Kitchen Gadgets For Healthy Eating – It’s Easier Than you Think!

You are what you eat.

In the TCM perspective, it is strongly believed that good eating habits and good health go hand-in-hand together. With the pressures of working, eating healthy can be a challenge especially when you are exhausted, time-strapped and we know how cumbersome it can be to cook a meal from scratch. It is easy to cave in and enjoy quick meals with minimal cooking such as microwaved meals though we know that this is detrimental to your health in the long run.

However, with technological advancement, there is a lower barrier to start eating healthy especially with this list of nifty and convenient healthy kitchen gadgets that you can invest in to embark on your healthy eating journey while embracing better eating habits.

 

1. Cold Press / Slow Juicer

Photo: Sprout.net.au

According to HPB guidelines, we should aim to eat 2 abundant servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables every day for a healthy diet.[1] One way to get your daily dose is via juicing. Juicing allows you to pack more fruits and vegetables in as it separates the fibre from the fruit or vegetable, leaving you with just the juice.

The type of juicer you should be looking to buy is a slow juicer where no blades are used to crush fruits and vegetables. Bladeless juicers do not generate heat during the juicing process, retaining vitamins and minerals especially the heat-sensitive ones such as vitamin C. It also retains enzymes that are vital for nutrient intake.

One of the slow juicers that we recommend is the Tribest Greenstar Elite, the world’s only juice extractor that features exclusive magnetic and bio-ceramic technology that allows juice extraction with maximum yield and higher nutritional content.[2]

Juicing is one of the few popular diet options for cancer patients as they tend to struggle with nausea, loss of appetite etc. after undergoing conventional cancer treatment. Not only are juices easy to consume (since it is liquid), it also allows optimum levels of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly for energy and nutrients.

 

2. Blender

Photo: Vitamax Blender (Lazada)

Puzzled by the differences between a blender and a juicer? The key differentiation is fibre as a blender processes the whole fruit or vegetable, perfect for making smoothies. Smoothies are a great nourishing source for cancer patients who are looking to up their fibre intake as they can help to remove toxins while including key nutrients into their diet, especially when appetites are suppressed and when they are not in the mood to stomach solid food. In addition, the fibre also keeps them fuller for longer periods.

We recommend the Vitamix Vita-Prep 3 Blender, a commercial blender that combines both power and performance in one. With its ≈3 peak output horsepower motor, the high speed helps to keep optimum nutrient levels due to the faster blending process.[3] This is because less heat is generated to destroy heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C, ensuring that your body is getting the high nutritional yield that it needs.

 

3. Water Distiller

Photo: Purwa Water Distiller (Lazada)

The human body is made up of over 70% water, drinking enough water and staying hydrated is essential for bodily functions such as maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, keeping healthy weight and energy levels, and flushing toxins out of the body. However, have you wondered how safe your water source is for drinking?

In Singapore, water is treated using chemicals such as chlorine, which is used to destroy bacteria and viruses for disinfestation purposes; ammonia is added into chlorine water to form a stable chlorine residual; activated carbon is used to remove any bad taste and odour; fluoridation is a requirement for prevention of dental cavities. Even though Singapore’s good water quality is within the Singapore Environmental Public Health (Water Suitable for Drinking) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for drinking-water quality[4], what can we do to minimise the presence of these chemicals in the water we drink?

Distilling water is the key. Distiling water has health benefits such as flushing toxins out. This is beneficial for cancer patients who already have compromised immunity. Moreover, dehydration is one of the key repercussions of conventional cancer treatment so it is imperative for cancer patients to stay hydrated. Presenting the Purwa Water Distiller, it helps to remove up to 99.9% of tap water contaminants for optimally clean water. You can read more about the Purwa Water Distiller here.

 

4. Food Dehydrator

Photo: Excalibur Tray Dehydrator (Lazada)

We are constantly barraged by diet fads but have you heard of a raw vegan diet? Under a raw vegan diet you will have to eat unprocessed plant-based food either completely raw or heated at very low temperatures between 40°c to 48°c.

Cooking at such a low temperature ensures that enzymes are not destroyed and nutrient loss is minimal. When food is cooked at high temperatures, enzymes are destroyed and this lowers the nutritional value of the food, raising its acidity. Nutrients are converted from an organic state to an inorganic state and rendered useless to the body [5].

Looking for a kitchen gadget for your raw vegan indulgence? A dehydrator will do just the thing. One of the dehydrators that you can consider using to make flavourful and preservative-free snacks such as kale chips is the Excalibur 3926TB Dehydrator. Besides coming with BPA free trays with BPA free mesh screen inserts and adjustable temperature settings ranging from 40°c to 73°c (perfect for those on a raw vegan diet), its patented Parallex Horizontal Airflow technology helps food to dehydrate faster, retain more nutrients and look and taste better, without tray rotation.[6] Moreover, the temperature range is low enough to preserve the active enzymes in fruits and vegetables, perfect for cancer patients who are looking for ways to boost their immunity.

 

5. Electric Spiralizer

Photo: Kenwood Appliances

Eating right is of utmost importance for cancer patients, of which managing the carbohydrates intake is one of the main priorities as carbohydrates are broken down into glucose (which fuels high glucose levels if uncontrolled) and cancer cells feed off glucose for energy and thrive. To control glucose levels, one thing you can do is to go on a low-carbohydrate diet.

One of the ideal carbs-heavy substitute is vegetable noodles which is lower in calories and is now very easy to make your own with the nifty Kenwood Spiralizer – a vegetable spiral slicer that turns fruits and vegetables into low-carbohydrate vegetable noodles, spirals and even ribbons of pasta[7]. Another plus point is that besides having a lot of dietary fibre and being easy to digest, these vegetable noodles have a similar texture to regular noodles or pasta so you don’t feel like you are missing out while you eat healthier.[7] Curious to find out more about nutritional therapy for cancer patients? You can read more about it here.

 

6. All-in-one Cooker

Photo: Philips

Want to whip up a feast at home but always pressed for time? Try out the versatile Philips All-in-one Cooker that can perform a multitude of functions ranging from roasting to electric pressure cooking, of which electric pressure cooking is one of the healthiest ways of cooking as minimal time and very little water is needed. Besides the preservation of vitamins and minerals, the trapped steam intensifies the flavour of the food, which means less seasonings and oil is needed.[8]  Electric pressure cooking can also be used to brew soups. If you aren’t sure of what types of soup to brew, you can consider pre-packed soup packets like our immunity-boosting Premium Herbal Soup Packs (Mixed) that help to support your body’s natural functions. Individually packed for convenience, all you need to do is brew 1 pack in 4 to 5 litres of water together with other ingredients for better taste.

 

7. ETL No. 9 All Purpose Green Formula

Photo: ETL No.9 All-Purpose Green Formula 1000ml

Nutritionists often advocate that everyone should eat 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegetables per day for a balanced diet. However, it is known that pesticides are sprayed on fruits and vegetables for pests protection and to keep them looking fresh. Even though stringent safety checks are done on the food being imported into Singapore such as checking for pesticide residues, there are harmful health effects from consumption of pesticides such as rashes, blisters, diarrhoea and in the long run, it can even cause cancer and birth defects and so on.[9] 

You can use ETL No. 9 All Purpose Green Formula to wash the fruits and vegetables prior to cooking or consumption. Made of SGS certified food grade natural ingredients, it can be used to remove up to 98.6% of pesticides from the surface of fruits, vegetables, legumes and even rice grains.[10] Safeguarding our health may not be as easy as 1, 2 or 3 but one of the simple proactive steps that we can take is to use this formula to wash our fruits and vegetables.

 

8. Traditional Chinese Herbal Clay Cooking Pot

Photo:  Heaven & Earth Chinese Medicine Healing Center

One essential kitchen appliance has to be the Traditional Chinese Herbal Clay Cooking Pot. As it is made from clay, a naturally porous material, earthenware does not contain poisonous substances and are a healthy and non-toxic kitchen cookware. The porous nature of clay pots allow moisture and heat to circulate evenly throughout the post while cooking. Soups brewed in clay pots are thicker, tastier and more flavorful!  [11]

If you are keen to try personalised herbal concoctions to boost health or have certain health concerns that you want to address, be sure to schedule an appointment with Oriental Remedies Group, where our certified bilingual physicians assess your body condition thoroughly before making recommendations.

 

9. Electric Air-fryer

Photo: Philips

We’re sure most of you are no strangers to this kitchen gadget, a fantastic alternative to traditional oil frying – the electric air-fryer. The electric air-fryer has evolved to become a multi-purpose kitchen gadget that allows us to fry, bake, grill and roast food that is both delicious and healthyier in a shorter time – a great way to cheat eating sans the oil.

One of the air-fryers by Philips is the Premium AirFryer XXL HD 9860/61, of which one of its key highlights is its Fat Removal Technology that separates and removes excess fat from food while not compromising on the taste.[12] Say hello to non-greasy kitchens that do not reek of oil, minimal kitchen cleaning and healthier cheat meals such as fish and chips.

We hope that this comprehensive list takes you one step closer to making informed decisions about the types of kitchen gadgets you can purchase to facilitate healthy eating habits for a nourishing diet while easing the burden of meal prep.

 

This article is written by guest writer Yee Yern Lee