FOODforLIFE!
HealthMatters
Gout diet guide If you have gout, cut down on high-purine foods. But because purines are present in almost all foods – and even in your own bodily tissues – total avoidance is unrealistic. So, eat smart! Elisa Mak, Dietician, JurongHealth, advises those at risk to eat more low-purine foods, include some moderate-purine foods for variety, and avoid foods highest in purines. Dr Clayton says vegetables, low-fat dairy products, vitamin C and coffee may also reduce the risk of gout attacks.
Simple carbohydrates
Keep your gut healthy with a fibre-rich diet. Fibre is a natural scrubbing brush for the body, sloughing away waste matters in your digestive system and absorbing water to slow down digestion, great for regulating appetite and even lowering cholesterol levels By Sheralyn Tay
White bread, pasta, noodles, rice
IN CONSULTATION WITH ELISA MAK, DIETICIAN
LOW PURINE
(eat in moderation)
Coffee and tea Coldwater fish Tuna, salmon, cod (limit to one serving a day)
Low-fat dairy & eggs Nuts Walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, cashews
Fruits Apples, bananas, berries, cherries, oranges, papaya
MEDIUM PURINE
(2-3 times a week)
Meat & poultry Beef, chicken, pork (limit to 60-90g/day)
Vegetables Cabbage, celery, eggplant, kailan, tomatoes
Seafood Crab, lobster, oysters, prawns
Complex carbohydrates Wholegrain bread, wholegrain pasta, oats
Anchovies, mackerel, sardines, scallops
Fibre is an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet, and plays an important role in keeping your digestive system and bowel movements in regular working condition. Dietician Elisa Mak said you should aim to get about 20g to 30g of dietary fibre a day. There are two forms of fibre:
Legumes
Insoluble fibre
HIGH PURINE
(avoid; gout-causing!)
Fish & seafood
Dried beans and peas Venison, quail, duck, bacon
Also known as ‘roughage’, this form of fibre cannot be digested, so it passes into our digestive tract without being broken down. This speeds up the passage of food and waste through your gut, preventing constipation.
Meat extracts
Soluble fibre
Meat, game & poultry
Gravy, stock
Organ meats Beef kidneys, brains, liver, sweetbreads
36 O N E H E A LT H
Fibre up your life Soluble fibre absorbs many times its own weight in water, forming a viscous (sticky) gel that lines the stomach, slowing down the rate in which food passes into the intestines. This promotes satiety – useful in helping you feel full. This effect also has a beneficial impact on regulating insulin and slowing the absorption of dietary cholesterol.
O N E H E A LTH
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