The Health Food

The 21st century is the era to attain and reclaim your health. This can be effectively achieved via daily food consumption.

You take food to maintain life because in food are the calorie and nutrients needed by the body. As mentioned earlier, every type of food would contain protein, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, water, minerals and vitamins. Different types of food–animal and plant-based have different contents of nutrients as described below.

Carbohydrate is main source of calories. Example: rice, bread and potato.

Vitamins and minerals/ash maintain function of cells and ensures normal digestion to take place. Example: fresh fruits and vegetables.

Protein helps growth, repairs cells and provides calories. Example: beans, fresh fruits, meat, yogurt.

Fat helps balance the discharge of hormones, provides vitamins, provides calories and maintains body temperature. Example: sweets, cakes, meat , yogurt.

Water helps control body temperature and maintains liquid balance.

Fibre helps digestion and facilitates the discharge of cholesterol. Example: fresh fruits and vegetables.



Never think that there is no protein in vegetables. According to June Ka Lim (a Macrobiotic diet consultant in Malaysia), protein from plants may not be the best because they are not complete protein. For vegetarians, to get the best source of protein, it is important to take cooked whole grains with beans and seeds. These include

Whole grains: brown rice, barley, whole wheat berries, rye, corn, whole oats and buck wheat.

Beans and bean products: Adzuki beans, lentils, chickpeas, black soybeans, to fu (soybean curb), tempeh (fermented soybean product) and natto (fermented soy product).

Seeds: Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Squash seeds

There is a need for you to have more knowledge about the protein in food. Since young, we have been educated that the best source of protein is meat. Such perception is so deeply rooted that we just accept the idea that without protein from meat, children cannot grow properly while adults have no energy to engage in laborious tasks. Vegetarians are often regarded by the society at large as having inadequate protein from meat. Cancer patients also think that without protein from meat, they cannot fight the cancer cells. Unless such unfounded views are discarded, it is difficult for us to live without diseases and without medicine.

The same is equally true for the consumption of food containing vitamins and minerals. In nutrition, both minerals and vitamins are categorized as micro-nutrients meaning that our body merely needs a minimum amount daily. The lack of understanding has led to modern man dependent on all kinds of food supplements claiming to contain minerals and vitamins. For instance, when a person has running nose, cough or fever, it is common to consume vitamin C tablets. Similarly, people are taking high-calcium food supplements believing that they could help avoid osteoporosis. The market is full of different brands of food supplements. Are they the best vitamins and minerals? Wouldn’t it be better if they are derived from the natural source?

In reality, the best source of minerals and vitamins is derived from vegetables and fruits. For example, if the body lacks zinc, it is best to obtain it from mustard, ulam raja (Cosmos caudatus), pegaga (Centella asiatica), spinach, lady’s fingers, yellow bean, red bean, green bean and black bean (Chia 2004). See Chia, J.S. (2004). What’s in Your Food? Subang Jaya: Pelanduk Publications.