Opinion: pH Diet

This is another type of diet that caught my eyes..pH Diet.. This diet claims to works on the basis that acid / alkaline balance of our foods needs to complement the pH of our bodies. According to Bharti Vyas (a 'holistic' health and beauty therapist): "Our bodies are alkaline and find it hard to cope with too much acid-forming foods such as cheese, meat, wheat and sugar." These foods claimed to strain our major organs, resulting in wrinkled skin, brittle nails and weight gain (ouuccchhh!!!)

Now answer me this:

• Are you looking for a radical change to your eating habits and do you have enough willpower to see it through?
• Do you want to cut back on processed foods?
• Would you like to stop drinking so much tea and coffee?
• Do you love vegetables?

If you answer 'yes' to at least 3 of the above questions, Vyas thinks she should prescribe you this 3-level eating plan :P


Level 1

Duration: One - seven days

Aim: To reduce your 'toxic' load by decreasing your intake of processed foods and sweeteners. These encourage the build-up of free radicals, which can lead to premature ageing.

What you should do: Replace coffee, tea and fizzy drinks with water, ginger, green and fruit teas or warm soy milk. Restrict your intake of shop-bought fruit juices which are acidic. Eat your usual breakfast, lunch and dinner.



Level 2

Duration: One - two months

Aim: To increase your alkaline reserves by eating more fruit and veg juices.

What you should do: Start to introduce more of the top 80-alkaline forming foods such as alfalfa (God knows how i'm going to get them in Malaysia), kiwi fruit, oranges ( :D ), raisins, honey and wheat grass into your diet. Improve the quality of your diet by adding more nuts, seeds, substituting cow's milk for soy milk and cuting back on wheat.



Level 3

Duration: On-going

Aim: Maintain alkaline diet.

What you should do: By now your body should be replenished with adequate alkaline reserves, so it is okie to increase the acidic foods that you like to consume.



What I think about pH Diet?

Of course it is my ultimate aim to cultivate a good and health eating habit such as this one. Increasing number of fruits and vegetables in diet, which cutting down salt, sugar and alcohol is what i preach and of course, what i practice. Consumption of antioxidant-rich foods definitely going to make you glow :)

But, I don't quiet agree with the concept of changing one's pH with foods one consume. By right, a person's body should be able to retain a suitable pH through a homeostatis, and i don't see how you going to surpass that process in order to change your blood pH.

Opinion: Let me to do my job

I am a nutritionist; a fairly good one. So what about it? You may ask. The problem here lies with my role of nutritionist, and the task given to me to educate public on nutrition.


What is holding me back from executing my role? It is the industry and the public themselves, mainly. While I am trying not to point finger to only others, I can'thelp it but to fume with anger when I see non-nutritionist (or even worse, poorly trained sales reps) taking the role of nutritionists/dieticians and 'educate' public..or in a way, sell their products!


It is really heart-wrenching to watch sales reps blabbering about the importance of spirulina and 'appropriate' dosage to be taken, after sitting through one or two session of so-called seminar or training given by their respective company.. Worse still when these people called themselves a nutritionist!! 'Hello, excuse me..you are a sales rep, and thats it'.


I was fuming with anger when I met this particular sales assistant in a well-known hypermarket in Malaysia. She was basically giving out free samples of skim milk to the customers, and honestly she should have just sticked to it instead of blabbering about the importance of calcium and the recommended intake of calcium by WHO to me! First of all, we have our very own Recommended Nutrient Intake (2005) for Malaysians and she is practically unaware of it. Of course she wouldn't know because she is not a trained person in the field. While many think it may be harmless for one to use recommendation by others, but the RNI is there for a reason..and that is to suit Malaysians. Besides, she should be just giving out the free samples and talk about her skim milk instead of talking about things she don't know. The public should be educated, not to be confused.


In another incidence, I was walking in a shopping mall and was approached by a sales rep (again) who was 'appearing' as a nutritionist. Pointing at my belly, she said i'm having fat over there and should test the body fat percentage with the body fat monitor that she is having. She claims that it is a free service. Of course, nothing is free in this world. After 'testing' oneself for body fat, he/she will be counselled into buying their slimming products! Duh!! How long people going to fall for this gimmicks? Anyone can handle a body fat monitor, no big deal.. but only trained individuals should be allowed to interprete and counsel others accordingly. Come on, its our job!

Anyone with similar experience?

Opinion: Care for the BREAST

Breast cancer, the number one cancer killer of women in Malaysia and worldwide; a field of my current interest; probably my focus of study for my PhD. I must admit that all this while I've been focusing so much on colorectal cancer, which I studied for masters degree, but neglecting what females fear most..BREAST CANCER..


Although I don't have any personal story to share (Thank God), but I've been reading quiet a number of true stories based on patients suffering from breast cancer, and seeing social perspective towards this killer disease. There are many heart-wrenching stories which brings tears to the eyes..but that is what I want to share about now.. Its about social stigma attached to the term 'breast cancer'..

At the moment, I'm helping out a friend of mine who came all the way from Saudi Arabia to study on breast cancer among Malaysian female teachers. Its her PhD, unfortunately but she is finding it very hard to get co-operation from the teachers. And it is so embarassing on my side to see a fairly educated (and educating) population group refusing to co-operate on educational program which actually brings benefit to them! We have teachers refusing to allow us to measure their waist line**, saying that they are wearing corset and no way they going to remove it in order to get the real measurement. Making situation worse, there are even teachers scolding us, saying that we are trying to implicate that they already have breast cancer. Or refusing to be a part because they feel they WILL NOT get breast cancer and whatever we are teaching is pure rubbish.


I also heard about a medical doctor, refused to seek treatment (which means surgically removing her affected breast) because she doesn't want to lose her husband's affection.. to me, it sound silly.. literally it means she is willing to lose her life but not her breast..I also know a medical student (now a doctor) who made fun of breast affected with cancer.. for me, this is the most disgusting thing I've ever heard as far as breast cancer is concerned.


But why? why breast cancer isn't accepted as just another cancer affecting an organ in our body? After all, even men get breast cancer (yes, they HAVE breast). Although it rarely happens, but its fatal among men. Provided detected early and proper treatment is given, breast cancer survivors actually have the highest survival rate compared to any other cancer..When come to matters pertaining lives, there is nothing to be shy off.. and its time for our Malaysian women to realise that.

**waist circumference has close correlation with risk for metabolic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure etc