The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

TZU CHI 106 57 Ng Hui Ling A nutritionist with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master’s degree in Sports Science, who served at the Singapore Heart Foundation before becoming self-employed, providing dietary consultations to vegetarians and writing a nutrition column for a health magazine. what one eats can improve one’s health, her face turned sour. It is often the case that the closer the relationship, the more difficult it becomes to share openly and freely. Out of respect, I would quickly keep the potatoes and sweet potatoes out of sight whenever I invite her to my house. Somehow, there is a big misconception about the nutritional value of potatoes. Potatoes are “innocent”! Rice or noodles are staple food for the Chinese. Potatoes are not vegetables but staple food, especially in Western countries. Interestingly, whenever being asked whether they eat vegetables, many would answer: “Yes, potatoes.” Compared to white bread and other staple food, potatoes are richer in dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals (e.g. potassium). It is not hard to find that most nutritionists would tell the public that the problem is not with the potatoes; what possibly causes one to gain weight with potato intake is the consumption amount and also cooking method. For example, excess cooking oil and fatty meat added to the cooking. Because potatoes are bland in taste, I rarely bake them with their skin. Instead, I would stew or cook them in soups. As someone who prefers Chinese food, when I cook potatoes at home, I would not bake them with butter, cheese or any processed meat. I would also not deep fry potatoes to reduce the need to clean a greasy kitchen. Maybe because of my character, I always focus on what is essential in keeping with the general direction, and I find that being overly particular about minute details create unnecessary pressure. Despite being a nutritionist, I do not spend a lot of time finding out which foods contain preservatives, which food combinations are improper, and so on. Instead, I spend my time on diligently learning basic and healthy cooking techniques, and my efforts on purchasing fresh ingredients and preparing nutritionally balanced meals and light refreshments in the kitchen. A point to ponder: Is it necessary to lapse into navel-gazing when it comes to eating, or do we have our attention on the wrong thing?