Recently, the weather has stayed cold, many people may choose to have a steaming hot claypot rice to warm themselves up. However, traditional claypot rice is meaty with little vegetables, and together with the savory Chinese preserved meat or sausage which are almost essential, having claypot rice too often not only give you a muffin top, there may even be hidden heart attack risk!
“Heartbreaking Claypot Rice?”
1. Excessive Oil
Rice and other ingredients will be cooked together in traditional claypot rice, and these ingredients are usually oily Chinese preserved meat or meat that comes with skin or bones. For example, 1 Chinese sausage contains 70% to 80% of fats. When steam cooked, the fatty oil will seep through each grain of rice, making the rice extremely oily. Also, shops will usually add an extra layer of oil on the claypots for tastier rice or easily cleaned claypots. This will greatly increase the fats content within claypot rice. When we consume these claypot rice with saturated fat content that is way over the chart, it will easily cause a surge in cholesterol level within the body, allowing bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) accumulate within blood vessel walls. This will create plaques in the long run, increasing the risk of vascular thrombosis and coronary heart disease.
2. High Salt
Chinese preserved meat, preserved sausage, preserved intestine sausage and preserved duck are a few of the favorites in claypot rice which are heavily processed, seasoned and marinated. 1 whole Chinese preserved sausage consists of 1/3 of daily salt consumption amount.
Also, the sweet soy sauce which everyone likes to add contains MSG and oil, where 2 tablespoons contains 80% of daily sodium maximum intake. With these added, it really is a surge of saltiness, and frequent consumption will increase risk of high blood pressure.
3. Lack of Dietary Fiber
Meat is usually the main ingredient for claypot rice, where there is minimal vegetables. In the situation where there is a lack of dietary fiber, it will be harder for cholesterols to be expelled out of the body, causing it to be “enter only”.
Smart way of having Claypot Rice
1. There are many types of claypot rice out there. Take a look at the following table for healthier choices. Avoid Chinese preserved sausage and preserved duck, as the chemical nitrosamines will be produced while being processed. While digesting, part of the nitrosamines will be accumulated in the liver, which may transform into cancer cells, greatly affecting our health.
2. Many people love the “burnt rice” at the bottom of each claypot. However, when carbohydrates are cooked under high temperature for a long time, it will cause cancerous matters. It is therefore best not to have these “burnt rice”.
3. 1 serving of claypot rice contains 1.5 to 2 bowls of rice. It is suggested that each claypot rice is shared between 2 to 3 people. Make sure to remove visible fat and animal skin.
4. Add only 1 teaspoon of soy sauce or less for extra flavoring. Also, have a plate of blanched vegetables or mixed vegetables so as to supplement potassium, which will help in removing the sodium within the body. However, remember not to drink a large amount of water within a short period of time, so as not to create pressure for the heart.
5. Want to have Claypot Rice while trying not to be “Heart healthy”? One suggestion is to supplement Krill Oil after meal, the heart protecting element.
CATALO Extra Krill Oil Heart Formula is extracted from Antarctic Krills, which is at the bottom of the food chain. It allows them to avoid heavy metal and ocean pollutants. After consumption, the phospholipids in it can instantly mix with the water content within the stomach, which will prevent fishy aftertaste and belch gas. Also, its structure is similar to our cell membrane, which can be readily and easily absorbed and used, which may aid in stabilizing cholesterol* and remove vascular waste. Together with extra strong antioxidant coenzyme Q10, phytosterols and flaxseed oil which are handy cholesterol reducers, CATALO Krill Oil Heart Formula can allow your heart and blood vessels to do aerobic exercises, protecting your heart comprehensively.
This product is not registered under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance or the Chinese Medicine Ordinance. Any claim made for it has not been subject to evaluation for such registration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease.
Information Sources:
*Berge K, Piscitelli F, Hoem N, et al. Chronic treatment with krill powder reduces plasma triglyceride and anandamide levels in mildly obese men. Lipids Health Dis. 2013;12:78.