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Dec 22, 20223 min read

Eat, Drink & Be Healthy! - How to watch your diet during the holiday season



The festive season has begun and it's the perfect time to gather with family and friends over a meal. However, enjoying the holiday season shouldn’t mean your diet goes on a holiday too!


With many decadent temptations at every meal, it is easy to be merry and overindulge. But giving in to too many temptations might cause adverse health effects that last long after the holidays.


Here are a few healthy tips you can follow to holiday-proof your diet.


Sugar & spice (in moderation!) makes Christmas nice


Typically, festive food includes meats, seafood, sweet desserts and drinks, and alcohol. A diet rich in these foods, however, can cause a spike in uric acid levels that may lead to gout and an increased intake of sugar that can contribute to risk factors for type 2 diabetes.


Gout occurs when uric acid accumulates in your blood and form urate crystals, which accumulate in joints and cause inflammation.


Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body can’t produce or use insulin efficiently, leading to high levels of blood sugar that cause damage to the body:

  • Excessive intake of sugar leads to increased fat storage inside the liver and around internal organs, leading to the body resisting insulin action

  • Blood sugar levels are increased and the pancreas needs to work harder to produce more insulin to maintain normal levels

  • If this process of increased blood sugar continues, the pancreas will eventually be unable to keep up with increasing insulin production, leading to type 2 diabetes


Here is a list of foods to watch out for:

  1. Sugary drinks and sweets. Standard table sugar is half fructose, which breaks down into purine and then into uric acid. High intake of sugar also leads to weight gain which is a risk factor for diabetes

  2. Refined carbohydrates. Foods made with white flour and white sugar (such as bread, cakes, and pasta) and white rice are considered refined carbs. These foods are easily digested into glucose, leading to a spike in blood sugar levels. It also leaves you getting hungrier faster, driving overeating and increasing the risk of obesity

  3. Alcohol. Alcohol prevents your kidneys from eliminating uric acid and causes it to accumulate. Regular heavy drinking reduces the body’s sensitivity to insulin, and most alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories which leads to weight gain and obesity

  4. Animal meat. These include organ meats like liver, and red meats like beef, lamb and bacon. Animal meat is high in purines and studies have shown that red meats and processed meats can contribute to the risk of type 2 diabetes

  5. Certain seafood. Seafood like herring, scallops, mussels, codfish, tuna, trout and haddock are high in purines as well

This does not mean you have to be miserable and abstain from yummy dishes while celebrating!


Apply smart strategies such as using a small plate to take these dishes and alternating between non-alcoholic drinks and alcoholic drinks can help control your intake.


Bless yourself (and others) with the gift of a healthy balanced diet


So now that you know what foods to eat in moderation at your next party, you also need to include healthy foods that can give enough nutrients to be jolly this season.

  • Choose dishes with lots of vegetables and fruits, such as vegetable soups or salads. Eat these first to not only ensure sufficient fibre in your diet but to make you feel fuller and avoid overeating on the main dishes

  • Go for dishes with whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta or wholegrain bread, which have a milder effect on blood sugar levels

  • Opt for fish and lean meat as sources of protein. Fish such as salmon and mackerel are high in omega 3-fatty acids that are good for the heart, while lean meats have lesser fat content

If you are a host, plan your dishes to include more of these healthy foods and consider cooking dishes that are stir-fried, steamed, grilled or boiled instead of deep-fried.


Have a healthy, jolly Christmas! But don't forget your health screening


All in all, find a balance but don’t forget to enjoy yourself this season!


If you are above 40 and have a family history of gout or diabetes, or have a high Body Mass Index (BMI), you can consider going for a health screening for peace of mind. Prevention and early intervention are better than cure.


Intemedical offers comprehensive health screening packages that include screens for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, and blood test to check uric acid levels. More information can be found here.


For inquiries, you can contact us via Whatsapp (88799404) or landlines (Potong Pasir - 6242 6384 Kovan - 6243 3036) from 8 am to 12 am daily.


Make an appointment with Intemedical via our online appointment portal: Kovan Clinic / Potong Pasir Clinic


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Dec 16, 20222 min read

Measles: The Next Pandemic?


Measles may be the next outbreak we face thanks to a shortfall in vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic.


A recent report by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that nearly 40 million children around the world missed a measles vaccine dose in 2021 due to declining disease surveillance and disruptions in immunisation campaigns as countries focused on containing COVID-19.


It seems that the drop in measles vaccination rates in children is already showing consequences. In Columbus, Ohio, two dozen unvaccinated children were infected and nearly half of them were hospitalised as of 22 Nov. This comes after MMR vaccine coverage among Ohio kindergarteners fell from 92.4 per cent during the 2019-2020 school year to 89.6 per cent in the following year.


What to know about measles


Measles, also known as rubeola, is a viral infection that affects the respiratory system. It is highly contagious, where a single case can lead to 12 to 18 infections.


Symptoms of measles that you should look out for:


  • Fever

  • Cough

  • Runny nose

  • Watery eyes

  • Tiny white spots inside the mouth

  • Red blotchy skin rash


Do note that symptoms may not show a day or two after contracting the disease, but he or she continues to be contagious during this time. The virus spreads easily through direct contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected child or adult, whether through coughing, sneezing or contact with contaminated surfaces.


Most patients recover completely from measles. In rare cases, however, measles may cause brain infection (encephalitis) or pneumonia. It may also attack a person’s digestive organs, heart muscle or kidneys.


Protecting your children against measles


Measles infection is more common among children than adults and they are more likely to suffer complications.


6 out of every 100 children with measles develop pneumonia, and one in every 1000 children with measles can get a brain infection as a complication. It is essential to get children, who are at least 12 months of age, vaccinated with 2 doses of the MMR (Measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine for adequate protection against measles.


Children who are Singaporean citizens can be vaccinated for free at our Intemedical clinics under the government VCDSS (Vaccination and Childhood Developmental Screening Subsidies) scheme.


Make an appointment with Intemedical via the following channels:

Online appointment Portal: Kovan Clinic / Potong Pasir Clinic

WhatsApp: 8879 9404

Landline: Potong Pasir - 6242 6384 Kovan - 6243 3036

(Available during clinic opening hours, 8 am to 12 am)


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Nov 21, 20222 min read

The Importance of Vitamin D in Immunity



What vitamin do you need to boost your immunity?


Vitamin C is likely the first thing that popped into your head as it is a well-known home remedy for colds and is marketed heavily as the key nutrient in supplements promising to boost immunity.


Sadly, we can’t just eat an orange or pop a vitamin C pill and expect a quick improvement in our immunity. It depends on a whole range of vitamins, and one of them is vitamin D.


Especially while we are living with COVID-19, having sufficient vitamin D to support our immune system is more important than ever. Recent studies have shown that a deficiency of vitamin D is tied to increased severity and susceptibility to COVID-19.


A statistical analysis, done by researchers in Brazil, on more than 8000 adult and elderly patients revealed a positive association between vitamin D deficiency and severe COVID-19, where individuals with severe cases were 65% more likely to be vitamin D deficient compared with those who had mild cases.


One reason for this could be because patients with serious cases of COVID-19 were shown to release large numbers of cytokines, proteins that are part of the immune system that help to protect against infections. This excessive release of cytokines leads to severe tissue damage which contributes to the progression and severity of COVID-19.


Vitamin D is known to regulate the release of cytokines, hence researchers suggest that its deficiency will increase the risk of severe COVID-19 complications.


What's more, another study showed that low levels of vitamin D and zinc had been observed in patients with COVID-19 regardless of age, sex and prior conditions. This suggested that vitamin D, along with zinc, deficiency could be linked to increased susceptibility to COVID-19.


In summary, vitamin D alone cannot protect against COVID-19 but a deficiency of vitamin D may increase the severity and susceptibility to overall infection by harming immune function.


So how do we ensure we get sufficient vitamin D?


There are 2 ways: diet and sunlight exposure.


Consider including fatty fish, egg yolks, yoghurt, cereals, milk or juices fortified with vitamin D in your daily diet. A healthy adult is recommended to take 2.5mcg of vitamin D per day.


Go outdoors for a walk twice a week for at least 5-30 minutes, ideally between 10 am - 3 pm, to get adequate amounts of vitamin D.


A side note for elderlies, it is recommended to obtain vitamin D through food/supplementation instead of sunlight as ageing affects the skin’s ability to convert sunlight into vitamin D efficiently. Also, increased sunlight exposure also leads to skin ageing and skin degradation.


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If you would like to have a medical check-up for vitamin D deficiency, Intemedical’s enhanced and premium health screening packages include tests for vitamin D levels. More information can be found here.


Make an appointment with Intemedical via the following channels:


Online appointment Portal: Kovan Clinic / Potong Pasir Clinic


WhatsApp: 8879 9404


Landline: Potong Pasir - 6242 6384 Kovan - 6243 3036

(Available during clinic opening hours, 8 am to 12 am)



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