Healthy eating
Healthy eating is the most impactful choice we can make
I demystify subjects such as the importance of dietary fibre and the true nature of sugars and provide overviews of common conditions like gout and fatty liver disease .
Many people are aware that lifestyles play a big role in health and disease , providing a strong incentive to maintain a healthy lifestyle . Nowhere are our choices more impactful than in the food we eat , but the flood of online information on clean eating makes it challenging to make educated choices . We sat down with Dr EE Zhang , physician , author , and healthy lifestyle advocate , for expert guidance on how to lead a healthy lifestyle . After graduating with a medical degree , Dr EE decided to apply her experience to promoting health literacy and education . What drives her professionally is helping people navigate the complexities of health science .
Q : What are the health education activities you participate in ? A : I spend much time doing short talks or seminars covering various health topics . I demystify subjects such as the importance of dietary fibre and the true nature of sugars and provide overviews of common conditions like gout and fatty liver disease . In an era rife with misinformation , I also address and debunk myths circulating in the media , such as the efficacy of placental extracts and live cell therapy . I try my best to make it entertaining and accessible for the general public and to present complex concepts in a manner that is easy to understand , empowering people to apply this knowledge to their daily lives .
Q : Your book , Educate Act Thrive : EAT for the Immune System , focuses on the positive impact healthy diets can have on the immune system and our overall health . Why did you investigate the relationship between food and the immune system in particular , considering that things like exercise or the environment can also have a positive impact on health ? A : For many of us , our most constant and intimate relationship is not with another person but with food . It extends beyond mere sustenance and serves up joys and unique sensory delights . However , the relationship is double-edged — food can be a source of immense pleasure and a source of shame . We truly are what we eat , so we must choose wisely .
While exercise undeniably contributes to our wellbeing , its role is secondary to the influence of diet . As the saying goes , we cannot outrun a bad diet . Exercise helps but cannot compensate for poor nutritional choices . For example , physical activity helps protect our heart , but its ability to counteract the detriments of a poor diet is limited . Without a wholesome diet , the heart cannot reap the full benefits of exercise , regardless of the intensity or frequency .
Our environment presents variables often beyond our control — from pollution , exposure to chemicals , and the climate to ultraviolet radiation from the sun . We can minimise these risks , but we cannot eliminate them . In contrast , our diet is wholly within our control . We should channel most of our energy towards aspects of our health that we can directly influence .
What we eat is a conscious choice we make for ourselves multiple times every single day . Proper nutrition is the bedrock upon which our immune health
Dr EE Zhang
58 ISSUE 1 | 2024 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com