Sophie Hung, MPH, RDN, CPT

Which plant-based milk is better? Recently, more people have been looking for dairy alternatives due to the inflammatory property of dairy. Plant-based milk, which usually contains lower saturated fat content, calories, and packed with nutritious ingredients, has gained popularity. While comparing which plant-based milk product is better for you and your family, it is essential to compare their protein and sugar content, addditives such as carrageenan or corn starch, as wel...l as checking whether the product is fortified with Calcium/Vitamin D. When comparing a variety of plant-based milk products, Ripple pea milk and organic soy milk are two great options to consider as they contain similar nutrition value as dairy milk while not having the inflammatory properties. Almond milk is a less ideal option since it contains lower protein content and some brands may not be fortified. Some people also preferred to make their own plant based milk, which is a great option, but do keep in mind that homemade milk is not fortified and people may need to look for other sources of Calcium. Healthy adults generally need around 1000mg of Calcium a day, older adults (51 and above), pregnant and lactating women may need up to 1200mg. One serving of dairy or dairy substitute usually provides around 300mg. Therefore, just drinking one cup of plant based milk a day is still not enough to meet the daily requirement. One of the options is to take a calcium supplement. Vitamin D and strength exercises help with the absorption of Calcium. See more

Wish everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year of 2021!!!

Planning to celebrate Christmas "Safer-at-home" style? That would be the best way and the safest way during this pandemic. Please see below for some FUN healthy Christmas snacks ideas that you can try!!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!!!

Happy Winter Solstice !!! Chinese families usually celebrate Winter Solstice by eating Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls with peanut/black sesame/red bean inside, which symbolizes reunion. Of course it would be ideal if you have the time and energy to make from scratch, but if dont like most people, finding the pre-made frozen ones are great alternatives. When I went to the Chinese market last Friday, I saw there were many options. When I started comparing them by reading their ingredient lists, I noticed that most of them have a lot of additives and food coloring in them. I came across this brand called Kimbo, it has one of the cleanest food labels, with only 5 simple ingredients (water, glutinous flour, sugar, peanut powder, and palm oil).

Combat Metabolism Slow Down with Small Frequent Meals Did you know that if we continue to eat the same food and follow the same exercise routine everyday, we will still gain weight as we age? That's because our metablism slows down naturally as we age. So what can we do to increase our metabolism? One way you can start is by eating small frequent meals throughout the day instead of following the traditional concept of 3 big meals a day. It's good to eat every 3-4 hours in g...eneral to keep your body working and burning calories. Planning some healthy snacks between meals can help increase your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar level, and prevent mood swing or losing concentration at work/school. Also, it is a good idea to make the healthy choice the easy choice. If we are not prepared, we usually just go for whatever it's in front of us. We might end up settling for sugary beverages or unhealthy snacks in the vending machine or baked goods that your co-workers brought. Stocking up on healthy snacks both at home and at work to make them accessible. Some of the healthy snack ideas includes a handful of nuts/seeds, hummus with carrots/celery, or some whole grain pita chips, air popped pop corns, half a peanut butter sandwich, hardboiled eggs, fresh fruits (If you are diabetic, always eat fruits with a protein), freeze dried fruit/vegetable chips, or low fat yogurt (If you are lactose intolerant or follow a dairy-free diet, try almond/cashew yogurt). See more

Made my first strength exercise video, please like and subscribe to support!!! 10 min Strength Exercise for Beginners Series-video #1 https://youtu.be/a2NIrsIPJDw... How to stay active even while working from home? Many of us feel that we became less active or less energized when we work from home. If you are one of the people who feel stressed and lose focus, staying active can be your solution. Exercising not only prevent weight gain, but also helps with staying focus, lowering daily stress, and maintaining healthy weight. It also helps us to feel better during this frustrating time. A lot of us think that the gym is closed and the only option left is running/hiking outdoor. While not everyone is an outdoor person, staying active doesn't necessarily need to go outdoor. There are plenty of workout tutorials online such as yoga, areobic exercise, or even a strength workout that you can do in the comfort of your home. I am planning to do a series of 10-minute workout videos that are for beginners, which is a reasonable time to invest to stay active and boost up our metabolism rate. Strength exercise helps you build muscle and helps with calcium absorption. If you take calcium supplements and do not do any strength exercise, the calcium does not absorb well into your body, which increased your chance of osteoporosis later. Also, with increased muscle mass, it helps with burning more calories even when you are resting. If you don't have a workout routine, it can be difficult to stay consistent with this lifestyle change. You may start with a lower frequency schedule to feel the difference. Try to start from 10 minutes per day, three times a week. You may also play different workout videos each time to increase interest in the session. When your body slowly adjusts to the schedule, you may either increase workout frequency, transition from three times to five times per week, or increase the duration from 10 minutes interval to 20 minutes. This will help strengthen our muscles and slowly incorporate a workout routine into our daily schedule.