Chicken makes up a billion dollar industry, but does the way we raise our chickens affect the food we eat? Chicken Rice is Singapore's national dish. For the uninitiated, Chicken Rice is basically steamed/roasted chicken with white rice, served with chili sauce, ginger, and dark soy. This episode also investigates whether chicken farmers in Singapore use hormones and antibiotics and what the potential risks are. Is there any benefit to buying free-range chicken? Is it better to use regular chickens or black chickens in Singapore?
Is bottled water really any better than tap? Do soft drinks contain ingredients that cause cancer? Is Bubble Tea poisonous? Are caffeine drinks messing with our sleep and harming our kids? And are fruit juices really all that good for us? This episode identifies the benefits and harms of the different types of drinks available to Singaporeans.
We all know that chocolate is hard to resist, but why? This episode looks at finding out what is in chocolate that makes it so desirable, and hopes to find some nutritional evidence that will justify our appetite for the stuff. Is chocolate really that bad for us?
What actually goes into a curry and where do the ingredients come from? Does imported coconut milk contains undesirable contaminants? Are all curries high in calories? This episode explores whether spices can protect us from cancer, extend our lifetime, or be toxic.
Are instant noodles covered in wax? What happens when you put a group of university students on an instant noodle diet?
We are supposed to eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, but what counts as a serving, and is fresh always best? Are Asian green vegetables healthier for you than those found overseas? This episode asks whether we have sacrificed nutritional content and flavour to meet the needs of intensive horticulture and supermarket shelf-Ââ€life, and finds out whether organic is better than normal fruit and vegetables.
Just about any home in Singapore is sure to have soy sauce, fish sauce, or chilli sauce somewhere in their kitchens, but are some of these tasty sauces actually killing us? In this episode we take a look at the nutritional content of table sauces and whether or not people should re-think their consumption.
We eat food from all over the world, but without country of origin labeling, we do not always know what conditions it has been grown or manufactured in, or how safe it is. With the huge volume of imported produce crossing our borders, who is checking for quality and contaminants before food gets to our table?
From our cashew chicken to satay sauces, we never really escape nuts. Generally, nuts are very nutritious. But they are high in fat and can be bad for you. So exactly how safe are we?
Fish is our best source of omega 3 fatty acids that improve brain function, lower blood pressure, and even alleviate symptoms of depression and stress. We test the benefits of omega 3 on a bunch of brave Singaporean cab drivers and seek to find out if whether or not mussels increase your brain power and if oysters really an aphrodisiac?
We drink coffee to get us up and going. It stimulates us, and raises blood pressure, heart rate and breathing. But can coffee really improve mental performance? This episode puts it to the test with a group of busy Singaporean financial traders, spilling the beans on instant and decaffeinated coffee. Also seeks to discover whether or not Bubble Tea is really killing us?
Just about all of our food is packaged in man-made products - plastic, cardboard, glass, and metal cans. What happens when plastic starts tainting the food we eat? How dangerous are the plastics that can leak from a baby's bottle into the milk? And what really gets into our tinned fish and canned coconut milk?
Carbohydrates are friend or foe? Are potatoes making us fat, and would we better off eating rice? In this episode we look into the different kinds of rice and potato and find out which are the healthiest.
We love scrambled, poached, fried or hard-boiled eggs. But are we now getting too much of a good thing? Designer eggs in Singapore have now become the new crave. Singaporeans can now get their hands on eggs enriched with everything from Omega-3, Vitamin E, Cordyceps, and Carrot. But are these "designer" eggs doing us more harm than good? How are they made, and are we better off eating them compared to regular eggs? This episode looks into the nutrition and the differences between designer and regular eggs.
Is the supermarket the new pharmacy? Can our everyday food really take the place of over-the-counter medicines in treating serious health conditions? Why are walnuts shaped like human brain? Funny coincidence, or important scientific discovery?
They're guaranteed to hydrate and energize, but what’s hiding behind all those promises? Do sports drinks really help advance training and endurance or just bust a mighty big hole in your wallet? And are energy drinks the secret weapon to boosting.
We use it in pretty much everything that we cook. But is oil the hero or villain in our diets? Is olive oil really made from olives? Will coconut oil be the next superfood? What are the dangers of burning oil? And could you be cooking with the wrong type of oil? We fry up a showdown between butter and margarine – which is good, and which is bad? Dig deep into the myriad of cooking oils!
Sugar – Bringing us sweet satisfaction with a bitter aftertaste. Can sugar addiction lead to heart conditions, obesity, and cancer? Is sugar the new tobacco? And should we substitute sugar with sweeteners, or are they even worse for our health?
It’s what you drink before you can even talk, it’s truly LEGEN-‐DAIRY… It’s the one and only MILK! Everyone knows where milk comes from… but what really happens right before it hits our supermarket shelves? Do happy cows give more moo juice?
Meat – pound for heavy pound, it’s tender, juicy, mouth-‐watering, and an amazing source of protein. But how exactly do we pick the best cut of meat worthy of what’s in our wallets? With possible hormones and chemicals that scream danger, could...
With more than 42 million kids worldwide suffering from obesity or diet-related problems, could YOU be harming your kids with food? Is it true certain foods cause hyperactivity and ADHD? Are we exposing our future generations to dangerous temptations
Passed down from generation to generation, old wives' tales are embedded firmly in our culture. In this episode, cook up a food storm with myths from around the world. Does an apple a day really keep the doctor away? Will eating bread crusts make your hair curly? And what does pigs’ brains have to do with making you smarter? We expose both fact and fiction from long, long ago.
Let’s talk diets. It’s a billion dollar business that claims to effortlessly trim your excess. But do miracle diets really exist or could we be doing more harm than good? In this episode, we review the trendiest and craziest diets. From Atkins to Paleo, the tongue patch method and Beyonce diet; you name it, we’ve got it! We’ll tip you off on top secret info the diet industry doesn’t want you to know, about keeping those inches off forever.
They’re crunchy, salty and oh so yummy! Snacks – they’re the answers to our nonstop cravings and monstrous appetites. Why are snacks so incredibly addictive? Is it the salt? Or the crunchiness? Join us as we divulge secrets of the snack industry and reveal the best way to relieve snack addictions without going completely cold turkey!
Food advertising is everywhere! They show you the meal of your dreams. But have you ever wondered why the real deal is hardly what it looks like on TV? What are some untold secrets to creating the perfect-looking food? Is it plain cheating, or some lever tips and tricks? This week, we investigate the dirty tricks of food advertising!
Ever heard of balut? Or Haggis? What about Geoduck? Sound delicious to you? Well, like they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poison! In this episode, we venture out to try fish sperm and possibly a crocodile paw? What exactly is a miracle fruit? These foods don’t just look funky; they might even taste weird. Find out where, what and how as we explore the wacky world of weird foods!
They’re the magic genies of our kitchens. They save time, energy, but most importantly bring food back to life. That’s right, we’re talking microwaves! We unravel the secrets they’re hiding, how they actually work and if it’s really possible to whip up a sumptuous 3-course meal in just 10 minutes? Are microwaves the ticking bomb lying in your home? We pry into one case where no man has gone far before… Microwaves exposed – Help or hazard?
Salad is the healthiest dish in the menu, right? Well, not always. Can a salad be more dangerous than a burger? What are the unseen dangers of pre-bagged salads? What diseases may be lurking on those leafy greens? And a big salad dressing red alert: they’re loaded with fat, salt, and harmful chemicals you had no idea of.
We all know the story: a friend who disappears for a month, only to emerge newly coupled and minus ten pounds. Or the friend who gets hitched and then develops a belly. What appears to be an individual phenomenon is actually deep seated in our social and psychological behavior. Food and love are inexorably linked, thanks to a complex hormonal reaction that affects our emotional attachments to love ones -- and our need for food.
We all know that food is good for you… But what other uses can food and food products have on other aspects of your life? How can food help you out on your household? Tomatoes, mayonnaise, salt, coffee, what can they do for you? Is vinegar the ultimate household helper? How can food make you look better? And how can your kitchen trash be of good use?
Most people overlook their teeth health when talking about a healthy diet. So, how important is taking care of your teeth? How can your diet affect your gums and teeth? What are you doing wrong? What are the worst offenders? What unexpected foods are ruining your teeth? How does a healthy mouth affect your digestion? What food can stain your teeth? And how can food keep your teeth shiny, healthy and white? Watch, learn and smile.
Are you capable of eating a 3-kilogram burger? How much chilli can you have in order to win a prize? How many satays can you eat in 20 minutes to get a free meal? There are some amazing food athletes out there. But what are the consequences of competitive eating? How does the human body cope with a monumental amount of food? What are the dangers? Can you actually die from overeating?
Having a drink is something to be enjoyed, and in moderation may be good for our health - the latest news is that a glass or two of wine may help prevent bowel cancer. So what exactly is in your favorite tipple and when do the benefits of drinking end, and the risks start? Is red wine really better for you than a beer? Fine Wine: is it really so divine? Can people tell the difference? Good Beer: is it really bone and kidney healthy?
We go behind the scenes in one of the most secretive and mysterious kitchens: the airplane! We’ll show you how your food is prepared from creating the menu to serving onboard. Are there any dangers in consuming airplane food? Is the water on a plane safe to drink? What should you eat and what you should avoid while on a flight? Is alcohol really more potent while on a plane? Does it help you sleep or dehydrate you even more?
Salmonella, E.coli, amoebas, food poisoning, tapeworms, toxins, parasites, viruses… The list goes on and on… How are we supposed to survive the multitude of menaces that are lurking on our food? What sort of precautions should we take to avoid being sick? How to properly cook your food to prevent contamination? What are the biggest culprits? Seafood? Pork? Where are the germs hiding? What are the big mistakes you are making when cooking and how can you cook completely healthy foods?
Have you ever heard of that story where someone found a sliced rat in a sliced bread packaging? Yes, that’s true. And did you know some of your food can legally contain maggots, rodent hair, and insect eggs? Yuck! More importantly, how does it affect your health? And more: fruits and vegetables are losing their nutrients! Food dyes can alter your kids’ behavior! Forty-two percent of raw supermarket chicken is contaminated! What is truth?
Food myths are so pervasive in modern culture that is hard to differentiate fact from fiction. We shine light into some of the common myths that are perpetuated and perceived as truth.
Imagine if a third of all your time, money and effort achieved nothing. This is the reality for farmers around the world, because one-third of all the food produced is wasted. In Singapore, 788,600 tonnes of food waste were generated in 2014. This means each Singaporean discarded some 145 kg of food last year. Most people associate food waste with overconsumption. The East, South and South-east Asia make up about 40 per cent of total global food waste problem.
Your kitchen is flooded with gadgets and tools. Every other day a new and fancy kitchen gadget hits the shelves. They promise to be a better, easier and healthier way of cooking… we investigate and scrutinise these promises so you get the definite answer. Is an air fryer really healthier? Is a slow juicer better than a regular juicer? Is the steamer the ultimate health food machine? Do you need a fancy grill to cook your meat perfectly?
One wouldn’t take an antibiotic without being sick, but for some reason lots of people are taking vitamins despite having no deficiencies at all. Nutrition experts say all we need is typically found in a routine diet. Industry representatives argue that foods don't contain enough, and we need supplements. Who’s right, who’s wrong? Are vitamins a magical pill or just scam in a bottle? Could they do the opposite and actually harm you? We will uncover all the lies and truths around vitamins.
What are other countries doing to prevent the increase of diabetes? Nikki investigates some of the best examples.
Knowledge is power in managing and reducing the risks of diabetes. We examine the role of carbohydrates, fats, protein, exercise, and more.
So can Diabetes be cured? How is the disease best monitored and managed and what does the future hold?