The world of Tzu Chi July 2020 (Vol.124)

2020 • 07 58 ellness Choosing the Right Energy Bar Each of the many energy bars in the market has its pros and cons. Hence, read the nutrition facts label carefully when choosing energy bars and select those that cater to your needs. Translated by Lim Wen Xin Y ear-end overseas trips have become routine for some. A friend of mine visited us at home after returning from her travels to hand us some souvenirs. After sharing her travel experiences with us, she produced an assortment of energy bars from her bag, neatly wrapped in transparent plastic. She offered, “I’ve bought different variants of energy bars. Here’s one of each for you to sample.” As I observed the array of energy bars laid before me, I performed a mental calculation of the amount of money my friend spent on them. “Why did you buy so many energy bars in one go?” I asked. “I had to spend a certain amount in order to redeem a complimentary storage box with my purchases, so I bought a box of each variant: mixed nuts, whole grains, dried fruits, some are coated in chocolate, some are smothered with honey. I couldn’t finish all of them by myself, so I’m distributing them to everyone. I’ve brought you the most of the lot since you’re so skinny!” I was amused by her reply. She expressed further concern: “Are these energy bars nutritious?” Each of the many energy bars in the market has its pros and cons. Hence, read the nutrition facts label carefully when choosing energy bars and select those that cater to your needs. In Singapore, food is available in abundance. However, vegetarian meals that are low in fat and salt are few and far between. The scarcity of healthy vegetarian food is probably a result of the efforts of vegetarian food vendors to attract non-vegetarian customers by adapting vegetarian recipes to make them as appealing as non-vegetarian meals. Once, I was unable to find a vegetarian restaurant for lunch even after walking nearly 10 km from where I was running my errands. I settled myself under a shade to rest, exhausted and starving. Soon after, a stranger sat down next to me and began munching on a piece of fried chicken. Suddenly, I had the urge to snatch the piece of fried chicken from him and devour it myself. High in additives, low on nutrients? My friend burst into laughter upon hearing my anecdote. “You see, this goes to show that energy bars come in handy when you’re in urgent need of a snack to sate your hunger! Even better if you have highly nutritious energy bars within reach.” A delay in replenishing the nutrition we need in time is likely to trigger the possibility of overeating due to excessive hunger. On the other extreme, it is also possible that we lose our appetite entirely after starving