Basic Introduction to Food Hygiene

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The Truth about Tea | තේ පානය

“Tea is the most common consumed drink in the world after water with a per capita worldwide consumption of around 0.12 litre per year”

Black, oolong, green and white tea are all an agricultural product from the leaves of Camellia sinesis. The differences in colour and taste are related to processing methods. Tea has been consumed over centuries around the world and has health benefits along with potential drawbacks, some of which are highlighted below. 

Potential Benefits

Tea contains one of the highest contents of flavanoids and catechins (a group of flavanoids), which are types of antioxidants. Many studies have shown positive health effects of drinking tea. An explanation to this includes the high levels of flavonoids that protect cells and tissues in the body from oxidative damage by scavenging oxygen-free radicals. Many human intervention studies with green tea and black tea have shown a significant increase in plasma antioxidant capacity in humans about 1 hour after consumption of tea.

Potential Drawbacks

However, tea contains a substance called oxalate, whereby an overconsumption leads to binding with free calcium in the body. Extreme overconsumption can eventually cause kidney stones. Tea also contains tannin, which is an astringent, bitter polyphenolic compound. High amounts of tannins decrease the efficiency in converting the absorbed nutrients into the body, such as iron; which can lead to anemia. There is also a small amount of caffeine (form of an addictive drug) in tea and an overuse can lead to side effects, such as sleep disorders.

In Sri Lanka, tea is consumed at least 3-4 cups a day, at home or from shops. The longer tea is brewed or the more tealeaves are re-used, the higher the build up of tannins. Drinking tea with a high content on tannins with meals can lead to iron deficiency.

Green Tea

Green tea has been consumed for over centuries and even used as Chinese medicine. It is a non-fermented tea, which contains more catechins compared to black tea. Its extract has shows to lower LDL cholesterol (risk factor for heat disease and diabetes), has an anti-hypertensive effect, body weight control and other physiological functions.

Recommendations:

§  Drink black/green tea 2 hours prior or post a main meal (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner), as to not decrease your iron stores.

§  Do not re-use your tealeaves more than once as it builds up tannins. Instead, you can use the used up tealeaves as compost for your plants as it is rich in nutrients.

§  Do not brew your tea for longer than 1 minute, as the longer you brew (i.e. the darker your tea), the more tannins build up.

§  Adding citrus, such as lime juice to your green tea can lower the pH in the small intestine, thus causing more catechins to be absorbed.

§  Do not rely solely on green tea/black tea in helping you to reduce weight or better your health status, instead combine the occasional cup of tea with regular exercise and a healthy diet.

References:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2007/11/14/citrus-greentea.html

Graham HN. Green tea composition, consumption and polyphenol chemistry. Preventive medicine. 1992; 21(3): 334-350 

King-Thom C, Tit Yee W, Cheng-I W, Yao-Wne H, Yuan L. Tannins and human health: a review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.1998: 38(6) 421-464.

Image source: http://www.teasslimming.com/slimming-teas-to-lose-weight/, http://beauty.bgfashion.net/article/5672/31/black-tea-the-best-choice-for-weight-loss

Information by Dr. Renuka Jayatissa

Life Saving Pumpkin Seeds | දිවි දිගු කරන වට්ටක්කා ඇට

Source: avlazra.wordpress.com

In this day and age, many Sri Lankans are facing more and more health problems. Amidst this, high cholesterol levels are a priority problem amongst the South Asian population. The type of food consumed plays a vital role in determining ones low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). As you know, high LDL levels are known to cause coronary heart disease ,while HDL prevents it; hence the recommended diet constitutes  with low LDL and high HDL.

Fat is a concentrated source of energy. Dietary fat is in the form of triglycerides, consisting of three fatty acids and one glycerol unit. Fatty acids can be classified into saturated (known as “bad fat”) and unsaturated fat (known as “relatively good fat”). High levels of saturated fatty acid consumption can give rise to high LDL levels, whereas unsaturated fatty acid consumption can give rise to high HDL levels in the body. Unsaturated fatty acids can be categorised in to monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). MUFA contains one double bond between the carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain, whereas PUFA contains more than one double bond. PUFA can be further classified as omega-3 (EPA, DHA and DPA) and omega-6 (AA and GLA).Some  omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are called ‘essential fatty acids’ as they cannot be synthesised in the body, thus can only be provided from the diet.

Sources of omega-6 include soybean, corn oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, organ meats and egg yolk. Sources of omega-3 include canola oil, nuts and seeds, fish oils, oily fish (canned tuna, mackerel and sardines). Sources of MUFA include various nuts and seeds. Around 10 cashew nuts will suffice for your recommended daily intake of MUFA.

Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of MUFA and PUFA. The composition of pumpkin seeds can be seen below:

Total Fat		46.7 %
PUFA 70%	Alpha linolenic acid	47 %
	Linoleic acid	23.4 %
MUFA 30%	ῳ -9 fatty acid	15.9 %
	ῳ- 6 fatty acid	4.2 %

Some consume supplements("fish oil capsules") to gain their recommended daily intake of omega-3 and -6. However, consuming pumpkin instead is not a difficult task. After cooking pumpkin, instead of throwing the seeds away; wash them and dry it in the sun/roast it in the oven in low heat. You may consume it with, or without the coat (coat contains fibre), but do not add salt. Pumpkin seeds are sold around the world and can be found in shops in Sri Lanka too. However, preparing pumpkin seeds at home is an easy and inexpensive way to increase your HDL levels and dodge high cholesterol.

Written by Chavindi Uduwaka

For the Sinhalese version of this article Click Here | ๧මම ල๢ප๢๧ය๞ ස๢๜හල ප໱ව໮තනය සඳහ๟ ๧මත๠නට යන๞න. 

Eat Well and Be Active|දියවැඩියාවට කුස්සියෙන් බේත්.

Some of the best 'medicines' for controlling your diabetes comes right from your own kitchen. Food is the fuel that keeps your body working. The exercise you do, the medicine you take, your blood sugar level-all are affected by how and what you eat. Don't give up your favourite foods. Just learn how much to eat, how often to eat, and how to prepare the foods you love to eat. There are no forbidden foods for a person with diabetes. The old way of just cutting out foods with sugar has changed. The foods that are healthy for people without diabetes are the same foods that are healthy for people without diabetes.

To eat well:

• Eat a wide variety of foods each day
• Eat high fiber foods, such as un polished rice, vegetables, fruits, and pulses (Cowpea, Green gram, Chickpea)
• Use less added fat, and salt
• Eat meals and snacks at the same time each day
• Eat at least 3 small meals each day
• Try not to skip meals
• Eat about the same amount of food each day
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Drink less alcohol or better avoid
• If you want to lose weight, reduce the quantity of foods while keeping the variety and be more physically activeExercise is important for everyone. For people with diabetes it is vital! Exercise help for you to:

• Lower and control blood sugar
• Reduce how much medicine you need
• Decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke
• Lower your blood pressure
• Lower your "bad" cholesterol
• Improve your circulation and your health and fitness
• Reduce stress and depression
• Increase your energy level which help with weight loss and weight control
• Lift your spirits!

Getting started to exercise:

• Your exercise program needs to take into account any health problems that you have. Talk to your doctor first.
• Start slowly. It takes about 3-6 months, to reach the goal. It is necessary to warm up 5 minutes before the exercise and cool down for 5 minutes after the exercise to prevent injuries.
• Go for an activity you enjoy- walking, swimming, gardening, or a combination of activities.

If you already have diabetes, losing 5 -10 Kg may help you lower your blood glucose, blood pressure and improve your blood fats. Losing this weight may also help you cut down on a few of the types of medicines you take.

Written By

-Dr. Renuka Jayatissa

Don't Say Hi to Heart Attacks | හදවත පරිස්සම් කර ගනිමු

Diet is one of the important risk factors associated with heart attacks. The safest way to prevent heart attacks is to strive for a healthy diet and active lifestyle. This includes the following:

Consuming the so-called heart-safe diet (low in fat, cholesterol and salt; high in fibre)
Item	Description
Red meat (beef, pork, mutton)	Limit to once a week. Remove as much excess fat as possible before cooking
Poultry	Maximum of three times a week
Sausages and luncheon meats	High fat and salt content (provides 25% of daily sodium intake). Use sparingly
Fish (tuna, hurulla, salaya)	Low-fat alternative to meat, rich in omega-3 oils
Shellfish (Shrimp, crab, lobster, cuttle fish, prawns)	High in cholesterol, but low in fat. Can be included in your weekly diet
Butter	Should not be used on a daily basis.
Margarine	Contains saturated and tans fatty acids, both of which have potential to increase blood cholesterol levels. Consumers mistakenly assume margarine is lower in kilocalories than butter. A gram of fat (what ever the source), supplies nine kilocalories of energy. 1. Reduce margarine/butter you use each day 2. Further decrease fat intake by using low fat butter/margarine 3. Use soft spread margarine (contains less saturated and trans fatty acids.
Eggs	Consume no more than four egg yolks/week, including those in pudding and bakery items
Olives and coconut	These are high in fat. Use one coconut for five persons per day.
processed foods	Restrict intake as most processed foods contain significant amounts of fat and sodium
Frying foods	Fry foods infrequently. Stir-fry food in tiny quantities of very hot oil. Invest in non-stick cookware.
Fruits and Vegetables	Increase the consumption of a wide range to boost intake of Vitamin A (beta-carotene), E and C in the diet. These vitamins are heart protective.
Vitamin E	Present in avocado, dark green vegetables, eggs, butter, margarine, cheese, nuts etc..
Vitamin C	Present in citrus fruit and juices, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, bean sprouts, green peppers.
Vitamin A (beta-carotene)	Present in yellow and orange fruit. Green vegetables, carrots, pumpkins, spinach, tomatoes, whole milk and its product
Maintain a healthy body weight
Avoid tobacco (both smoking and chewing)
Participating in regular exercise programme and lead a active life
Reducing stress throughout adulthood is also important to keep your healthy heart

Written by

-Dr. Renuka Jayatissa-

මම මහතයිද? මම කෙට්ටුයිද? - ශරීර ස්කන්ධ දර්ශකය මනිමු | Know your Body Mass Index |

ඔබ නිතරම ඔබේ සෞඛ්‍ය තත්ත්වය ගැන සැලකිලිමත් වෙනවා නේද? එසේනම් ඔබ අසනීප වූ විට දැනගන්නේ කෙසේද? ශ්වසන මාර්ගයේ අසනීපයක් ඇතිවිත උණ ගන්නවා, සොටු දියර ගලනවා, කැස්ස එනවා. ආහාර මාර්ගයේ නම් බඩ රිදීම, වමනය, පාචනය ආදිය සිදු වෙනවා. මෙවැනි අමාරුකම් නැති විට අපි "හොඳ " සෞඛ්‍ය තත්ත්වයෙන් ඉන්නවා යැයි සිතනවා.

නමුත්, අපට නොපෙනෙන රෝග තත්ත්වයක් අප සතුව තිබිය හැකියි. "දුෂ්පෝෂණය" එවැනි රෝග තත්ත්වයක්. දුෂ්පෝෂණය යන්නට මන්ද පෝෂණය මෙන්ම අධි පෝෂණයද ඇතුලත්.

දුප්පත් පොහොසත් භේදයකින් තොරව ,අපේ වැරදි ආහාර පුරුදු නිසා අප සියල්ලෝම ඉහත සඳහන් කල ආකාර දෙකටම ලක්වීමට පුළුවන්.

මමත් මන්ද පෝෂණයෙන්/ අධි පෝෂණයෙන් පෙලෙනවාද?

මෙය දැන් ඔබට අනිවාර්යයෙන්ම ඇතිවන ප්‍රශ්නයක්. පිලිතුර හරිම සරලයි.ඔබේ ශරීර ස්කන්ධ දර්ශකය(BMI) ගණනය කරන්න.

BMI අගය යනු කුමක්ද?

මෙය ශරීරයේ උසට සරිලන බරක් තිබීම පිලිබඳ මිනුමකි.මෙය බර(kg)/උස(m)^2 යන සමීකරණයෙන් ලබාගත හැක. ලාංකීය වැඩිහිටියකුගේ මෙය 18 kg/m2 හා 23.5 kg/m2 අතර තිබීම අපේක්ෂා කෙරේ.මෙම අගයට වැඩි හෝ අඩු වීම දුශ්පෝෂණ තත්ත්වයකි.

ඔබේ වයසට අනුව නිවැරදි අංකය(A,B,C) වෙත ගමන් කරන්න.

A.ඔබ පාසැල් ශිෂ්‍යයෙකු(වයස අවු.5-18)නම්,

වයස අවුරුදු 5ට වැඩි ඕනෑම වයසක අයෙකුට ,මෙම වගුව ඇසුරෙන් තම BMI අගයත් ,තිබිය යුතු අවම හා උපරිම බරත් දැකගත හැකියි.මෙහිදී ඔබ +2 හා -2 අතර කලාපයේ සිටීනම් එය නිවැරදි BMI අගයක් වෙනවා.

BMI අගය මෙමගින් දැන ගන්න



පිරිමි ළමුන් සඳහා නම්, දැන් එයමෙතැන click කර ලැබෙන ප්‍රස්ථාරයට ඇතුලත් කර ඔබ සිටිනා ශරීර ස්කන්ධ දර්ශක කලාපය හඳුනා ගන්න.

ගැහැනු ළමුන් සඳහා නම්, දැන් එය දැන් එයමෙතැන click කර ලැබෙන ප්‍රස්ථාරයට ඇතුලත් කර ඔබ සිටිනා ශරීර ස්කන්ධ දර්ශක කලාපය හඳුනා ගන්න.


B.ඔබ වැඩිහිටියකු(අවු.18ට වැඩි ) නම්,

වයස අවුරුදු 18ට වැඩි ඕනෑම අයෙකුට පහත මෘදුකාංගයට උස හා බර ලබාදීමෙන් BMI අගය ලබාගෙන එය ප්‍රස්තාර ගත කරගත හැකියි.මෙහිදී ඔබ කහපාට කලාපයේ සිටීනම් එය නිවැරදි BMI අගයක් වෙනවා.



C.වයස අවු. 5ට අඩු දරුවෙක් නම්,

අවුරුදු 5ට අඩු දරුවන් සඳහා පහත දැක්වෙන වගු භාවිතා කර ඔවුන්ගේ දිග(අවුරුදු 2ට අඩු දරුවන් සඳහා දිග භාවිතා වේ) උසට අනුව බර වැටෙන්නේ කුමන වර්ණ තීරුවටදැයි බලා ගන්න. දරුවා මෙහි කොළ හෝ ළා කොළ පාට කලාපයේ සිටිය යුතුයි.



ඔබට ඔබේ පෝෂණ තත්ත්වය පිළිබඳ ගැටළු ඇත්නම්,
පෝෂණ තොරතුරු ඒකකය, වෛද්‍ය පර්යේෂණ ආයතනය, බොරැල්ල වෙත ඒවා යොමු කරන්න.ඒවාට පිළිතුරු ලබා දීමට අප සැම විටම සැදී පැහැදී සිටිනවා.

written by Dr.Wedisha Gankanda

For the English version of this article Click Here | ๧මම ල๢ප๢๧ය๞ ඉංග්‍රීසි ප໱ව໮තනය සඳහ๟ ๧මත๠නට යන๞න. 

Know your Body Mass Index | මම මහතයිද? මම කෙට්ටුයිද? - ශරීර ස්කන්ධ දර්ශකය මනිමු

Body Mass Index(BMI) is the single best predictor of your malnutrition state.

Remember , both "Over" nutrition and "Under" nutrition is considered "Malnutrition" and both cause trouble.

Since the height of the adults wont change, you can easily keep an eye on your BMI value by regularly measuring your weight using a correct scale.



use this software to calculate your BMI, and plot it so that you can easily see to which category you fall in to. The formula for BMI is Weight(Kg)/Height(m)^2.

Try to be in the "Normal" (Yellow) Zone, if you are deviated try to adjust your exercise + diet to achieve that zone; more regular weight measurement is also essential. Consult your family doctor if you need any help, he'll direct you to a Nutritionist for counseling.

For any nutritional/dietary information feel free to contact us on -

Nutrition information center,
Medical research institute ,
Borella , Colombo 08
0112693532-4 ext 825
0112695999

PS- Please consider that in these calculations desirable BMI levels has been taken as 18.5 to 25 kg/m2 ; for the asian populations it's recommended to take the upper limit as 23.5 kg/m2

written by Dr.Wedisha Gankanda

For the Sinhalese version of this article Click Here | ๧මම ල๢ප๢๧ය๞ ස๢๜හල ප໱ව໮තනය සඳහ๟ ๧මත๠නට යන๞න. 

"Gout" what is it? | "ගවුට්" යනු කුමක්ද?

Image From-http://upload.wikimedia.org

Gout is another type of Arthritis, like Rheumatoid Arthritis which most people know about. It is not only an arthritis, but there are other manifestations of the disease as well as kidney disease.

This is a genetic disease which comes from your parents or ancestors, the problem lies in an enzyme which breaks down the by-products of the protein in our diet. It make excess uric acid in blood which inturn deposits in joints to cause arthritis or in kidney causing glomerular nephritis.

Some people are more prone to this disease such as those who are obese, diabetic, people taking some diuretic drugs and leakeamics. Even losing weight rapidly can aggravate this condition.

Image from- http://knol.google.com/k/gout

There is a long lasting state of the disease called "chronic gout" and an suddenly occurring state called "acute gout" which very painful and usually presents as arthritis around big toe.

This condition is more common in western world, however we see increasing number of cases appearing in Sri Lanka in the recent past.

Apart from the medical management using drugs like Allopurinol and pain killers, every patient must adhere to strict dietary guidelines; especially during an acute attack to control the disease. The limitations are very drastic specially at acute state; therefore the patient should be a highly motivated.

They should refrain from using all the meat, poultry and fish products; even pulses like dhal to reduce the protein consumption to at least to 60g per day. Instead, they can consume milk and milk products and nuts as alternative protein sources. In milder patients it is advisable to try no more than one item from this "banned" list per day if they wish, with caution.

The patient can consume a high carbohydrate diet. In contrary to the common norm of eating raw rice and whole grain, these people will benefit from using refined products.

There should be low fat intake; as for a normal healthy person.

Alcohol except for wine, some vegetables like spinach and cabbage will have to be opted from your menu, while your tea consumption can be maintained at nearly two cups per day.

We hope this guide would be a guide to people suffering from Gout, for more information contact our Deprtment's "Nutrition Information Center".

Based on an interview with Dr. Renuka Jayatissa (Consultant Medical Nutritionist)

Written by-
Dr. Wedisha Gankanda

A Way Towards The Prevention of Osteoporosis Through The Sri Lankan Diet -Part II| ඔස්ටියොපොරෝසිස් වලට තිත තියන දේශීය ආහාර වට්ටෝරුවක් මෙන්න II-කොටස

Osteoporosis

There are four steps, which can optimise bone health and help prevent osteoporosis:

1. Healthy diet rich in calcium:

Calcium, the main compound for strong and healthy bones, is needed in different quantities during the life cycle. The below table gives the daily recommended intake of calcium for Sri Lankans, of different age groups, by adopting recommendations of the World Health Organisation. However, maximum recommended intake of calcium is 2000mg /day.

Source from: Methods of Healing

Daily Recommended Calcium (mg) intake for Sri Lankans

Age group	mg
Infants	650
Child (1-3 years)	500
Child (4-6 years)	550
Child (7-9 years)	700
Adolescents (10-19 years)	1000
Male (>19 years)	750
Female (19-50 years – pre menopausal)	750
Female (>50 years – post menopausal)	800

Calcium is found in many foods. You can eat one or two servings of calcium rich foods daily as given in the table below. The recommended portion of each food item is also given in the table (the portions below have been recommended to fulfill all nutrients needed for a healthy life). 

Food	Average portion and weight	Calcium content (mg)	Additional benefits
Milk	½ tea cup	115	Protein, saturated fat
Curd	½ tea cup	149	Protein, saturated fat
Yogurt	1 cup(80 ml)	86	Protein, saturated fat
Dried sprat	10 medium	75	Protein, iron
Kunissa (shrimps)	1 table spoon	658	Protein, iron
ice cream	1 cup (80 ml)	80
Kathurumurunga	½ tea cup	1130	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Lotus stem	3 table spoons	182	Iron
Pumpkin leave	½ tea cup	392	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Kura Thampala	½ tea cup	800	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Carrot leave	½ tea cup	340	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Drumstick leave	½ tea cup	440	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Knol-khol leave	3 table spoons	300	Vit. A, B,C, iron
Gingelly seeds	1 table spoons	80	Protein, iron
Example of a meal Rice Kunissa Katurumurunga Malluma Knol-khol curry Woodapple as a desert	2 cups 1 table spoon 3 table spoon 3 table spoon 1 medium Total	20 658 508 111 130 1427	Energy, Protein, Vitamin and minerals

This shows that Sri Lankan diet can fulfil the calcium requirement if we take it appropriately in right quantities and include at least one calcium rich food item every day into our diet. When you are selecting food items go for a variety rather than depending on one or two items, which will promote the overall health.

Those with an inadequate calcium intake can take an inexpensive form of calcium tablets after consulting your doctor for a daily cost of 30cts. Don't forget even mineral water can fulfill up to 1/3 of daily calcium need!

2. Weight-bearing exercise:

Source from: Conversations for Women in their Twenties

Exercise simulates bones to be stronger.To build strong bones during childhood and adolescence, a minimum of ½ hour physical activity (playing, walking, running and swimming) is needed daily till the age of 18 years in addition to a calcium rich diet. After that it should be maintained at least three to five days per week throughout life.

3. A healthy lifestyle:

Source from: www.besthealthylifestyletips.com

The best way to keep your bones healthy is to establish a healthy lifestyle with no smoking or an excessive alcohol intake.

4. Bone density testing and medication when appropriate:

This may be done at your local hospital, after consulting with your doctor.

osteoporosis is highly preventable. LET’S START FROM CHILDHOOD and get used to healthy eating habits and regular physical activities.

Written By-

Dr. Renuka Jayatissa