2011 06 21 Health Post #5

YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011

HEALTH POST If you do thing The most important steps for your well-being from our panel of experts >PAGE 4

THROW THE COOKBOOK AT CANCER

POST-NATAL BATTLE OF THE BULGE

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2 NEWS ASK THE DOCTORS DR ADAM LEUNG

HEALTH BITES ......................................................

Jeanette Wang Jeanette.wang@scmp.com

Q: I’ve heard that the symptoms for heart attack differ for men and women. Could you briefly tell me what these differences are? Also, what is the possible diagnosis for this feeling of heaviness in my chest?

Like some chilli flakes with that?

You could sprinkle some for extra kick on the Stephen James Luxury Organics Pizza Bar if you wanted to, even if it sounds like a crime against an energy bar. But hey, it is savoury, after all, and (with imagination) could satisfy that thin-crust pizza craving at lunchtime. The hand-made-in-Macau bars are organic, with naturally pre-sprouted seeds and nuts. Drying them at 50 degrees Celsius is said to preserve the healthgiving enzymes in the ingredients. There are other interesting flavours of the new Luxury Organics bars, from HK$39 each, available at Great and ThreeSixty.

Good vibrations More than just for aesthetics, the wavy foam sole of the Reebok VibeTech (HK$499) is said to absorb the impact of the heel strike as you run, and send a wave of energy along the length of the shoe to help propel you forward. From Reebok, Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2736 7010.

Hold the carbs It may reduce the risk of cancer and slow the growth of tumours already present, according to the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre. Scientists implanted mice with various strains of tumour cells and assigned them to one of two diets: a typical Western diet (55 per cent carbs, 23 per cent protein, 22 per cent fat) and a high-protein diet (15 per cent carbs, 58 per cent protein, 26 per cent fat). They found the tumour cells grew consistently more slowly on the second diet. Further, only one in the Western diet reached a normal lifespan, with 70 per cent dying from cancer. Only 30 per cent on the other diet developed cancer, and more than half reached or exceeded their normal life span.

Scientists agree these findings are definitive enough that an effect on humans can be considered.

Olive and kicking A good glug of olive oil in your cooking and salad dressing regularly may reduce your risk of stroke, say researchers from the University of Bordeaux in France. The study tracked 7,625 French people aged 65 years and over for six years and found that those who used olive oil intensively were 41 per cent less likely to have a stroke than those who rarely consumed it. The reasons are unclear, but lead author Dr Cecilia Samieri suggests it may be due to replacing less healthy saturated fats with mono-unsaturated olive oil. Heather Davis, a clinical dietitian at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, cautions that olive oil is a high-calorie fat and that more research is needed “to find out how much is beneficial while still maintaining a low-fat diet”.

APP OF THE WEEK

Chopra gives top yoga tips, but this app is not for a novice ......................................................

Katie McGregor healthpost@scmp.com Authentic Yoga with Deepak Chopra Featuring Tara Stiles – US$1.99 Rating 8/10 Having leading mind-body-spirit authority Deepak Chopra and New York yoga guru Tara Stiles as personal yoga coaches is typically associated with the lives of the rich and famous.

But now they can be yours for less than US$2. This app focuses on Hatha yoga for the body, and Pranayama, the yoga of breathing.

To begin, select the “learn to practise” section. Here you’ll find short lessons that use videos to “walk” you through a pose, or asana.

As well as beginner moves, they also focus on asanas that relieve tight hamstrings or help build up your strength.

Once you feel confident with the poses, select “yoga routines”.

Spiritual guru Deepak Chopra talks the viewer through yoga exercises During each five- to eight-minute routine, Chopra’s melodious voice talks about the benefit of each pose against a backdrop of soothing piano sounds. My first thought was that the time allocated to hold each

asana was on the short side. That was until I got to the tougher ones such as The Chair or Warrior 3. Then time seemed to stand still.

A nice extra feature is the ability to create your own routines by

compiling your preferred asanas from the asana library.

“One of the great things about yoga is you start where you are, so you are right where you need to be to start,” says Stiles in the introduction, when the app is launched.

While she is right, I would be concerned about safety for the novice. In a yoga class, the teacher will constantly correct and align your errors, cautioning you not to over-extend, reminding you to breathe and suggesting alternative asanas for people with different health conditions.

Chopra and Stiles do guide you well, but they cannot cover every bad yoga habit (and there are many).

For that reason, this app is probably better suited for someone who has practised yoga and wants to keep it up while travelling or at home.

For myself, the app has awoken an almost-forgotten interest in yoga and my body is certainly starting to feel the benefit.

A: The typical symptoms of heart attack start with chest discomfort, which is usually an aching, heavy or squeezing sensation in the chest lasting a few minutes. The pain can radiate to the shoulder, neck, arms, jaw or teeth. Sometimes it can radiate to the stomach area, mimicking indigestion. This is often associated with shortness of breath.

Dizziness or even passing out can occur. Cold sweats and the feeling of stomach sickness are quite common.

The symptoms of heart attack in women are less predictable. For women, the most common symptom is still some kind of chest pain or discomfort. But compared

Women are more likely to also have other symptoms without chest pain, such as ... nausea with men, women are more likely to also have other symptoms without chest pain, such as shortness of breath, weakness or unusual fatigue, cold sweats, nausea and dizziness. Some may even experience days in which their sleep is disturbed before the attack.

Heaviness in the chest can be due to a whole range of causes related to the heart, such as angina or pericarditis; lungs, including pneumothorax or pleurisy; oesophagus, like acid reflux; ribs and cartilage, such as costochrondritis; or even due to stress or anxiety. If in doubt, pleases consult your doctor for further evaluation.

Dr Adam Leung is a specialist in cardiology and a member of Health Post’s advisory panel

> CONTACT US Culture Editor: Janelle Carrigan janelle.carrigan@scmp.com Health Post Editor: Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com General inquiries: healthpost@scmp.com Advertising: tel: 2565 2435; advertising@scmp.com

MEDICAL 3 CASE HISTORY

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Eileen Aung-Thwin healthpost@scmp.com Backaches are common – nine out of 10 adults get them at some point in their lives. But little did Janice Lau, 47, expect that it would lead to the biggest health crisis of her life.

She had brushed the pain off as a common office worker ailment. But during an annual body check last August, tests showed elevated levels of serum globulin, a protein linked to antibodies.

Antibodies are produced by a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell to fight foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. When a plasma cell becomes abnormal, it goes berserk and multiplies, producing an excess of their typespecific antibody, creating paraproteins. High globulin levels hint at the presence of paraproteins, which are a clue that cancer of the plasma cells – or plasma cell myeloma – may have taken root.

Additional tests confirmed the paraproteins in her blood.

She then sought the help of a specialist, Dr Raymond Liang, director of the Comprehensive Oncology Centre at the Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital.

He immediately ordered a bone marrow biopsy. Plasma cells are found mainly in the lymphoid organs, such as the spleen and lymph glands, but infiltrate and begin destroying the marrow when they become cancerous. Lau’s

marrow sample, extracted through a needle inserted into the hollow of the pelvic bone under local anaesthesia, contained a profusion of abnormal-looking plasma cells.

Next, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan was done.

Plasma cells in the marrow erode the hard bone material, creating holes and causing pain. The scan revealed damage to many of her bones, and multiple lesions on her spine and pelvis. Also, her skull had a classic “pepper pot” appearance – like the top of a pepper shaker.

The diagnosis was now undeniable, as she had all three classic symptoms of plasma cell myeloma.

Bone marrow destruction put her at risk of anaemia and a weakened immune system, and released excessive amounts of calcium that could lead to renal failure. The paraproteins also interfered with the production of normal antibodies, further depressing her immunity. By this time, Lau was also in severe pain.

Fortunately, her kidneys continued to function normally, and Liang set to work treating her in three phases.

First, she was put on a cocktail of drugs designed to destroy the abnormal plasma cells. This included weekly oral doses of dexamethasone, a steroid; intravenous injections of a new drug called bortezomib; and daily thalidomide pills to regulate the immune system.

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

TCM takes high tech turn ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com TCM is getting a 21st-century makeover in Hong Kong.

The Hospital Authority hopes to systemise its knowledge base through the Chinese Medicine Information System, a pioneering project launched in 2003 to modernise Chinese medicine.

Let’s say you are not feeling well while you’re out, and you go to the nearest Chinese medicine clinic, rather than your usual one. Choose any of the Hospital Authority’s 15 Chinese Medicine Centres for Training and Research across the city and your personal records will be there when you visit. Your consultation, treatment and medication history follow you across the centres, allowing the practitioner, even if meeting you for the first time, to more accurately diagnose and treat you by tracking your health history.

Even if you don’t happen to be at any of the 15 centres, any authorised Chinese medicine practitioner with an internet connection will be able to access the information system at outreach service centres or inpatient hospitals to retrieve and update your electronic medical record. Your

records are secure under token and PIN protection. This is especially handy for elderly people and those who live far from a centre.

The system integrates data across all the centres without using paper, which is an environmentally friendlier and more efficient way to share information and research.

This is especially helpful when it comes to herbs, a fundamental component of Chinese medicine. In the standardised database, every herb is given a product code, which holds information such as its name, specifications, recommended dosage, possible interactions with other herbs and stock levels.

After the practitioner gives you a prescription, it is transferred through the system to the pharmacy, where staff check the medications before dispensing and, with bar code scanners, you are assured that you go home with the right medication.

Worried about safety? The information system will help keep watch. If a herb is suspected to be contaminated, the system can compile a list of patients who were prescribed with that batch. The staff will quickly contact the patients, greatly reducing risk. Online bookings will soon be available.

Source: Hospital Authority

Illustration: Angela Ho

A battle against bad blood The combination worked marvellously, with only minor side effects such as slight numbness in her fingers. After four months, Lau’s blood was almost free of paraproteins, her bone marrow was emptied of plasma cells and the bone lesions were healing.

The second phase was to exterminate the abnormal plasma cells in a procedure called autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This involved harvesting her stem cells and freezing them, destroying all cells in the marrow using a chemotherapy drug, then “rebooting” the marrow by repopulating it with the thawed stem cells. The transplant was a success. Three weeks later, Lau’s bone marrow functioned normally.

In the final and continuing phase of treatment, Lau takes thalidomides to keep the cancer under control. She has returned to work in an accounting firm, and resumed her active lifestyle of cycling and jogging.

Chances of a cure for plasma cell myeloma are slim, Liang says. But given medical advances and Lau’s relatively young age, the disease can be controlled for many years.

4 COVER STORY

Looking after What do health professionals from different fields say is the single most important thing you should do?

Sally Robinson investigates

Liza Chan (dietitian) • Make small changes to your diet for big results It takes an excess or deficit of 7,000 kilocalories (kcal) to gain or lose one kilogram of weight. Simply changing from a small full-fat latte to a skimmed milk latte will save you 70kcal. In 10 days, that’s 700kcal, and in three months that’s 7,000kcal.

Keep it up for a year, and you will lose 4kg. This applies to other foods: swap a can of Coke for Coke Zero/ Light, or use two teaspoons less oil per day for the same results.

Dr Ezra Chan (dentist, Bayley & Jackson Dental Surgeons) • Floss regularly If you don’t floss you can get gum disease, which can cause eventual tooth loss, but studies have also shown that those with gum disease are twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease.

Gum disease is very common in Hong Kong, where there isn’t a culture of flossing. Brushing alone doesn’t clean in between the teeth, where germs are more likely to hide.

Floss every day by leaning the floss on the side of the tooth and scraping up and down until it squeaks. Only when it squeaks does it show that all the plaque has been removed.

Dr Tinny Ho (dermatologist, Skincentral) • Use a good sun screen regularly Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun increases the risk of skin cancers and is the single most preventable cause of skin ageing. Even if you are

walking on the street you are exposed to it – and the damage is cumulative.

Choose a sunscreen with good UV type-B protection (sun protection factor 30 or more) and UVA protection (“PPD” rating greater than 10 or “PA +++”). Just a blanket “UVB/UVA protection” on the bottle is not enough. The thickness of application is important too; you need at least half a teaspoonful for the face.

For outdoor activities, apply the sunscreen to clean skin with no moisturiser underneath so it can cling better. In a humid city like Hong Kong, sunscreens will provide more than enough moisture.

Sophie von Burg (physiotherapist, B. E. T. Pilates Centre) • Have a posture and movement assessment A British study found that 70 per cent of people in offices suffer from posture-related musculoskeletal problems. We have to learn to live with age-related changes to the body, but we can do something about niggly aches and pains, many of which come from poor posture. If you ignore the pain, the posture becomes habitual and joint changes start to happen, including tissue stress, cartilage wear and tear, and you will be more prone to osteoarthritis.

Changing posture isn’t about muscle strengthening; it’s about relearning the way we are designed to hold ourselves. It just takes practice until it becomes habitual.

You will start to feel better after three or four sessions, and should be pain free after three months.

Dr Victor Goh (cardiologist, Dr K. A. Goh & Partners) • Get regular exercise that’s appropriate for you The American Heart Association has established that a sedentary lifestyle is a main risk factor for coronary heart disease. Exercise is particularly important if you have suffered from cardiovascular disease; it’s routinely used as part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes. One hour a day is ideal – it can be performed all at once, or divided into segments.

For heart disease sufferers it doesn’t matter whether the exercise is walking, swimming or playing gentle sports, so long as it is done in a leisurely fashion over a prolonged period, rather than crammed into a short spell of intense exercise.

Dr Alfred Tam (paediatrician, Children at 818) • Breastfeed your children Breast milk is tailor-made for your baby and provides overall nutrition and immunity from disease. There is also ample evidence that early infant feeding relates to a person’s future health. Babies who are not breastfed are more liable to allergies, eczema and obesity in the future.

Rates of breastfeeding are not high in Hong Kong: about 40 per cent of mothers are breastfeeding when discharged from government hospitals, but after one month it is down to 15 per cent to 20 per cent.

COVER STORY 5

number one We recommend six months of exclusive breastfeeding plus a few more, because when solids are introduced the presence of breast milk helps the body to handle and digest them.

There are many things breast milk has that you can’t get from formula. These include hormones, life cells, anti-inflammatory agents, enzymes and immunoglobulins, which are extremely important to the baby.

Nathan Solia (personal trainer, Hong Kong Bootcamp) • Change to a wholefood diet If you want more vitality and weight loss, change your diet first before introducing exercise. Eat foods made by mother earth; leave out processed ones. Eliminate as much sugar as possible and eat organic protein, vegetables and good fats (like olive oil, fish oils and nuts).

Hydration is also important: most of us don’t drink enough. A 60kg person should drink about two litres of water a day. This gives increased energy, promotes clear thinking and eliminates hunger pains.

Carla Bekker-Smith (integrative manual and craniosacral therapist, Balance Health) • Go 100 per cent gluten-free Gluten-free diets have historically been reserved for patients with coeliac disease, but the past 10 years of medical research has identified an emerging condition of gluten sensitivity, which affects a broader

base of people. Eliminating this one protein can help with bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, swelling, mental fatigue, low energy, irritability, low sex drive, and poor concentration – to name just a few.

Michelle Law (Chinese medicine practitioner, Vitality Centre) • Make your mental state as stable, calm and balanced as you can Chinese medicine is about mindbody interaction and places great emphasis on our emotions. Each emotion, like anger or happiness, is related to one of the five organs – anger, for example, is related to the liver, and happiness to the heart.

Being stressed can cause illness.

Try to stay neutral to everything – not too happy nor too sad. Try to be satisfied with what you have and not to be greedy. If you are stressed, try an exercise like tai chi or qigong, because they combine the mental and the physical.

Most people live their lives not conscious of the role their mind plays and how it contributes to mental disease CATRIONA ROGERS, COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST

Karlyn Harfoot (chiropodist) • Wear the right shoes for the occasion There is a tendency in Hong Kong to wear backless sandals and flip-flops all the time, and they can be dangerous. Any sandal that does not have a back means you have to grip with your toes to keep it on – and that is not a natural way to walk. It means that other parts of the body can be out of alignment, and over time it can cause deformation of the toes and exacerbate problems in other areas such as the back or knees. Anything with a strap over the instep or where the foot is controlled in the sandal is much better for you.

Aaron Smith (sports physiotherapist, Sports Performance) • Warm up properly There is a common misconception that warming up means stretching, but cold muscles are not receptive and you will be vulnerable to pulling a muscle. The idea of a warm-up is to prepare the body for exercise and to get blood into the parts of the body that will be working, normally our limbs. The speed at which most of us run is nothing more than a warm up, so if you are going out on a 10 kilometre jog, stretch at the end rather than beginning. You are not going to rip any muscles by jogging.

If you are working out at a higher level, warm up first and then stretch.

Catriona Rogers (counselling psychologist, Integrated Medicine Institute) • Be more aware of your thoughts Last year there were 11 million global

hits a month on Google for stress, nine million for depression, 7.5 million for panic and five million for anxiety. In Hong Kong, depression led with about 16,000 hits a month, closely followed by stress with 11,000. These four key mental health issues are very real for people.

Most people live their lives not conscious of the role their mind plays and how it contributes to mental disease. When we feel uncomfortable, we distract ourselves with alcohol, food and work. We have to develop awareness and learn to observe our thoughts and how they affect us. The first step in becoming aware is to practise. I have a reminder on my computer that rings randomly and tells me to slow down and observe what is happening in me. Pay attention to your breath, how you inhale and exhale. Notice your thoughts and feelings and connect with your whole being. Focus on positive thoughts that contribute to your well-being.

Dr Christopher Yu (opthamologist, Premier Medical Centre) • Have your glasses checked regularly Our eyesight deteriorates most in our late 30s and early 40s, when the eyes lose some of their focusing power. This is the time when patients complain of tired eyes headaches at the end of the day. We usually find their glasses are one or two dioptres more than they actually need because they have not changed their prescription for the past 10 years. healthpost@scmp.com

6 FITNESS STEP RIGHT UP: WEEK 5

Sights for sore thighs Walks can improve your mood and health

Magazine Gap to the Peak Tram – 1 1/2 hours Canossa Hospital

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Discovery Bay to Mui Wo – 2 hours

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Discovery Bay

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Pete Spurrier healthpost@scmp.com

KEEP UP THE PACE

Walking is a low-impact, aerobic exercise with many benefits. It can lower your blood pressure, improve circulation, help control weight and lift your mood. It can also help you discover new places. Try these three routes, on three different islands, to gently build up your fitness.

Week 5 Monday walk an easy 40 minutes Tue core training Wed power walk 40 minutes Thu core training Fri walk an easy 40 minutes Sat rest or cross-train Sun power walk 40 minutes

Magazine Gap to Peak Tram – 1½ hours The circular walk around Victoria Peak is popular at all times. This alternative trail avoids the crowds and offers stunning harbour vistas without any obstructions.

Take bus No 15 from Exchange Square and alight just after Magazine Gap Road joins Peak Road [A]. Your walk starts directly opposite. Barker Road is a peaceful hillside route with little traffic. Thick palm jungle opens up occasionally to provide unusual views across the harbour.

Mansions are hidden in the foliage on either side of the road.

One of them is Victoria House, the residence of the chief secretary. It’s built on the site of Victoria Hospital, and the foundation stone of this building sits beside a banyan tree. It was laid in 1897, on Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee.

The trail brings you to an intermediate tram station which is rarely used – you can stand on the platform and watch the car travelling close past – then to Victoria Gap [B], the tram’s upper terminus.

Optional extra leg: follow Old Peak Road downhill to Central [C].

Training tip Occasionally, skip your walking workout and cross-train instead.

Bike or use the elliptical trainer for 30 to 40 minutes, or join a circuit training class. The break will refresh you, and you’ll learn new skills while developing different muscles.

Discovery Bay to Mui Wo – two hours The dairy cattle that were once kept here have been moved on to other pastures, but the Trappist Monastery still stands high above the coast of Lantau Island. This walk is especially good for sea and mountain views.

Take the ferry from Central to Discovery Bay [A]. Turn left upon arrival and walk over to the seaside

village of Nim Shue Wan, where yachts are moored. The trail runs south along the coast to a wider track. Turn right and walk uphill to the monastery buildings.

A bridge leads over a steep valley to a group of chapels and quarters.

The monks were originally based in Beijing but were banished after 1949 and eventually settled on Lantau.

They take a vow of silence, and a

notice asks walkers to speak quietly.

Take the narrow path uphill until the undergrowth drops away and you find yourself on an open hillside. A well-placed viewing pavilion offers a 360-degree panorama – on a clear day, you can see half of Hong Kong from here. The ferry pier at Silvermine Bay, this walk’s end point, can be seen to the south.

On your way down, you may meet harmless (unless provoked) feral cattle. Follow the coastal path around to the pier [B].

Optional extra leg: make a detour inland from the beach to find the waterfalls behind Mui Wo [C].

Southern Lamma – 2½ hours Away from Lamma’s busy seafood restaurants, there is a quiet coast of bays and beaches that provides ample space to stretch your legs.

Take the ferry to Lamma from Aberdeen Harbour – the pier is beside the fish market, just beyond the jetties that serve the floating restaurants. Dodge the sampan ladies, who will try to direct you onto their own vessels. The ferry sails every 45 minutes on Sundays, and a bit less frequently the rest of the week.

Get off at the first stop: Mo Tat Wan [A], a village of a dozen houses Turn left directly after the beachfront restaurant, and left again at the top of the steps to enter Mo Tat New Village. Flowers and shrubs make it a picturesque place. Look out for the former village school – a balconied ruin dating from the 1930s. The path leads out onto open fields and then into the forest, alive with butterflies at this time of year. Soon you arrive at Shek Pai Wan, a horseshoeshaped bay studded with large boulders.

Walk to the far end where a lonely fishermen’s temple looks out to sea.

The trail climbs over a pass to Sok Kwu Wan [B], where there are ferries back to Aberdeen or Central.

Optional extra leg: turn left to carry on to Lo So Shing [C], a sunset-facing beach good for swimming.

Nim Shue Wan Peng Chau

Discovery Bay Golf Club

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Silvermine Bay Mui Wo

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Southern Lamma – 2 1/2 hours

A Mo Tat Wan Mo Tat New Village

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Shek Pai Wan 100m

STROLL ON Other recommended walks • Southside beaches – Deep Water Bay to South Bay, 1½ hours • Monkey Mountain – Tai Po Road to Shing Mun, 2½ hours • Tap Mun – around the island, off Sai Kung East Country Park, 1½ hours • Hebe Haven – Trio Beach to Lions Nature Education Centre, one hour • Tei Tong Tsai, on Lantau – Po Lin Monastery to Tung Chung, two hours Walking requires no special equipment, but bring the following: • comfortable shoes • sun protection (hat, sunscreen) • adequate water • a map

DIET 7 NUTRITION

Chef makes a meal of surviving illness ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com

Taryne Hall, chef and director of Relish Kitchen, has launched a book of cancer-fighting recipes called Relish Your Health

Taryne Hall shows up in capri pants exuding vivaciousness and confidence, and it’s easy to overlook her scarred right calf.

She’s hardly typical – no one who had cancer at the age of 26 is, especially not one who recounts the six-year-old memory by saying: “For me, cancer wasn’t all that bad, I found a way to gain control through diet and surround myself with positive people.”

She’s also articulate, attractive, the boss of leading Hong Kong catering company Relish Kitchen and blissfully in love with a fellow chef. And last week, she launched Relish Your Health, a cookbook she wrote, styled, photographed and printed – for free – for the Hong Kong Cancer Fund to hand out to cancer patients.

Yes, anything but typical.

For a year she had endured pain in her calf, which several doctors had diagnosed as persistent deep vein thrombosis. But shortly after moving to Hong Kong from London to be with her mother and sister, she had an operation on the leg, which led to the correct diagnosis on September 9, 2005: an 18cm-long peripheral nerve sheath tumour.

Hall says she was “shellshocked”. It sent her crashing from the high of the previous night, when she had pulled off her fledgling company’s first major catering event, impressing 150 guests at the opening of Oi Ling Antiques on Hollywood Road.

A few days later, she had the first of three operations – an entire chunk

of her right calf was sliced off, with skin grafts from her left thigh used to patch it up. Seven weeks of radiation therapy followed.

Throughout all this, she never believed she would die. “Not a chance. I’m an optimist,” says Hall, who was born in Rotorua, raised in Auckland, developed a passion for cooking at age eight, and left home at 19 to travel the world and hone her craft. “I asked myself, ‘What can I do to keep going, be healthy and survive this?’ ” She had always been a conscientious eater, but now was more serious about diet than ever.

Unlike environmental stress and other external factors, after all, food was something she could control.

She conducted extensive research into macrobiotics and other extreme diets thought to benefit cancer patients, but soon realised that they weren’t sustainable. So, she decided to combine her knack for using ingredients with a new thirst for information on cancer-fighting foods, to find a realistic, middle-road approach in which whole foods could be enjoyed.

At Christmas 2005, with her radiation therapy completed, Hall returned to New Zealand, where she spent six months travelling around, soaking up the fresh summer air and sunshine, and cooking for friends and family. This, she says, was the beginning of her next chapter.

It was a healing journey of turning her newfound knowledge into recipes, the result being Relish Your Health. The cookbook is filled with mainly veggie-based recipes made with whole, organic and natural ingredients that had been used with success throughout her young catering career.

Despite the pages of healthy fare, she also advises readers in the book to indulge once in a while: a balance she calls 80 per cent good, 20 per cent naughty.

“I will still go out to a restaurant and eat absolutely everything on the menu with gusto, but most other times I make sure that the fuel – and I think of food that way, fuel – that I’m putting in my body is serving my body and doing good for me.”

Cancer-free for six years and back on track with a full life, Hall, an avid skier, is determined to lead a positively charged life.

“There are things that limit me, but I just do it anyway. On long treks, for example, my leg starts to ache after a while,” she says. “But I just push through; I don’t let it stop me. I don’t use it as an excuse.”

THREE OF THE BEST Taryne Hall’s top three tips: • Where possible, omit refined oils, refined flours and sugar. I still eat pizza and burgers, but I make it a special occasion. Don’t eat mindlessly; be conscious of eating and enjoying food.

• Introduce good things into your diet: antioxidants, berries, pomegranates, juices, whole grains, good oils (like Udo’s oil). If you get your 80 per cent good, then you can have your 20 per cent bad. (For me that’s wine.)

• Exercise. It brings peace of mind and happiness, and circulates oxygen – the kryptonite to cancer.

RECIPE FOR HEALTH

Earthy and nutty goodness in an all-season zucchini dish ......................................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Taryne Hall comes up with recipes by getting inspiration from cookbooks, magazines, buying ingredients and experimenting.

“I imagine flavours on my palate: for this dish I imagined the earthy flavours of the figs and pine nuts, the saltiness of the capers, the juiciness of the zucchini and the nuttiness of the oil. It doesn’t have a dressing; it doesn’t need one,” she says.

“This dish works well all year round: serve it warm with lamb shanks during winter or as a cold side at a summer barbecue. It also has enough bravado to be one of the main dishes, as well.

“Dietary fibre offers some protection against colon cancers, and the peel of zucchini has plenty.

“I think it’s a pretty dish that gives colour and life to a spread.”

Zucchini, caper berries, figs, pine nuts and dill Serves 6-8 3 green zucchini 3 yellow zucchini a little olive oil 1 ⁄2 packed cup dried figs 1 ⁄2 cup pine nuts 3 tbsp caper berries, sliced in half lengthwise 1 ⁄2 cup dill • Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then into 3-4 wedges at an angle.

• Toss in a little olive oil, then either fry in a heavy-based frying pan or get the barbecue cranking. Use quite a high heat so that you get a nice bit of colour without overcooking; you want them to keep their pliability. Set them aside to cool.

• Cut the figs into little wedges.

• Toast the pine nuts; I do this in a frying pan rather than the oven, which tends to dry them out.

• Cut the dill into 1cm shards.

• Sprinkle all the ingredients over the zucchini and massage with the tips of your fingers.

Taryne Hall is the director of catering company Relish Kitchen (www.relishkitchen.com). This dish was taken from her new cookbook Relish Your Health, which is available through the Hong Kong Cancer Fund (www.cancer-fund.org).

Zucchini, caper berries, figs, pine nuts and dill salad by Taryne Hall

8 DIET/WELL-BEING PERSONAL BEST

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Jacqueline Yang healthpost@scmp.com Ever since Gwyneth Paltrow popped out two tiny tots then seemingly squeezed back into her skinny jeans overnight, a new standard for losing the inevitable pregnancy weight gain was set. But without the help of a full-time nanny, personal chef and round-the-clock personal trainer, is it really possible to lose that extra pregnancy bulge?

Yes, according to Karen Chong, a registered dietitian at Matilda International Hospital.

“No weight gain during pregnancy is permanent,” she says.

“Hormones may cause women to store more fat during the latter months of pregnancy in preparation for breastfeeding, but this can be got rid of after giving birth. You just have to work at it.”

Weight gain during pregnancy is normal. A gain of about 11kg to 12kg while pregnant is recommended, but this also depends on one’s prepregnancy weight, Chong says. But some women use these nine months as an excuse to overeat – and thus pack on excess kilos, which could lead to long-term obesity postpregnancy.

The calorie requirement for mothers-to-be only increases from the second trimester by 340 to 360 calories per day (or about 1½ cups of rice). During the third trimester, just an extra 112 calories (or about a medium banana’s worth) on top of that is needed.

As a general guide, those at a desirable weight with a body mass index of between 18.5 and 22.9 should not gain more than between 0.4kg and 0.9kg per week after the first trimester.

Increased appetite and cravings, coupled with reduced or no exercise, is a key culprit for excess weight gain, says Hulda Thorey, an accredited midwife and director of

Annerley, a company that offers maternity and early childhood services. The solution? It’s all down to a balanced lifestyle.

“Eat regular, small, healthy meals from all food categories and drink plenty of water,” Thorey says.

“Getting plenty of sleep is also very important. Keep up the exercise – walking and swimming are great options – but try not to attempt a new sport. Avoid exercise that requires lying on the stomach, situps, inverted positions and those on unstable surfaces.

“Yoga and Pilates are fantastic ways to keep fit and can be continued throughout the whole pregnancy.”

Eat regular healthy meals and drink plenty of water.

Getting a lot of sleep is also important HULDA THOREY, MIDWIFE

The real challenge, however, begins after giving birth.

Janet Wahlquist, head trainer and director of Fitness Compass, says how soon new mothers return to their prenatal weight depends on how much weight they gained during pregnancy and the intensity of the post-maternity training schedule.

From her experience, clients who have not overeaten during pregnancy can usually see positive results with regard to shape, energy, flexibility and strength as early as the second month, by training two to three times a week. But finding workout time – and doing quality exercise – while caring for a newborn can be a huge challenge.

“Feeding times and sleeping patterns are so random in the beginning that a lot of new mothers need some time to adjust,” Wahlquist says.

“Training performance depends on whether they have got enough sleep the night before.”

Thorey also notes that women should wait about six to eight weeks, until the pelvic floor has recovered, before embarking on any exercise that involves contact or bouncy movements.

Those who have had a Caesarean section should be especially careful of overstretching. Due to the operation and the damage to the abdominal muscles, women will have very limited stretching capacity on the abs.

If you’re not ready to dive into a vigorous exercise regime, start with gentle walking outdoors two to three weeks after giving birth. Increase the length daily and pick up the speed as you get fitter.

If finding time to work out is proving too difficult, then Chong says a healthy balanced diet becomes especially crucial. It is not only about controlling the amount you eat, but also what you eat.

Breastfeeding mothers have to be even more careful about what they consume. Thorey says abstaining from certain foods – often processed, rich or spicy ones, and caffeinated drinks – is necessary if the baby seems to be negatively affected by the breast milk.

While breastfeeding burns more energy and requires mothers to eat a maximum of 500 calories more each day, Chong says: “Make sure that you use these extra calories to eat something dense in nutrition, not fatty foods or sweets.”

With some self-control, dedication and patience, there is no reason those skinny jeans will have to be shelved forever.

Illustration: Martin Megino

How to get over the hump

TIPS TO REDUCE POST-PREGNANCY GAIN • Continue to exercise throughout pregnancy as much as you can. Pilates and yoga are great, even through to the third trimester.

• Fill up on extra calories needed during both pregnancy and breastfeeding with nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits and grains.

• Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day from all food categories.

• Walk outside as soon as you can, every day.

• Lack of sleep can affect the metabolism. Manage your time and try to take a nap during the day if you are not getting enough sleep at night.

• Breastfeed for as long as you can.

THE TASTE TEST ORGANIC VEGETABLE SOUPS

Lentil superstars satisfy but Tuscan is the treat ........................................

Jeanette Wang jeanette.wang@scmp.com Health Valley Organic Potato Leek Soup HK$22 for 425g can, City’super The disclaimer was clear on the can – “no salt added” – so it’s not fair to fault this chunky soup for being bland.

A good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper did help, as did a couple of slices of warm, crusty buttered bread. This scored for its potatoes – the spuds had surprising bite, though they looked like mush.

Verdict: not gourmet, but a quick meal for a rainy day.

Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup HK$28 for 411g can, City’super Lentils are nutritional superstars: virtually fat-free, high in protein and full of cholesterol-lowering fibre that helps keep blood sugar levels in check. But lentil soup is a rarity in Hong Kong, so I was happy to find this at the supermarket. At 302 calories, eight grams of fat, 10 grams of fibre and 13 grams of protein per can, it makes for a nutritious weeknight dinner.

Verdict Amy’s “mum’s favourite recipe” will satisfy.

Le Piagge Zuppa Toscana HK$50 for 300g bottle, City’super Fifty dollars could buy you a freshly made bowl of soup at a good Italian joint, so why spend that much on a bottled version? Well, for one, this hearty soup has a fantastic home-made flavour and is chock full of borlotti beans, potatoes, beets and other green goodness.

Verdict: great if you want honest Tuscan fare at home.

Photos: Edmond So