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pharoah88 ( Date: 10-Dec-2010 10:22) Posted:
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Healthy goodness from those little busy bees
有滋有味古早潮州菜
（2010-12-04）
养生早餐系列完结篇
南瓜浓汤
（2010-12-04）
Health screening to include colorectal cancer?
Health experts tasked to draw up package of tests by age, gender
Satish Cheney and Lynda Hong
Experts from the Academy of Medicine have been further tasked to draw up a package of screening tests by age group and gender, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday in Parliament to a question by Nominated Member of Parliament Paulin Tay Straughan.
More than 35,000 Singaporeans have gone for the National Integrated Screening Programme, which is for those aged 40 and above, since it was launched in June 2008.
When Member of Parliament Halimah Yacob (Jurong) repeated her call for Medisave to be used for screening of these and other major illnesses, Mr Khaw said he will wait for the experts’ report to be publicised before looking at how much the tests will cost.
“I would say anything below $100 — like $20, $30 — I think pay out of pocket,” he said.
[#### The prOblem Is TEST RESULTS are nOt gUaranteed ? ? ? ?]
“But if some of the recommended screening tests were to be rather expensive, for example,
I expect colonoscopy [cOst a bOmb] to be one of those evidence-based tests that needs to be done for those above 50 years old and there could be some problems with funding, we’ll see if current Medisave rules need to be tweaked.”
Mr Khaw also replied to another question from Associate Professor Straughan about the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Quality of Death Index which ranked Singapore 18 out of 40 countries in the level of end-of-life health services.
He said it was a fair assessment and Singapore will continue to develop end-of-life care facilities, an area in which the report said Singapore could have done better.
The Health Ministry is formulating a national strategy for palliative care that may incorporate a code of ethics.
“Although no formal code exists at the moment, our informal assessment is that existing providers do provide palliative care of the highest ethical standards,” he said.
SINGAPORE — There are plans toinclude colorectal cancer next year in a nationwide health screening initiative, adding to a list that now comprises diabetes, high blood cholesterol and cervical cancer.Eat your way to a healthier cholesterol level
Not all foods are equal. Studies have found that certain foods — such as salmon, walnuts, oatmeal and some veggies — can help control your cholesterol. Nehal Kamdar, senior dietitian at Raffles Hospital, suggests including these four heart-friendly foods into your diet.
1.
Fatty fishOily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lower blood fats linked to heart disease. According to Kamdar, omega-3 fatty acid prevent blood clots by making platelets less likely to clump together and stick to artery walls.
It also makes blood vessels less likely to constrict. She suggested eating at least two servings of such fish twice a week. Just be sure to cook your fish using healthier methods such as steaming and baking to avoid unhealthy fats.
2.
Go nutsNuts such as walnuts and almonds are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which keep blood vessels healthy. In particular, walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein as they are packed with vitamins, fibre and antioxidants, said Kamdar. But be sure to stick to just 30g (a fistful) each day, and avoid nuts that are salted or coated with sugar. Besides nuts, Kamdar recommended including one to two tablespoonfuls of ground flax seed into your food each day to help lower bad cholesterol. However, Dr Chin Chee Tang of NHCS added that while some studies have shown that flax seed and peanuts may help lower cholesterol levels, further research is required to confirm their cholesterol-lowering benefits.
3.
Soy goodSoy protein such as soy beans, tofu, soya milk and tempeh (fermented soybeans) may be able to keep cholesterol levels in check. “Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin and minerals, soy protein is a good alternative to red meat as it is lower in fat and higher in fibre,” said Kamdar.
She added that those with high cholesterol may be able to lower their cholesterol levels when soy protein is eaten as part of a healthy low-fat diet.
4.
A bowl of oatmeal a day keeps high cholesterol awayEating oats not only keeps your bowel movements regular, it may even help lower cholesterol levels, and reduce risks of heart disease and diabetes, said Kamdar.
Diabetes is another risk factor for heart disease. She added that oatmeal also fills a person up for a longer time, so he or she will not tempted by unhealthy snacks that may raise cholesterol levels.
What is considered a healthy level of cholesterol?
In general, the lower the total and LDL cholesterol levels, the lower your risk of getting medical problems associated with atherosclerosis, said Dr Chin Chee Tang of National Heart Centre Singapore.
What is considered a ‘healthy’ cholesterol level depends also on the presence of other medical conditions, he said.
“For an otherwise healthy individual with no other significant medical problems, a total cholesterol level greater than 6.2mmol/L (or 240mg/dL) is considered high and undesirable. Similarly, people with no significant medical problems should aim to have a LDL cholesterol level of no greater than 3.4mmol/L (130mg/dL).”
For patients who have medical problems such as a previous heart attack or stroke, the recommended levels are even lower.
Eat to beat cholesterol
Certain foods can help keep those levels in check
Eveline Gan
eveline@mediacorp.com.sg
SOME years back, a friend of mine was shocked to learn during an annual body check-up that her cholesterol levels were way above the recommended levels for an average adult. She was in her late 20s then.
On hindsight, her shockingly high blood cholesterol wasn’t surprising.
Despite her svelte figure, her lifestyle — a daily pint of high-fat ice-cream coupled with a non-existent exercise routine — was hardly cholesterol-friendly.
We all know that certain foods such as ice-cream, organ meats such as liver and intestines, egg yolks and shellfish can raise our cholesterol levels.
The good news is, a few tweaks to your diet may be able to do the reverse.
According to Dr Chin Chee Tang, a consultant at the department of cardiology at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), some cholesterol is required for life — it is an essential building block of cell membranes in the body.
In most people, the liver is able to make most of the cholesterol the body needs.
Overindulging in fried chicken wings and cakes, however, can be devastating for your cholesterol levels.
“When we eat foods rich in saturated fats, the normal digestive process leads to the absorption of cholesterol in the blood stream,” said Dr Chin.
The good and the bad
In particular, Dr Chin said high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as bad cholesterol, is strongly associated with early or more rapid development of atherosclerosis, the narrowing of blood vessels in the body.
“Atherosclerosis in turn leads to other conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure or poor circulation,” he explained.
On the association of high cholesterol with heart conditions, Dr Chin cited recent data from the National Registry of Diseases Office: It was reported that among Singaporeans who had a heart attack from 2007 to 2008, high cholesterol was present in 56 per cent of these patients.
To keep your blood cholesterol levels healthy, it is important to keep your saturated fat and trans fat intake low, according to Benjamin Lee, a nutritionist at Health Promotion Board’s adult health division.
“Both types of fat are able to increase LDL cholesterol levels.
Trans fat also reduces the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — also known as good cholesterol — and has more impact on blood cholesterol levels than cholesterol from food,” said Lee.
In Singapore, Lee noted that most of our intake of saturated fat come from dishes prepared using coconut milk or cream, as well as from palm oil, which is usually labelled as “vegetable oil”.
Trans fat is typically found in pastries and cakes made with vegetable shortening, commercially-prepared deep fried food and processed products containing partially-hydrogenated oil, he added.
“To be safe, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 300mg per day.
Avoid consuming organ meat and shellfish more than twice a week, and have no more than four egg yolks per week,” he advised.
But relying on diet isn’t enough. Dr Chin urged smokers to also stub out and recommended at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least four times a week.
Neo Chai Chin
In order to reiterate the importance of adequate coverage [who covers for him ? emplOyer ? persOnal ?], Mr Khaw said in his latest blog post yesterday that his operation, at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), was mostly paid for by MediShield and a private Shield supplement, while Medisave helped in the co-payment of the rest of his hospital bill.
According to figures on the Ministry of Health website, the bill for heart bypass surgery is less than $30,000 for nine in 10 patients staying in an A class ward in NHCS.
Those covered under MediShield — a basic insurance scheme for CPF members — can choose to top up their basic coverage by supplementing it with plans from private insurers, while Medisave allows members to dip into its accounts to pay for hospitalisation expenses.
Recounting a recent meeting with health insurers, Mr Khaw also flagged the possibility of extending MediShield to cover mental illness, congenital illness and neonatal treatment.
Mr Raymond Fernando, whose wife suffers from schizophrenia, told MediaCorp such a move would “greatly help in relieving my financial burden… and, hopefully, lead to other insurers taking the cue”. It could also reduce the stigma of mental illnes and encourage more patients to come forward, said Mr Fernando.
Another idea f loated during Mr Khaw’s meeting with the health insurers was to raise the MediShield claim limits on outpatient cancer care, which stand at $300 per weekly treatment cycle and up to $2,800 for radiotherapy treatment.
Mr Khaw added that there was also discussion on raising the monthly payout for ElderShield — a severe disability insurance scheme — to extend the monthly basic payout of $400 and to extend the payout period beyond six years.
