


JAKARTA, “Jika dilihat dari jauh, beberapa makanan terlihat begitu sehat karena kemasan atau label yang ada di baliknya,” Janel Ovrut, MS, RD, ahli nutrisi dari Boston ini mengingatkan kita. Belum lagi pihak pemasaran dari produsen-produsen makanan itu “menghipnotis” kita dengan iklan-iklan yang mengusung pentingnya satu nutrisi dari satu sisi saja.
Itulah mengapa Prevention memberikan panduannya untuk kita agar kita tidak terkecoh lagi dengan makanan-makanan berikut ini:
1. Kentang panggang, memang makanan ini rendah lemak tapi tetap saja nilai kalorinya tinggi dengan serat yang sedikit. Ganti dengan popcorn yang lebih berserat dengan 65 persen kalori lebih rendah dari kentang. Agar popcorn lebih sehat, masaklah dengan menggunakan microwave sehingga bebas minyak.
2. Permen berbentuk boneka, anak-anak kita pasti suka makanan manis ini. Padahal, makanan ini mengandung fruktosa yang tinggi yang lama-kelamaan akan membuat mereka bertubuh tambun. Lebih baik berikan mereka manisan berupa buah kering untuk menambah asupan serat pada menu anak. Akan lebih baik jika kita memberikan mereka buah-buahan segar untuk menjaga stamina tubuh mereka. Berdasarkan penelitian yang dilakukan di Yunani, anak-anak atau orang dewasa yang makan buah dan sayur lebih banyak akan terhindar dari berbagai jenis kanker.
3. Es krim, meskipun yang jualan menaruh label bebas kalori, percayalah nilai kalorinya tetap tinggi. Dalam setengah mangkuk es krim terdapat 220 kalori. Belum lagi rasa manis yang ada di dalam es krim akan membuat kita ingin makan lagi dan lagi. Cobalah ganti es krim dengan produk olahan kedelai karena nilai kalorinya terbilang rendah. Di samping itu makanan ini adalah serat sehat yang disenangi oleh bakteri-bakteri sehat di dalam usus. Sehingga proses penyerapan kalsium dan zat besi dalam tubuh bisa berjalan maksimal.
4. Diet soda, berdasarkan penelitian yang dilakukan pada 2008, ditemukan hubungan antara konsumsi minuman ini dengan sindrom metabolik. Sindrom ini ditandai dengan perut buncit dan diikuti dengan gangguan jantung. Lebih baik bantu program diet dengan air putih, sebab air putih adalah pembantu tubuh terbaik untuk melakukan metabolisme.
5. Nonfat salad dreesing, kelemahannya adalah dressing ini dipenuhi oleh pemanis seperti gula yang artinya membuat kita mengonsumsi lebih banyak kalori. Dan ironisnya, salad yang kita makan akan kurang maksimal jika tidak didampingi oleh lemak. “Karena tubuh butuh lemak untuk menyerap vitamin A, D, E, dan K, serta nutrisi lainnya,” ucap Katherine Tallmadge, RD, juru bicara American Dietetic Association. Untuk lemak yang baik pada salad cobalah minyak zaitun. Minyak zaitun kaya akan antioksidan yang bisa melindungi tubuh dari radikal bebas plus membantu tubuh mendapat lemak untuk menyerap nutrisi-nutrisi penting. (Siagian Priska/Prevention Indonesia)

1. Bayam hijau biasa, bayam merah (blitum rubum) yang berwarna hijau keputih - putihan.
2. Daun dan batang bayam merah mengandung cairan warna merah. Selain A. Tricolor terdapat bayam jenis lain.
3. Bayam kakap (A. Hybridus) bayam duri (A. Spinosus) dan bayam kotok / bayam tanah (A Blitum).
Jenis bayam yang sering dibudidayakan adalah A. Tricocor dan A. Hybridus sedangkan jenis bayam lainnya tumbuh liar.
Manfaat bayam merah :
Daun : membersihkan darah sehabis bersalin, anemia, meningkatkan kerja ginjal, menurunkan resiko terserang kanker, sebagai antidiabetes, memperbaiki sistem pencernaan, mengurangi kolesterol, dan memperkuat akar rambut.
Akar : untuk mengobati disentri
Ada dua hal yang harus diperhatikan, pertama bagi para penderita kadar asam urat darah yang cukup tinggi dan rematik gout dilarang mengkonsumsi bayam terlalu banyak. Karena bayam mengandung purin yang cukup tinggi. Sedangkan tubuh memetabolisir purin menjadi asam urat. Kedua, jika untuk pengobatan, bayam merah dianggap lebih berkhasiat dari pada bayam hijau.
Namun perlu diingat, jangan pernah memanaskan sayur bayam. Selain zat gizi menjadi rusak, zat besipun menjadi meningkat dan bisa berbahaya bagi tubuh.
Nutrisi bayam mentah, nilai per 100 gram porsi makanan
1. Air, 91.58 g,
2. Energi, 22 kcal
3. Energi, 92 kj
4. Protein, 2.86 g
5. Total lemak, 0.35 g
6. Karbohidrat, 3.5 g
7. Serat, 2.7 g
8. Ampas, 1.72 g
Mineral : Kalsium, Ca, 99 mg, Besi, Fe, 2.71 mg, Magnesium, Mg, 79 mg, Phospor, P, 49 mg, Potassium, K, 558 mg, Sodium, Na, 79 mg, Seng, Zn, 0.53 mg, Tembaga, Cu, 0.13 mg, Mangan, Mn, 0.897 mg, Selenium, Se, 1 mcg,
Vitamin : Vitamin C, asam ascorbic, 28.1 mg, Thiamin, 0.078 mg, Riboflavin, 0.189 mg, Niacin, 0.724 mg, Asam Pantothenic, 0.065 mg, Vitamin B-6, 0.195 mg, Folate, 194.4 mcg, Vitamin B-12, 0 mcg, Vitamin A, 6715 IU, Vitamin A, RE, 672 mcg_RE, Vitamin E, 1.89 mg_ATE. Dan nutrisi lainnya ada lemak dan asam amino.
Kolesterol tinggi yang terdapat dalam darah memang berbahaya bagi seseorang, tapi terkadang kolesterol bisa ditemukan dalam kadar yang sangat rendah pada beberapa orang tertentu. Kolesterol yang terlalu tinggi atau terlalu rendah berisiko mengalami penyakit tertentu.
Ini dia beberapa fakta lain mengenai kolesterol, seperti dikutip dariCNN, Jumat (27/11/2009) yaitu:
1. Kolesterol tinggi tak bisa terelakkan pada beberapa orang. Terkadang banyak orang yang memiliki kolesterol tinggi karena faktor genetik. Sehingga tingginya kadar kolesterol jahat (LDL) selalu berada dalam kadar yang tidak sehat. Orang yang memiliki hiperkolestrolemia biasanya mewarisi 2 gen dari masing-masing orangtua.
2. Kolesterol tinggi bisa dilihat dari kulit. Biasanya orang tahu kolesterolnya tinggi setelah melakukan pemeriksaan dokter. Tapi kolesterol tinggi bisa muncul di kulit sebagai benjolan kemerahan kekuningan yang dikenal dengan Xanthomas. Ukurannya bervariasi dan biasanya ditemukan pada sendi, tangan dan kelopak mata.
3. Kolesterol terlalu rendah bisa berbahaya. Kadar kolesterol yang terlalu rendah juga tidak bagus untuk kesehatan. Peneliti menunjukkan ibu hamil yang kadar kolesterolnya rendah cenderung melahirkan bayi prematur, serta pada orang dewasa bisa menyebabkan kegelisahan dan depresi.
4. Olahraga meningkatkan kolesterol baik. Penelitian terkini yang dipublikasikan dalan Journal of Lipid Research menunjukkan bahwa olahraga bisa meningkatkan kadar kolesterol baik (HDL) dalam tubuh. Olahraga yang diperlukan tidak perlu yang berat tapi bisa dengan olahraga ringan saja.
5. Makanan bebas kolesterol tetap bisa menghasilkan kolesterol. Kolesterol biasanya dibuat di dalam hati binatang dan hanya ditemukan dalam berbagai makanan yang berasal dari binatang seperti daging, susu dan telur. Terkadang kolesterol didapatkan dari cara pengolahan makanan tersebut seperti melalui penggorengan atau pemanggangan.
6. Kolesterol tinggi bisa menyebabkan disfungsi ereksi. Peneliti Swedia pada tahun 2005 menemukan bahwa pria yang memiliki kadar koesterol 270 mg/dL atau lebih memiliki kemungkinan 4,5 kali lebih tinggi mengalami disfungsi ereksi.
Untuk itu ketahui dengan pasti berapa kadar koleterol Anda, apakah termasuk kolesterol tinggi atau rendah. Terapkan pola hidup sehat untuk menghindari berbagai risiko kesehatan yang mungkin bisa timbul.
(ver/ir)

JAKARTA-- Sayur oyong tentu tak asing bagi masyarakat Indonesia. Oyong yang memiliki nama latin, Luffa Cylindrica sering pula dikenal dengan gambas atau ceme. Buahnya bersiku-siku memanjang kulitnya keras layaknya katus sedangkan dagingnya lunak dan halus berwarna hijau.Tak berbeda dengan komoditas lainya, oyong tumbuh subur di daerah penggunungan. Sayangnya, masih banyak orang yang tidak memahami manfaat oyong untuk mengobati berbagai penyakit. Salah satu daerah yang tahu akan khasiat Oyong adalah Jawa Barat. Konon, sebagian besar masyarakat Jawa Barat mengkonsumsi biji buah itu setiap kali pemeriksaan darah menjelang berhaji. Mereka cukup mengkonsumsi 2 biji setiap hari selama 2 minggu untuk mendapatkan kadar gula dalam darah yang tidak terlalu tinggi. Secara otomatis, saat gula darah akan diukur, para calon haji lolos dari jeratan angka kadar gula yang terlalu tinggi. Lantas apa rahasia dibalik khasiat oyong? Kandungan Cucurbitasin jawabannya. Kandungan senyawa cucurbitasin dalam biji oyong berperan dalam menurunkan gula darah. Beragam penelitian memang membuktikan senyawa yang terkandung pada anggota famili Cucurbitaceae ini sebagai antidiabetes Tak hanya berkasiat bagi diabetes, oyong dapat menyembuhkan penyakit semisal, Radang usus, asma hingga meningkatkan air susu ibu (ASI). Berikut langkah yang perlu dilakukan : Bagi penderita radang usus, disarankan ambil oyong yang sudah tua secukupnya. Potonglah oyong hingga kering dan tumbuklah hingga halus. Setiap 20 gram bubuk oyong diseduh air panas setengah gelas dan minumlah 1-2 kali sehari. Bagi penderita asma, ambil oyong muda beserta tangkainya dan buatlah jus. Minumlah jus oyong ini 2 kali sehari secara teratur. Sedangkan, untuk radang tenggorokan, bisa mengkonsumsi satu buah oyong muda dalam bentuk jus dan tambahkan ke dalamnya gula batu atau gula pasir. Minumlah 2-3 kali sehari secara teratur. Oyong juga berkhasiat menambah volume Air Susu Ibu. Caranya, buah oyong dan bijinya dipanggang, lalu ditumbuk halus. Seduhlah setiap 6 gram bubuk oyong dengan setengah gelas air panas, minumlah 1-2 kali sehari. Untuk anak-anak yang menderita cacingan bisa disembuhkan dengan mengkonsumsi biji oyong hitam 30 gram sedangkan untuk dewasa 40-50 gram. Oyong ditumbuk halus, seduhlah bubuk biji oyong itu dengan air panas secukupnya, minumlah sehari sekali. Penderita radang kelenjar telinga juga bisa memanfaatkan oyong sebagai obat alternatif. Caranya, Ambil oyong 500 gram dipotong kecil-kecil dan campurkan dengan daun sambiloto sebanyak 50 buah. rebuslah kedua bahan itu dengan air 2 liter, biarkan hingga air rebusan tersisa 500 cc, dan minumlah 2-3 kali sehari. Untuk melancarkan peredaran darah, ambil oyong 205 gram dan jamur kuping hitam 20 gram, masaklah sesuai selera dan masakan tersebut berkhasiat untuk melancarkan peredaran darah. Tertarik, selamat mencoba. (berbagai sumber/cr2/rin)
On today’s ‘Oprah’ TV show we received quite a lot of information from Dr. Oz about ways that you can reverse aging. Through diet and exercise and lifestyle habits you can easily put into place an anti-aging plan. Oprah is 54 years old and she said it has hit her like a bulldozer. You have to work harder just to stay in shape. In January Bob Greene has started this year’s ‘Best Life Diet.’ The Anti-Aging Ultimate Checklist is summarized as follows: More Below: 1. Food 2. Exercise 3. Meditate 4. Sleep and Sex 5. Vitamins The popular series health books that have been co-authored by Dr. Memhet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen have been bestsellers. More discussion about anti-aging and reversing your age is discussed in their book, “You: Staying Young the Owners Manual for extending your Warranty.” What foods should be in your refrigerator? 1. Antioxidants help to prevent damage during the process of oxidation. Dr. Oz uses the example of an apple turning brown when the air hits it but if you put on lemon juice it will prevent the oxidation from occurring. Dr. Oz showed us foods that are rich with antioxidants which are blueberries which he said are also referred to brainberries. Dark colored foods help to carry antioxidants. Five fistfuls of antioxidant rich foods a day. Colorful foods often are full of antioxidants. 2. Broccoli is beneficial in more than one way. Dr. Oz explains that this vegetable can help lower cancer risk. Oprah said that broccoli can also help the thyroid as well. 3. Dr. Oz continued to explain that tomatoes when they are heated up with a little oil will help to deliver the lycopene, which is another antioxidant. 4. Acai is a fruit that comes from the Rainforest in South America. It is loaded with antioxidants. 5. Green or White Tea was recommended by Dr. Oz . He suggested that you drink 4 cups of green or white tea each day. Polyphenols and catechins are found in the teas that are believed to contribute to health benefits. Green tea is very young and it that hasn’t been dried much, while white tea is not dried at all which is hopefully going to improve the antixodiant health benefits. Dr. Roizen co-author with Dr. Oz has created a test that he gave all of the audience members. The test is also available for free on their website at: http://www.realage.com/reg/regvar/st1.aspx?mod=LONGFORM They had a 60 year old lady that Dr. Roizen said that she is closer to 48 years old. She looked really young. She has kept up with yoga for over 22 years. She does belly dancing too. She has a passion of reading and writing regularly. Another lady was 63 years old and Dr. Roizen said that she is barely 50 years old based on her real age score. She looks great, but had a little bit of grey hair and wrinkles. Dr. Roizen said that she meditates for a long time, she sleeps well, and eats a balanced diet. Her passion in life is riding horses regularly. Dr. Roizen said that having a passion in life is worth 8 years of your anti-aging goals. Another woman is 44 years old, but rates at almost 60 years old with the real age test. She is a smoker that does not exercise and has a lot of stress both at home and at work. She doesn’t deal well with the stress. She has smoked for over 30 years. They offered to pass her the blueberries, because she said to pass the blueberries. She gets the blueberries and said jokingly that she is not going to share this with the other audience members. Spices full of anti-aging secrets. Cinnamon can decrease blood sugar levels and lower cholesterol levels, especially in those that have type 2 diabetes. Ginger can decrease your blood pressure, alleviate arthritis pain by reducing inflammation, and reduce your risk of cancer Tumeric can also help arthritis sufferers. Tumeric can be found in Curry. Curry has been shown to relieve arthritis pain, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Paprika and Cayenne Pepper has been shown to help reduce high blood pressure and to also improve circulation. Rosemary is very important for learning. Dr. Oz showed Oprah rosemary and explained that it makes you smarter because it helps you focus. Spices that are dried have almost the same effect as the fresh ones said Dr. Oz. Fiber is important. Dr. Oz showed a bowl of steel cut oatmeal because you get more fiber that way. Instead of using hot water use apple juice said an audience member, it tastes really good prepared that way. Dr. Oz said to stay away from white flour. He showed artichoke pasta that has extra fiber. Dr. Oz said that it has to say 100 percent whole grain to really be worth eating. He recommends eating beans for a good source of fiber. A lady in the audience asked Dr. Oz about when she changed her diet and had to go bathroom at the most in-opportune time. She wants to know how to incorporate more fiber into her diet without the side effects of having to go bathroom all the time. Dr. Oz said that you have to work build up your dietary foundation of fiber intake a little bit at a time. If you use Beano it can help prevent gas from eating beans. Not mentioned on the show but equally important, adequate water intake can also be helpful when eating more dietary fiber. Dr. Oz found chia seeds are full of fiber that come from South America. He gave Oprah a cupcake made with Chia. It adds more fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids. Oprah said that she takes the Flax seeds whole. Dr. Oz said that you have to grind up the flax seed to get the benefits of the Omega 3 fatty acids. You grind it up to get the healthy fats out of the foods. You can also get Omega 3 in walnuts. Fish has Omega 3 from spiralina algae. Dr. Oz made guacamole with spiralina algae. Oprah tasted it and it looked black in color, not that appealing. She said it wasn’t that bad. Olive oil you need 1 – 2 tablespoon every day. Dr. Oz said that you should put the food in the olive and then put it in the pan. If you heat the oil to much it will cause the healthy oil to be damaged. Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen said that the next part of the anti-aging battle is exercise. Another audience member asked Dr. Oz why she keeps gaining weight despite her exercising and eating healthy. Dr. Oz said to consider your waist as her health assessment and not necessarily the scale. She could have gained weight from exercising and muscle increase. He had her come onto the stage, and said that she probably is not pushing herself enough. He showed us how to calculate a heart rate formula to work within for cardiovascular exercise. The formula is take 220 and subtract your age. Take this result and multiply it by .80. This gives you your target heart rate. Her ideal heart rate is 140 beats per minute. She had her target heart rate goal be reached too fast and Dr. Oz thinks that she needs to work more on her fitness. Dr. Oz showed exercises that can help build muscle mass. He demonstrated the front lunge. Don’t let your knee pass over your toe. The next is to do leg lifts by laying your back on the floor and lifting your legs off the ground to strengthen your core stomach area. Next he showed how to do pull ups. You can by a bar at home to install so you will have one easily accessible. He had a hard time originally doing pull-ups originally but he has worked up to around 20 of them after working at it. Dr. Oz did 21 pull-ups on the show. Get the heart rate up to your target at least 3 times a week and do strength training 30 minutes weekly. You should always consult with your doctor before beginning any kind of exercise program as a pre-cautionary measure. Dr. Oz said that you need to be flexible. You should be able to touch the floor. He showed various yoga poses; the plank, the up dog, the downward facing dog, salutation, and warrior pose. He also recommends tree pose for improving balance. He said to say yummmm and meditate during the yoga poses. Dr. Oz said to do it in your bathroom so that nobody will find you their. Prayer is mediation. You need a few moments to yourself. Lack of sleep is aging us, said Dr. Oz. You need to get sleep to rejuvenate ourselves. Lack of sleep will strip years off of your age. When the sun went down before modern civilization we naturally slipped into sleep. He recommends recreating this by having a routine that quiets us down instead of stimulating us right before bedtime. He said if you don’t floss your teeth you could reduce your lifespan by 5 years. Dr. Oz said that you need sex with your partner 2 to 3 times a week. Women benefits by getting a boost in oxytocin, and men get more testosterone. Dr. Oz joked to sleep naked and to install mirrors. Oprah wanted to know more about vitamins. Dr. Oz discussed vitamin D. The biggest deficiency is with vitamin D. Take 1000 IU he suggests. Over half of all Americans are deficient in Vitamin D. This vitamin has been associated with preventing cancer, reducing heart problems, changing the outcomes risk factors for multiple sclerosis, and also risk factors associated with deficiencies in juvenile diabetes. Because of the sunscreen that is used in our society, even people in the south are getting less vitamin D from the sun. Calcium with magnesium is important. Calcium supplements will constipate you, but the magnesium will help prevent that. DHA omega 3 fish oil supplements he recommended. Dr. Oz discussed multi-vitamins. He said to cut the vitamins in half with one being taken in the morning and one in the evening. Menstruating and pre-menopausal women will need some iron supplements. Pre-menopausal women take no more than 5000 IU of vitamin A. Men and post-menopausal women should take no more than 2500 IU of Vitamin A and they need no iron supplements. The multi-vitamin Dr. Oz recommends will be listed on Oprah.com. Here is the checklist printout link for Dr. Oz anti-aging checklist sheet: http://www.oprah.com/download/pdfs/health/oz/oz_antiaging_checklist.pdf Dr. Oz said to take 2 baby Aspirin a day for those over the age of 40 to take this daily regimen. There is a chance of intestinal discomfort. Might Heart disease, cancer, wrinkles. It is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug. Does it matter which multi-vitamin you should take. On the Oprah website they recommend the amounts that would be helpful. The popular series health books that have been co-authored by Dr. Memhet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen have been bestsellers. More discussion about anti-aging and reversing your age is discussed in their book, “You: Staying Young the Owners Manual for extending your Warranty.” By Nicole Wilson Best Syndication News Writer






