suffering
from diabetes. That’s about 11.3 per cent of our
population! As the fifth most common medical
condition diagnosed here, it has become an
increasing health concern. Though there is no
real ‘cure’ for diabetes, the risk of having this
disease can be reduced by making diet and
lifestyle changes. Here are 4 tips to reduce your
risk of having diabetes:
#1: Get on the scale
Being overweight puts you at a higher risk of
diabetes. So it makes sense to watch your weight.
The good news is that you may not have to lose
as much as you think to make a difference. Study
has shown that, lifestyle intervention with exercise
and healthy low fat diet that achieved five to
seven per cent lost in body weight can reduce risk
of diabetes by 58 per cent.
#2: Skip the sugar
Diet plays a major role in reducing risk of diabetes.
Take three main meals a day, making sure they
are balanced. Choose high-fibre food like brown
rice, wholegrain bread and leafy vegetables. Most
importantly, skip the sugar by tossing out candies
and chocolates. Go for fresh fruits or whole-wheat
crackers if you need a mid-day snack.
Also say no to sugary drinks like soft drinks.
Instead, go for plain water or order unsweetened
or low-calorie drinks like Oolong tea and
Japanese green tea. Reducing sugar intake will
cut down on your calories. Cutting down the
calories reduces your risk of being overweight
which in turn reduces your risk of diabetes.
POP QUIZ
Question: Name 3 ways a person can do to reduce his/her risk of having
diabetes.
Please email your answer to [email protected]. If you get it right, you will receive a FREE gift
from us! Please include your NRIC number and contact details in your email. HURRY!
Limited to first 10 responses only.
To be continued on page 2
02
#3: Get moving
Exercising regularly can help lower blood
glucose levels, decrease body fat and maintain a
healthy weight. So, if you have not exercised for
a while, start by building more activity into your
daily life. For instance, take the stairs instead
of the lift. At home, stand while chatting on the
phone or do some stretching during television
commercials. Then, choose a sport you enjoy, like
tennis or swimming. Ideally, exercise at least 30
minutes a day, five days a week.
#4: Sleep more
A sleep shortfall makes it harder for your body
to use insulin effectively. It is also more likely
to make losing weight harder and therefore
increase your risk of diabetes. So, adopt good
sleep habits. Go to bed and wake up at the
same time every day. Relax before you turn out
the lights. Don’t watch TV or use
your computer or smartphone
when you’re trying to fall
asleep. Lastly, avoid caffeine
after lunch if you have trouble
sleeping.
A healthy lifestyle is easy to start and it begins
with you taking that first step. Try and cut down
your food by taking a slightly smaller portion
or try exercising that little bit more. The most
important step is to do something you can
sustain long term rather than doing something
drastic which you can only maintain for a few
weeks.
Disclaimer: Please note that these health tips are meant as general advice for readers of A Simple Guide and are not a substitute for personal consultation with a family doctor or a
healthcare professional. If in doubt, always seek medical opinion.
Upcoming ActivitY
UPDATES
You’re the CHEF!
What a Healthy Day Out!
This December, ECHO’s first hands-on healthy cooking class will see Changi General
Hospital (CGH) Sous Chef Bryan Tan guiding interested participants to whip up two
nutritious recipes* in small groups of four. Limited class sizes are available, so don’t
hesitate. Register now to add healthy twist to your current repertoire of dishes!
On 5 October 2013, over 30 participants attended the
Healthy Day Out event. Organised by ECHO, the full-day affair
saw them first visiting Quan Fa Organic Farm and Kin Yan
Agrotech Farm. During the farm tours, they learnt how fruits
and vegetables like wheatgrass and mushrooms are grown
organically in Singapore.
You’re the Chef!
Date: 8 December 2013,
Sunday
Time: 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Venue: Tampines West CC, Level 2
Homecraft Room
Fee: $20
After the educational tour, the participants were brought to the
Haig Road Market & Food Centre, (a hawker centre that serves
healthier food under the Healthier Hawker Food Programme)
for lunch and participants were taught by Ms Rachel, a dietitian
from CGH on how to choose healthier hawker food. After
lunch, the participants were brought to City Square Mall,
where they were taught by CGH dietitian on how to read food
labels and choose healthy groceries. It was truly an enjoyable
experience and everyone picked up some practical healthy tips
throughout the event!
* ECHO will inform participants of the two dishes that
they will get to learn in November. Cooking utensils
and ingredients will be provided.
To register:
Visit echohealth.com.sg/healthy-living (online registration is open for ECHO members only)
or proceed to Tampines West CC for cash payment.
Closing date: 22 November 2013, Saturday
For enquiries, please contact Tampines West CC @ 6783 7910 or ECHO @ 6850 2434 / 4479.
“ Keep your bad cholesterol low by eating more fish,
whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lots of fruits
and vegetables. Also consume less red meat and avoid
fried or processed food.”
Angena Teo, Dietitian, Changi General Hospital (CGH)
a simple guide to healthy living
NOVEMber 2013, Issue 28
03
Dr Ben’s Message
Staying Active
As a Family
Turn off the television and your tablet
computer
As a family, consciously reduce the time spent
on technology like television, video games and
smartphones. Instead, make it a point to get off
the couch and start moving!
doing activities together is more fun and helps
keep everyone motivated!
Regular exercise and staying active, in addition
to a healthy balanced diet, can improve your
overall well-being and reduce your risk of
chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension
and cardiovascular heart disease. Here are
some ways you can walk your journey towards
healthy lifestyle together as a family:
Do household chores together
Household chores? Yes! Doing household chores
keep you active and is also a form of exercise.
Household chores, like vacuuming your place,
mopping the floor and doing the laundry, and so
forth, work your muscles and joints, as well as
burn calories. Make these chores fun by setting
a time limit and turning up the music while you
clean and wash as a team!
Dear Readers,
Due to our busy lifestyles, it may not be easy
to gather our loved ones for some quality time
together.
The next time you decide to get together as a
family, instead of organising a weekend’s gettogether for dinners, why not consider exercising
or doing activities as a family? This way, you are
not only bonding your family members, but also
improving your fitness and modeling a healthy
lifestyle for them. Furthermore, exercising and
Exercise together as a family
How about setting aside 30mins every
weekend to do something active as a
family? For example, brisk walk around
the neighbourhood or at a park within your
community, swim at the pool, cycle in the park
or jog at the sports stadium. If your family
enjoys doing physical activities together, you
can consider signing-up for activities, such as
rock climbing, yoga, or a gym membership as
a family.
Makeover your meal plan
Start your journey to a healthy diet! To keep
you motivated, involve your spouse and your
entire family. It’s much easier if your family is
supportive and is willing to make a change.
For example, choose healthy groceries that
contain low fat or no fat, have your spouse or
children pick out fruits and vegetables at the
supermarket and get them to help out in the
food preparation. That way, they learn more
about healthy eating!
Study has shown that chronic diseases tend
to ‘cluster’ in families. In other words, if the
husband has high blood pressure and diabetes,
the spouse and children will be at much higher
risk. One of the main reasons for this is due to
the similar lifestyles that everyone in the same
household keeps. So, if you want your family to
be healthy or you want your partner or children
to be healthier, it sometimes has to start with
you first!!
I hope these tips are useful to you. Remember,
it’s better to take little steps than not do
anything about your diet and lifestyle. And don’t
give in to excuses for not adopting a healthy
lifestyle. Wishing you good health!
Dr Ben Ng
ECHO Programme Director
Diabetes Specialist in Changi General Hospital
For more health advice in the meantime, come join us at our next event or email [email protected]
Introducing new ECHO executive,
Tan Hui Leng!
Every weekday, Ms Tan Hui Leng will start her day with a swim. The new
executive at ECHO says: “I enjoy swimming, and complete 20-minute
sessions at least five times a week.”
For Hui Leng, diet is as vital as exercise when it comes to leading a
healthy lifestyle. This is why she makes sure that she takes breakfast
after her swim. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives
me energy, boosts my concentration and improves my mood, so I’ll
never skip it,” says the mother of two. “I usually have an apple, a glass of
yoghurt, as well as two slices of wholegrain bread with avocado, healthy
jam or tuna.”
With rising medical costs in Singapore, it is no wonder that Hui Leng
works hard to keep fit and healthy. However, she is most motivated to do
so because of her family and loved ones. “My family and friends enjoy
exercising together. The shared zest for jogging and swimming makes it
easier to keep active.” In time to come, she hopes to impart some of her
healthy lifestyle habits to the participants of the ECHO Programme.
04
Exercise Tips!
“Should I Consider
High-Intensity
Interval Training”
For many Singaporeans, a hectic schedule can mean less time for exercise.
But there is an easy way to squeeze a workout into your life – High-Intensity
Interval Training (HIIT).
A time-efficient, do-it-anywhere training option, it involves repeatedly
exercising at a high intensity for 30 seconds to several minutes, separated by
one to five minutes of recovery. This may be repeated four to six times per
session, with three exercise sessions per week.
It has been shown to burn more calories, boost heart health, increase
metabolism and improve cardiovascular endurance. If you are planning to
start exercising, why not consider HIIT?
But while HIIT is generally safe, the high-intensity activities involved may
increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in those who lead sedentary lives.
So, do check with your family doctor or physiotherapist for tips to exercise
safely first.
Do you have any health-related questions
to ask our CGH Health Experts?
CONTACT ECHO!
E-mail Address:[email protected]
Website:http://echohealth.com.sg
Telephone:
6850 2407 / 2431 / 2434
Monday – Friday, 9am – 5.30pm
(excluding eve & public holidays)
Disclaimer: Information is correct at time of print.
Eastern Health Alliance and its members - reserve all rights to change information and/or itinerary without prior notice.
The articles provided in this newsletter are for information only and not meant to replace professional advice for any health concerns or medical condition.
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