The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

TZU CHI 117 59 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. lady after her children had left. Regret is futile; it is more practical to focus on remedying the situation rather than lamenting over lost time and wallowing in self-blame. Knowledge on nutrition is now at our fingertips with the advent of an information society. Books authored by nutritionists are also widely available. Yet, I still see the fate of the elderly lady mirrored in a friend of mine who is entering her 40s. She is a busy mother of three, responsible for chauffeuring her children to and from school and tuition classes. Mealtimes are harried affairs; she would occasionally skip breakfast and hastily wash down two slices of bread with a mug of hot cocoa for lunch. She had only recently started brushing up on her understanding of osteoporosis after a relative had been diagnosed with the condition, alerting her to the importance of maintaining healthy bones for lifelong well-being, a precautionary measure not unlike setting aside savings to ensure financial stability into the future. The realization led her to purchase a powdered beverage with the purported benefit of strengthening bones, backed by the sales promoter’s assurance that one glass of the beverage for breakfast every morning keeps osteoporosis at bay. But is the claim valid at all? According to the nutrition facts label on the packaging, two servings of the beverage provide a total of 60 mg of calcium – less than 10 percent of the daily requirement of 800 mg. My friend was disappointed by the discovery, exclaiming, “I bought this beverage powder after reading from an article that it supplies calcium. The money I’ve spent on it has gone to waste!” In my opinion, a vegetarian is able to achieve the daily calcium requirement by adopting a diet comprising of calcium-rich food sources, such as dark, leafy greens, a variety of nuts or nut butters, tofu, dry tofu, calcium-enriched soy milk and dried figs, while enhancing calcium intake with the beverage. Conversely, if an individual is ignorant of healthy dietary choices, vegetarian or otherwise, he or she would possibly be at risk of calcium deficiency. It is worrying to observe that some people tend to be misled by the belief of relying on a select few food sources to supplement their calcium intake. Strong, healthy bones are the result of a nutritious and balanced diet, as well as a healthy lifestyle. For those with a penchant for foodie trails yet have never given much thought to the impact of nutrition on bone health, it is never too early to reflect on their dietary choices and adjust their eating habits accordingly. Early in the morning, I cut several portions of dry tofu from an entire block stored in the fridge and seasoned them with a sprinkling of salt, before lightly frying them in a pan. For breakfast, I assembled a burger by piling on the fried tofu chunks, a handful of freshmushrooms, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes – a convenient way to start the day with a calcium fix. Have you had a wholesome breakfast today?