芋头肉片粥-开胃,补气益肾,润泽肌肤

 芋头肉片粥

材料:

百米100克, 芋头300克, 猪瘦肉200克, 盐2克, 色拉油10克, 冷水适量.

做法:

1. 将百米洗干净,放入冷水中浸泡半小时,捞出,沥干水分;芋头去皮,切成厚片.

2.  猪瘦肉 洗净 切片,放入温油锅中片煸炒片刻,盛起备用.

3. 锅中加入约2000毫升冷水,加入百米,用旺火煮沸,然后加入芋头片,  猪瘦肉 片,用中 小火 慢煮至米烂肉熟,加盐调味即可=)

功效:

开胃,补气益肾,润泽肌肤

Your guide to breastfeeding & Lactation meal plan

I wrote about weight loss &diet plan before. So, just be fair to those mothers who are in hurry to lose pregnancy pounds, I created a lactation meal plan for them too=)

First of all, let me introduce some important foods for the own well-being of nursing moms. For nursing moms, it is necessary to ensure that you are obtaining  the nutrients your baby needs by incorporating a variety of health breastfeeding foods in your nursing mom food plan.
If you are consuming the following foods as a regular part of your diet, your body and your baby will...thank you^-^

1. Salmon
- Talking about perfect food..hmmm..for me, there is no such thing as a perfect food but salmon is pretty close!! Well, why salmon?? Salmon, like other fatty fish, is a rich source of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-an omega-3 faty acids. DHA is crucial for the development of your baby's nervous system and visual abilities. All breast milk contains DHA naturally but levels of this essential nutrient are higher in the milk of women who consume more DHA from their diets.

* FDA guideline: breastfeeding women should limit consumption of fish lower in mercury. Compared to other types of fish such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish, salmon is considered to have a low mercury content. Vegetarian sources of DHA come from seaweed.

2. Low-fat dairy products
- Whether you like it or not, you can't never deny that low fat dairy products such as yogurt, milk, or cheese are an important part of healthy breastfeeding. In addition of providing protein, vitamin B and vitamin D, dairy products are one of the best sources of calcium. Calcium will help your baby's bones develop. So, include at least 3 cups of dairy each day as part of your diet.

3. Lean Beef
- Iron rich food, extra protein and vitamin B 12- Lean beef definitely a good choice!! Iron deficiency can drain your energy level, making it hard for you to keep up with the demands of a newborn baby.

4. Legumes
- Beans, especially dark-colored ones like black beans and kidney beans, are a great breastfeeding food, especially for vegetarians. They are not only rich in iron, but they are budget friendly source of high quality, non animal protein source.

5. Blueberries
- Blueberry is the leader in antioxidants. They may be small but they pack a healthy punch!! Sweet, tangy and intensely blue, blueberries are rich in phytonutrients-antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory.  This satisfying and yummy berries will give you a healthy dose of carbohydrates to keep your energy levels high.

6. Brown rice
-  If you're attempting to lose the baby weight, you might be tempted to drastically cut back on your carbohydrates intake. However, losing weight too promptly may cause you produce less milk for the baby. Incorporating whole grain carbs like brown rice in your diet will provide your body the calories it needs to produce best quality milk for your baby.
*Brown rice:  process that produces brown rice removes only the outermost layer, the hull, of the rice kernel and is the least damaging to its nutritional value. The complete milling and polishing that converts brown rice into white rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of manganese and phosphorus, 60% of iron, and all of the dietary fiber ans essential fatty acids.

7. Oranges
- Nursing moms need extra vitamin C than pregnant women, oranges and other citrus fruits are an excellent breastfeeding food, too. Sip on some orange juice (opt for calcium-fortified varieties to get even more benefit from your beverage) as you go about your day.

8. Eggs
- Egg yolk is one of the few natural sources of vitamin D- an essential nutrient crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones. Try scrambling up a couple of them during breakfast, tossing a hard boiled egg or two on your lunchtime salad, or having omelet and salad for dinner.
* other sources of Vitamin D: fish, fortified milk and cod liver oil. 

9. Whole-wheat bread
- Folic acid is crucial to your baby's development in the early stages of pregnancy but its importance doesn't end there. Folic acid is an important nutrient in your breat milk that your baby needs for good health and it is crucial that you eat enough for your own well-being. Enriched whole-grain breads and pastas are fortified with this vital nutrient. They also give you a healthy dose of fiber and iron.

10. Leafy greens
- The following are a few examples of green leafy vegetables that can be easily incorporated into the most particular of our diets.
a) Bok Choy: a Chinese white cabbage rich in vitamins A and C and in calnium and dietary fiber
b) Spinach: sweet in flavor and high in vitamins A and K, iron and folate.
c) Broccoli: grows with florets and crunchy stalks and is rich in fiber and a number of vitamins
e) Collard greens: mild in flavor with a high content of vitamins A,C and K.
f) Lettuce: contains folate and vitamins A, C and K.

11. Whole-grain cereal
- After yet another sleepless night, one of the best foods to boost energy for new moms in the morning is a healthy whole-grain cereal. There are many cold cereals available that are fortified with essential vitamins and nutrients to help meeting your daily needs. Or, whip up a healthy hot breakfast by stirring blueberries and low fat milk into a delicious serving of oatmeal.

12. Water
- New moms who are  breastfeeding should stay well hydrated in order to keep your energy and milk production in a desirable levels. You can vary your options and meet some of your fluid requirements by drinking juice and milk but you have to avoid caffeinated drinks like coffee and tea. That's because caffeine enters your breast milk can cause your baby to become irritable and sleep poorly. Recommended water intake for breastfeeding moms is 3L/day.

So, basically these are the 12 healthy foods for new moms who are breastfeeding. I bet that you have an idea in your mind now on what kind of foods you should incorporate into your daily diet after reading the benefits of various foods I suggested. So, are you ready now to create a lactation meal plan for yourself??? Yes???or NO??? Lol..well, I have an example of lactation meal plan here if you want to take it as your reference=)

Lactation Meal Plan
Breakfast
* A cup of warm water after wake up- for detoxification purpose

Choose one of them:

A) 2 slices of whole wheat bread (with fruit jam, peanut butter, cheese etc)
     1 glass of low fat milk

B) A bowl of Whole grain cereal with low fat milk, topped with banana, blueberries, strawberries, raisins   and almonds.
     1 medium orange/ 1 glass of orange juice with pulp

C) Ham and cheese sandwiches-1 serving
     1 glass of low fat milk

D) Half cup (125ml) of low fat milk
     1/2 grapefruit
     2 half-boiled eggs

Lunch


Choose one of them:

A) 1 bowl (250ml) Steamed brown rice
     1 serving of salmon


Thai Salmon with cucumber and dipping sauce

Method:
1. Marinate the salmon in a bowl with the chili, garlic, coriander, fish sauce, sesame oil and honey. Season with pepper and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or overnight.

2. Grill or barbecue the salmon until it is crisp at the edges. If you like it cooked all the way through rather than rare in the middle then keep cooking until the fish feels very firm to the touch.

3. Serve it with the cucumber and onion sprinkled over and the sweet chili dipping sauce.

B) 1 slice of multi-grain bread, toasted.
     1 cup of fat free yogurt
     1 fresh fruit

C) Salad (mix veggie and fruits) + lean meat/ Ham/ Tuna/ Beans or Peas/ Hard Boiled egg ( a little bit of   salad dressing)

Dinner
*Drink a cup of warm water before meal
Choose one of them

A) Half cup (125ml) of low fat milk
     Maple-Dill Chicken Breast- 1 handful
     1 cup (250ml) of steamed green beans/black beans
     1 cup of (250ml) steamed brown rice

Maple-Dill Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp of butter
- 1/4 tsp each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine/apple juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp (5ml) dried dill weed


Directions:
1. Trim any fat from chicken. Melt butter in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. When bubbly, add chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown, from 2 to 3 minutes per side.

2. Pour wine and maple syrup into pan around chicken. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook chicken, turning halfway through until it feels springy when pressed, from 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove chicken to a serving platter and cover with a tent of foil to keep warm.

3. Stir dill into sauce in pan. Increase heat to medium-high and boil sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly, from 2 to 3 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately. * Delicious with green beans and mashed potatoes.

B) Half cup (125ml) of low fat milk
    Half cup (125ml) of cold cereal
    Half bran muffin
    1 small orange

Finally....It is such a long post!! Taking me three days to finish it=)....Anyway, I hope that this will really help those new moms in picking the right and healthy foods for themselves as well as their babies. And for my colleague, Linda Choo who just gave birth to a baby boy. Congratulationssssss!!! This is the present I give to you and your baby=)))

Is porridge time again-Napa Bacon Porridge!!

Napa Bacon Porridge

Ingredients:
White/Brown rice, Bacon, Napa cabbage, celery, spring onion, cooking oil, cooking wine, salt, chicken stock, white pepper.

Methods:
1. Rinse the rice until the water is clear/not cloudy.
2. Add in water and bring the rice to boil at medium heat, uncovered.
3.Wash and slice the Napa.
4. Heat up the cooking oil in a pan, add in bacon (cut it into small pieces) and cooking wine and fry it until crispy. Add in Napa to stir fry it together with bacon. After that, lay out the bacon and Napa on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Leave it for later use.
5. Wash and cut the celery.
6. When everything is ready, add in bacon, Napa, celery, salt, chicken stock (a little bit, or you can use oyster sauce), and white pepper.
7. Stir it well, turn down the heat of the porridge and cook it for another 20 minutes.
8. Cook the porridge according to the consistency you like. You can simmer even longer for a more watery, finer and more congee-like consistency.
9. Garnish your porridge with spring onion and enjoy your Napa Bacon porridge=)

Burn more calories with various type of workout!!

Wanna speed up your metabolism in order to ignite your calorie burn??
Then, you should pay attention to this=)

Let's check it out on how many calories do you burn in a 1 hour of  workout. 


(A) Yoga

135calories
= 1 baked potato
= 1 pancake
= 27 butter cookies
= 3 pieces chocolates

(B) Brisk walking

143calories
= 1 pack of small french fries
= half cup of ice cream
= 1 big cup of hot coffee
= 1 bottle of beer

(C) Basketball shooting

184calories
= 85g of ham
= 1 piece of New York cheesecake
=2 pack of almond cookies

(D) Skiing

245calories
= 5 lamb kebabs
= 1 plate of fried noodle
= 1 piece of fried chicken
= 1 piece of yellow cake

(E) Swimming

286calories
= 1 hot dog
= 1 glass of vanilla milkshake
=1 egg bread

(F) Cycling

327calories
= 1 slice of cheese pizza
= 1 small plate of roasted beef

(G) Slow Running

367calories
= 300g chocolate milkshake
=1 large french fries
= 1 plate of Chicken Caesar Salad

(H) Weight Lifting

477calories
= 1 glass of blackberry smoothie
= 1 small steak
= 2 pieces of butter/ dark sugar pancake

It's necessary for us to know how many calories are burned in one hour while we are doing different type of exercises. I hope this can give you an idea to opt for the most suitable exercise based on your calories intake^-^

Lactose Intolerance

I read an article recently regarding the interventions of lactose intolerance and I think that this article will be very helpful to those who have been diagnosed with lactose intolerance. So, let me start sharing this=)

Lactose Intolerance= The body unable to digest lactose (natural sugar found in milk and diary products) 

Symptoms:

a) Abdominal Bloating/Cramps

b) Diarrhea

c)Gas (Flatulence)

d)Nausea

Lactose intolerance occurs when small intestines does not make enough lactase, an enzyme use to break down/digest lactose. When lactase levels are low, lactose is transported intact to colon where intestinal bacteria ferment the disaccharides and cause the hallmark symptoms. 

Alleviating Symptoms
For those who’ve been diagnosed with lactose intolerance, no cure exists. What works for one person may not work for another. But there are several strategies or interventions available that may help you prevent symptoms of lactose intolerance.


a) Limit the amount of milk & milk products in your diet
    - Majority of the people can tolerate around 10g of lactose each day. This can be a glass of whole, low fat, or nonfat milk, for example.

Lactose and calcium in food
Food	Serving size	Lactose (g)	Calcium (mg)
Milk	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10-12	290-300
Yogurt	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10-15	300-400
Ice cream	8 fl oz (240 mL)	10	160
Hard cheese	1 oz (30 g)	0-1	150-275
Cottage cheese	8 fl oz (240 mL)	3	126-155
Cream cheese	1 oz (30 g)	0.8	23

*Food with less lactose such as Swiss/Cheddar cheese may not cause problems. However, if you are not sure whether certain milk products cause symptoms, you can try a small amount at first and see how you feel after that.

b) Combine milk/ milk products with other foods

    - You can combine a solid food (like cereal) with a dairy products (milk). This will help to reduce/eliminate symptoms for some people.

c) Spread milk/milk products throughout the day

    - Lactose intolerant people find it helpful to eat small amount of lactose-containing products throughout the day instead of large amounts all at one time. 

d) Buy reduced lactose milk/milk products

    - You can buy milk with reduced lactose in most grocery stores in order to control the symptoms. It might be too sweet or a little more expensive compare to other milk products, so it depends on your personal preference. 

*People with diabetes may find this raises their blood sugar levels than normal. So, it is better to consult the doctor before you consume it. 

e) Avoid milk/milk products

   - You can replace soy milk and soy cheese for milk & milk products or you can use nondairy creamers with your coffee. However, nondairy creamers do not contain same amount of vitamins and minerals as milk, and the fat content is higher than milk. 

f) Use Lactase products

   - Lactase products are type of dietary supplements that will help you to digest lactose. For example, pills that you can chew such as Lactaid before you eat or drink milk products. Or liquids that you can add to milk 24 hours before you drink it. There are several lactase products and brands available in the market, so you may want to try a couple of them first and see which ones work the best for you.

g) Consume yogurt with live cultures (not pasteurized)
    - Some people who are lactose intolerant find it ok to eat yogurt especially yogurt with live cultures because it helps to digest lactose. Basically. all yogurts are made with live cultures, but many of them has gone through a process called "heat treatment" that kills the bacteria. So, make sure you are buying a yogurt that still contains live cultures by checking the label for the words "active yogurt cultures,""living yogurt cultures,"or" contains active cultures."

Some people need to avoid lactose completely if they have severe lactose intolerance. So, be careful before you put something into your mouths!!

Prepared foods such as breads and baked goods;breakfast cereals and instant breakfast drinks;instant potatoes and instant soups;pancake,cookies and biscuit mixes; margarine and salad dressings;candies,milk chocolate, and other snacks. Be sure to read labels for lactose and lactose's "hidden"names, such as:


Dry milk solids
Whey
Curds
Milk by-products
Nonfat dry milk powder. 

Biggest challenge for lactose intolerance: How to eat to avoid discomfort and yet to get enough calcium for healthy bones??
Actually, there are many nondairy foods that contain calcium, including:
- Broccoli, okra, kale, collards, and turnips greens
- Canned sardines, tuna, and salmon
- Calcium-fortified juices and cereals
- Calcium-fortified soy products such as soy milk, tofu, and soybeans
- Almonds

Last but not least, just so you know that we need Vitamin D for our body in order to absorb calcium. So, in this case, you can consume foods that contain Vitamin D such as egg yolks, oily fish and organ meats. Furthermore, sunlight is needed to make active Vitamin D in our body, so even you are not a keen sunbather, then at least expose your skin to 15 minutes of sun regularly but not between 11am and 3pm. 

Getting in Shape to Wear A Bikini!!

Are you ready for the summer??? Do you want to look great, feel good about yourself and have a great time enjoying the sun and the water without worrying about your body???

Is time to to take an honest look at your diet. Is it well balanced or do you live on junk all day long with a meal or two thrown in there??

Hmmm....well (looking at my tummy,hip and thighs).....Argghhh...that's ugly:( 

I think is time for me to create a healthy meal plan for myself before August coz I am going to BALI with all my sexy girl-friends (they all look so hot and sexy ^-^)!!!

So, let me share my meal plan with all of you, especially those who are not satisfied with their current body conditions.

Breakfast (Ideal time: 7-8am) - Have your breakfast within one hour after you wake up^-^

* A cup of warm water every morning will help to remove toxins from our bodies.

Choices: Choose one of them.

(A)

a)      2 slices of whole wheat bread (1-2tsp of fruit jam/peanut butter/kaya/1/3 can of tuna/1square piece of cheese)

b)      One glass of low fat milk (I am drinking Dutch lady, it tastes good for me. You can try if you like)

(B)

a) 2 Half-boiled eggs

b)1 glass of  plain Milo/Vico/Oat/Horlick

(C)

a)  Five Colors Nutritious Meal (I highly recommend this): A bowl of bran cereal with low fat milk/soya milk, topped with banana, prunes/raisins, blueberries (3), strawberries (3), and almonds.

Five colors Nutritious Meal

Lunch (Ideal time: 12-1pm)

* Drink a cup of warm water before meal.

Eat outside (around 400kcals)

Choices: Choose one of them

(A)

 a) Mixed rice: half bowl of rice, large scoop of vegetables, steamed fish (palm size), meats (palm size)

 b) I glass of warm barley (less sweet)

(B)

a) Wantan mee- 1 serving

b) 1 glass of warm honey lemon tea

(C)

a) Fish ball noodle soup- 1 serving

b) 1 cup of herbal tea

(D)

a) Chicken Rice

b) 1 cup of Chinese Tea

Healthy Lunch at Home (Practice this more if you really want to lose weight!!)

Choices: Choose one of them

(A)

A) Detox- Vegetables Salad- Cherry tomato, cucumber, cabbage, some lean meat, etc and salad dressings.

b) Half glass of tomato juice/ orange juice/apple juice/ prune juice/carrot milk juice

(B)

a) Detox-Fruit Salad: 1 small banana, 1 slice of watermelon, handful of grapes, and 1 small pear.

b) 1 glass of peppermint/ ginger tea.

(C)

a) Porridge (You can have it during dinner too)

Spinach lean meat porridge

Ingredients: white rice/brown rice, spinach, lean meat, ginger, onion, salt, soy sauce

Method:

1) Cut off the spinach roots , wash it and cut it into 2-inch lengths

2)  Julienne the onion and ginger.

3) Rinse the rice until the water is clear/not cloudy, add in water

4) Bring the rice to boil, uncovered, at medium heat.

5) Cut the lean meat into pieces and stir fry it with soy sauce.

6)After 10 minutes, turn down the heat of the porridge and add in the lean meat.

7)Place the lid on the pot, tilting it to allow steam to escape. 

8) After 15mins, add in spinach, ginger, onion and salt to taste.

9)  Simmer the porridge in low heat for 5 mins and it is ready to serve.

Spinach Lean Meat Porridge

* * I will post more recipes on how to cook different type of porridge. I am reading a book recently regarding 1000 ways to cook porridge^-^ They are very healthy, easy to prepare and suitable for those who wish to lose weight/ have different health problems. 

    

    Dinner (Ideal time: 6-7pm)

·       *  Drink a cup of warm water before meal

     

      Choices: Choose one of them

(A)

a) Half bowl of White rice/Brown rice

b) Detox-1 bowl of ABC soup (carrot, tomato, corn, onion, potato)

(B)

a) Half bowl of chicken/fish porridge

b) Handful of beansprout or other steamed vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, celery, mushroom)

(C)

a) 1 slice of Whole wheat bread with tuna

b) 1 cup of Carrot apple juice

Refer to: http://milkykissy88.blogspot.com/2012/03/apple-carrot-juice.html

(D)

a) 1 Baked Potato 3 inches

b) 1 glass of low fat milk

* Allow four hours to digest before you go to bed

Snack

In between each meal, when you feel like munching for something, try to choose some healthy snacks!!

e.g: Any fruits: Papaya, kiwi, pear, orange, green apple, strawberry, prunes, cherry etc

       Snacks: Almonds, Nuts, Sunflower seeds, cashews, raisins etc

       Tea: Green tea, Herbal tea, Chamomile, chrysanthemum tea.

May be you can choose for low calories kuih-muih

- Mini curry puff X1= 44kcals

- Pineapple tarts X2(50g) = 46kcals

- kerepek ubi kayu X1= 48kcals

Exercise:

If you just want to maintain your weight,

 - Do exercise 3-4 times per week, 30 to 45 minutes each time. 

If you want to lose weight,

- Do exercise 45 minutes to 1 hour everyday. 

Combining aerobic exercise (jogging, walking, swimming, cycling etc) and strength training (weight lifting) into your exercise. This will help you to burn fat (aerobic exercise) and build up your muscle (strength training) at the same time.

P.S: Well, this is the meal plan I created for myself (I am not that type of girls who are really obese or overweight, I just want to have a well balanced meal plan that will help myself to decrease the fat level inside my body especially my tummy and thigh). I think it is very easy to follow and it works very well for me. Of course, I do exercise as well 2 to 3 times a week. I go for yoga class and do some treadmill running at home. STAY HEALTHY EVERYONE!!

      

Detox- "De-junking"

How to lost weight??

Healthy diet? Exercise? 

I think you miss out something very important- DETOXIFICATION!!!

Detoxification: the process of removing toxic substances/ transforming them into something harmless.

Where do we get all this toxic?? 

- Is from all the junk our body picks up from convenience foods, the pollution that pours into our water, air,and soil, exposure to heavy metals, electromagnetic pollution as well as synthetic fibers and materials. 

- Once the detoxification system becomes overloaded, toxic metabolites (product of metabolism) accumulate. The accumulation of toxins will cause destruction on our normal metabolic processes. Once our metabolic processes got affected, it is hard for us to slim down!!!

Let's do a small test here. Let's see how much toxin it is in your body=)

1. Rough/dry skin, always facing skin problems

2. Look pale every time

3. Look older than you are

4. Having constipation problem

5. Shoulder pain, period pain and waist pain

6. Feel tired after walking up 5 flights of stairs

7. Love cold drinks

8. Love sweets 

9. Susceptible to cold

10.Dislike vegetables and fruits

11. Meat lover

12. High consumption of alcoholic beverages

13. Always buy fast food/ convenience foods

14. Stay up late most of the time

15. Having less than 6 hours sleep per day

16. Stressful lifestyle

17. Smoking

18. Water consumption is low

If you say "yes" (10 or above) to the above statement, you are having an extremely bad body condition.Your toxin level is high and you have to adjust your lifestyle immediately. 

If you say " yes" (5to 9) to the above statement, you have to start taking care of your health before everything turns worst.

If you say "yes" (less than 4) to the above statement, the toxin level in your body is lower compare to others. However, try to improve those statement you say "yes" to. 


How to remove the toxin inside our body?? There are many ways we can do to lower the toxin level in our body but there are three most important things we need to do daily to prevent our detoxification system from overloading.

a) Drink plenty of water (2L/day)- Drink a cup of warm water every morning with your empty stomach.

b) Increase fruit and vegetables intake: Cucumber, cherry, bitter squash and black fungus play an important in helping our kidney, liver and  large intestine to do the detoxification. Consume fresh fruit and vegetables (high in fiber) will aid in constipation problem.

c) Exercise: Yoga (or other aerobic exercises) is the best exercise for detoxification and improving our metabolism. Allow our body to sweat at least once a week in order to remove toxin from our body.

Do Collagen Drinks work

Do Collagen Drinks work?

Nowadays, collagen drinks become a hot topic/ famous product among women. It promises to fight the ageing process and it is the most effective way to restore youthful vitality to skin. Opppssss….not only the face, but the whole body including the neck, bust & bum!!!

Well, I doubted it. Does it really work?

First of all, what is collagen?


Collagen

-          It is the most abundant proteins (fibrous protein) found in our bodies especially in the flesh and connective tissues. Collagen is mostly found in fibrous tissues such as tendon, ligament and skin, and is also abundant in cornea, cartilage, bone, blood vessels, and the gut. There are different types of collagen with the most occurring being types I, II, III, and IV.

Why collagen has such a close relationship with our skin? (Not just skin but our bone strength, wound healing, as well as muscles)

Skin Resilience

Our skin is made up of three layers: epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Dermis layer is the thickest part of the skin. Bundles of collagen molecules pack together throughout the dermis layer to give our skin tensile strength and make it pliable.

As aging occurs, cellular protein will change shape and keep the proteins from doing their jobs properly resulting in loss of collagen and less firmness to body tissues. Thus, this leads to wrinkles. To prevent this, we need to reduce collagen breakdown and increase its supply.

There are various type of collagen drinks in the market nowadays. Here are some of them..

NH Colla-Plus

Click to find out more: http://www.nh-collaplus.com/index.html

Shiseido The Collagen

Click to find out more:http://www.shiseido.co.jp/collagen/index.html

Kinohitmisu

Click to find out more:http://www.kinohimitsu.com/the-brand.html


Now, let's see what are the main ingredients in all this collagen drinks.

Ingredients:
a) Collagen (Fish)/ Marine Collagen- Protein extracted from fish that is mainly used to decrease the appearance of wrinkles.

b) Perrila Seed Extract-Rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. It helps to increase nutrient absorption ability of cells.

c) Soy Isoflavones- It helps to boost the production of collagen and elastin, control production of melanin as well- preventing dark pigment and age spots on skin.

d) Vitamin C- A type of water-soluble vitamin, playing an important role in helping our bodies to make collagen and acts as an antioxidant to prevent damages cause by free radicals that contribute to the aging process.

e) Silk Protein- Natural moisturizer. It is able to adjusts the moisture in the skin to maximum benefits and make our skin more elastic. Besides, it controls the growth of melanin in our skin. So it has fantastically good results for skin beautification.

Does it make sense that collagen drinks would help?

In my opinion, I strongly agree that collagen does a good job in slowing down aging process as well as preventing wrinkles. However, the science is shaky. Very little evidence proves that we can replace collagen and improve wrinkles. Plus, collagen would likely be destroyed by the stomach acid and our digestive system. So, will it really stays intact and gets in the skin???On the other hand, as I know, it tastes really sweet and if you take a closer look of the sugar content in your collagen drink, you will be surprise that you are making your wrinkles worse by loading your system with glucose. If it really works, is that means that you have to drink it continuously for the rest of your life in order to stay young and wrinkle free?? It is not a cheap product. It can cost up to RM275 for one box (10 bottles-last for 5 to 10days)!!! How many of you can really afford it? 

Finally, I still believe that having a healthy diet and lifestyle is the key to make you stay young and wrinkles free!!! So, what are the foods/ supplements that will helps to prevent aging?? Stay tuned with my blog to find out more about tips to stay pretty and young ^-^