Dr. Tee E. Siong

  • President of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia
  • Nutritional Advisor to Food Safetyand Quality Division of the Ministry of Health Malaysia
  • Nutritional Consultant for TES NutriHealth Strategic Consultancy
  • Former Head of the Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Nutrition Research Center of the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) Kuala Lumpur

Complete Nutrition, The Basis of Wellness

Proper nutrition and diet is the basis of good health. Our body gets proper nutrition and diet when it is nourished with essential nutrients and other food components in the amounts needed for it to function with maximum efficiency. The five groups of key nutrients required by our body are carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins. In addition, water and fibres are also essential. These essential nutrients and food components are available in the foods we consume daily. It is important to note, however, that no single food can provide all these nutrients. Hence, we have to depend on a variety of foods to fulfil our body’s nutritional needs. We therefore need a balanced diet which contains all of these essential nutrients in the proper quantities.
 
Poor nutrition leads to two forms of malnutrition - nutritional deficiency or nutritional excess. The latter has resulted in an increase in diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers. It is vital to adopt a healthy eating habit to reduce the risk of these nutritional disorders.
 
Most Malaysians todaylive a hectic schedule and juggle multiple responsibilities. It is a challenge for us to have a balanced meal every time. We have little time to eat properly and sometimes we don’t eat at all! We eat out more often and having meals on the go is common. We prefer instant meals and depend heavily on take-away services. Hence, it is even more challenging to practise healthy eating. Exercise is often neglected, our stress level is high and maintaining a proper work/personal time management is a challenge.
 
It is important to always remember that healthy eating is absolutely essential and is indeed possible to inculcate in a hectic lifestyle.  The following basic healthy eating habitis recommended by the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines.
 
 

 

Extra Tip!

Many human clinical studies have shown that 25-30g intake per day of dietary fibres/roughage helps to reduce the risk of modern chronic diseases. 
 
Note: The advice given is for educational purpose only and should not be used as a substitute for a consultation with your doctor or other healthcare providers.


 

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