Hello!

In this issue, I'll be sharing some books and links that I've found useful in my journey through parenting, based on evidence and research. And not on anecdotal bs. I hope that you will find them helpful, even if you are not a parent.

TL;DR

1. Evidence-based parenting is parenting advice that is based on peer-reviewed research and data.
2. Helping a child name their emotions will help in giving them the vocabulary and language to tell you what they are feeling, without the tantrums.
3. Helping a child debrief their day, just before sleep helps them process their memories to integrate the different parts of their brains together.

One of the things I hate most the moment I became a parent was the unsolicited assvice. Assvice?

Yup. Assvice is the advice that comes out of people’s asses. You know, those stinky, unsolicited advice?

These usually come in the form of well-meaning, anecdotal stories that experience which usually does not work. Why won’t it work, you may ask? Because it’s assvice!

 

My biggest issue with these kinds of anecdotal things is that they cannot tell me WHY I need to do the thing they are telling me to do. If you can’t provide a good reason, why should I do it, right?

For example, why do I have to rub this stinky oil on their head? Why should I be pinching the bridge of their noses to make it higher? Why should I be feeding my NEWBORN with solids? And giving them water?!?!

 

So, for my own sanity and the need to prove that most of the stuff they tell me is not something that I agree with (and I needed proof that what they say is WRONG), I ended up doing my own reading and researching (because that’s what I do) and I stumbled up this thing called evidence-based parenting. And the logical scientist in me went hellalujah!

 

So what does that mean? It just means that everything is researched and quantified and there is data, hard data to support it. None of this anecdotal BS. So I read and I delved and I picked what aligned with my values. These usually have a higher success rate for me than all the other assvice (yes, I did try some of those that didn’t seem outrageous).

There are websites, groups, and books on evidence-based parenting to choose from.

Here are 2 of my favourite parenting books based on evidence and research, that helped me the most in the past 6 years since I’ve become a parent, and I’m still learning somethin new every day.

Brain Rules for Baby by Dr John Medina

The author, Dr John Medina, is a developmental molecular biologist. This means that he studies the how the cell develops and changes on the molecular (genetic scale). His work was focused on the genes involved in human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. So the man really knows a lot about the brain.

This book basically talks about how the brain develops from the moment the baby is conceived, up to 5 years old. I first read this book when my eldest was just under a year old. I found it to be interesting, informative and most of all, an easy read.

Of all the different sections in this book, I found 2 parts of the book that really stuck with me:

1. Naming the emotion
2. Nighttime Attachment Parenting (NAP)

Naming the emotion

Kids have a lot of big feelings and because they don’t yet have the vocabulary to explain what is upsetting them or why they are feeling that way, they tend to express it in the form of screaming or tantrums. Heck, I think that a lot of adults don’t have the vocabulary to explain what they are feeling, and that’s why as a generation, we have so many issues expressing ourselves.

Anyway, we started doing this from the get-go and I would say that we have good, encouraging feedback from their pre-school teachers at every Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC). One year, we had a teacher telling us that our second-born who was then two and a half year old, told her that he was frustrated and he needed some help.

Even we were impressed! But mostly, we are just happy that they can tell us what they are feeling so that we can find a solution to help them process that emotion.

Nighttime Attachment Parenting (NAP)

The edition that I bought was updated to include a section on sleep and that section was very, very helpful in keeping me not lose my sanity to sleep deprivation. When our first child was born, we decided that we will co-sleep. It made more sense for us as we had the space to have the side-car cot next to our bed and I was exclusively breastfeeding. This arrangement worked for us even when we had our second child.

It meant that I was not getting as much sleep as I needed, and at some points, I wondered if it was worth it. That section showed me that there was light at the end of the tunnel. That as my baby grew older, they would drop nighttime feeds and sleep longer. When they sleep longer, mama gets more sleep too!

Also, I did try the Crying It Out (COI) method but my heart just could not take them crying when all they wanted was to be comforted. No judgement from me if you chose/are choosing COI because we do what we can for what works for our own families and life situations.

Overall, I found this book super helpful for me and I know that it comes from a source that I can trust.

I’m going to give this book another re-read just to refresh on some parts of it.

The Whole-Brain Child by Dr Daniel J. Seigel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson

The authors of this book are a neuroscientist, and a parenting expert, so they know what they are talking about. And because one of the authors is a neuroscientist, we learn quite a bit about the brain. A little more in-depth than the Brain Rules for Baby book.

After finishing the audiobook recently, I’m now going through the physical copy of the book so that I can take notes and tag the interesting and useful parts (to me) for future reference. (Yes, I am one of those people who have different formats of the same book, for reasons.)

What I love about this book is that they give you real-life examples, and then break down how the different strategies actually work and why they work. This book also made me realise that even as an adult, I can use the strategies in this book to get a handle on MY own big emotions.

This book showed me that that we’ve been doing something from the book, without knowing the name of it. That is, integrating the implicit and explicit memory. What does this mean?

Implicit memory is a long-term memory that does not require the conscious or explicit recollection of past events or information. For example, navigating around a familiar neighbourhood, or knowing how to ride a bike.

Explicit memory is a long-term memory that you consciously recall and explain the information. An example of this is the steps needed to cook something from memory.

So what happens when you don’t integrate the implicit memory to the explicit memory?

Have you ever had something trigger you with such an intense negative emotion but you don’t know why?

Dr Siegel explains that unprocessed issues or traumatic memories manifest in this way. Dis-integrated memories cause problems if you want to live a healthy, relational life.

How do you integrate the implicit and explicit memories? You talk about them. In my house, we call this debriefing. We ask the kids what did they do today, from the moment we dropped them off at school until just as we get into bed. This way, we get to learn about their activities, and also help them remember and process any negative things that happen to them that day.

Since I’m re-reading the book and taking notes, I created a book notes page that I’ll update as I read through it. You can take a look here for the notes on The Whole-Brain Child.

If you’re a parent, guardian, main caretaker or even a teacher, what are your experiences (if any) with science/evidence-based parenting? Do you have any books or resources that you use?

Let me know in a reply to this post and I'll compile a list of your suggestions.

Further reading

If you’re interested to know more about evidence-based parenting, here are some selected readings that you might like.

1. Parenting Science - a website run by a scientist, about parenting. The site has articles about almost every aspect of parenting, and all backed with peer-reviewed data and research.
2. r/ScienceBasedParenting - If you’re a regular on reddit, this sub is really great at sharing resources and asking for advice
3. Supporting Strong and Stable Families - If you’re in Singapore and are looking for places where you can get some support with evidence-based/positive parenting, this page on the Ministry of Social and Family Development has useful links to sign up for seminars and classes.

Sources

‘Evidence-Based Parenting: What Is It?’ 2014. PARENTING SCIENCE. 11 May 2014. https://parentingscience.com/evidence-based-parenting/.

‘Https://Brainrules.Net/John-Medina/’. n.d. Accessed 12 February 2022. https://brainrules.net/john-medina/.

‘Implicit Memory vs. Explicit Memory: How They Work’. n.d. Accessed 20 February 2022. https://www.verywellmind.com/implicit-and-explicit-memory-2795346.

‘Parenting | Ministry of Social and Family Development’. n.d. Accessed 12 February 2022. https://www.msf.gov.sg/policies/Strong-and-Stable-Families/Supporting-Families/Pages/Parenting.aspx.

Hello!

Before I start on the topic proper, here are some updates.

Firstly, I have a personal page! If you've ever been curious to know more about me or where else I'm active at, you can head on to linasalleh.com.

Secondly, Fuss Free Science has its own website! If you've missed any of the previous editions, head on down to fussfree.science.

Now, onto the topic!

Time Flies

Have you ever felt like that is not enough time to do everything?

Sometimes I wish I have a Time Turner just so that I can squeeze in more in a day. If you have never read Harry Potter and don’t know what a Time Turner is, it’s a magical device that allows you to travel back in time.

caption for image

So why do I wish that I have a Time Turner? Some days, I feel like there is not enough time in a day to get all the things I need to get done. Things for work. Things for my own personal things. Things for this newsletter. Things for my family.

But what is time? According to science, time is the progression of events from the past into the future.

The funny thing about time is that it can feel like it’s moving every so slowly or super-duper fast.

Why does that happen?

When you are enjoying yourself, the dopamine that your brain releases makes your internal clock run faster. So that’s why you feel like time just flies when you’re having fun.

However, if you are in an emergency, things feel like they move so slow because the amygdala, the part of your brain that creates memories, is activated. When it goes into overtime and makes memories, it feels like time can feel a lot slower. For example, someone may feel like it takes forever for the ambulance to come to an accident scene, but in actual fact, it could just be a very short time.

So what triggered this topic of time for me?

My firstborn will be starting primary school soon and I’m feeling a little emotional. It feels like only yesterday that we were at the hospital to forcefully evict her from the womb. And now she’s old enough to go into primary school.

It feels like time flew by so quickly, and I’m having a hard time accepting that my baby girl is growing up.

Part of me wishes that I can slow time down just so that I can spend more time with her being this age.

Since we’re on the topic of time, have you ever wanted to turn back time and change something? Like doing that thing that you regretted not doing? Or NOT doing that thing you regretted doing?

Me too!

Sometimes I do wish that I have the control over time to travel back to change things. But at the same time, I firmly believe that everything that I have done, everything I’ve experienced, and all the lessons I have learnt along the way, made me into who I am now. So as much as I would love to go back in time and change certain things, I wouldn’t do it.

Would you change things in your past? Or would you take advantage of that knowledge and do a Biff from Back To The Future?

caption for image

The time-travel trope is something that I see to be quite popular in movies. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see what the future is like. Or to see the actual events in history with our own eyes. And that is why some of my favourite shows involve time travel.

Doctor Who

A time-traveling Time Lord whose spaceship is bigger on the inside, and is in the shape of a police box. I started watching this show when they did the reboot in 2005. The Ninth Doctor will always be my Doctor.

I highly recommend this show if you like space and time travel, with witty dialogue (at least during the 9th and 10th Doctor’s tenure). And the villains or the ‘bad guys’ are also one of the most interesting things about the show.

One of my favourite quotes from this show is one about time.

caption for image

“People assume that time is a strict progression from cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. - Doctor Who, Episode : Blink”

This episode made me look at statues differently. If you don’t know what I mean, I recommend that you watch it.

Looper

A 2012 movie starring Bruce Willis and Joseph-Gordon Levitt. It’s not a time-travelling movie per se but it does involve closing the time loop. It’s one of those movies that I would re-watch.

What you would do if you could travel through time.

What is YOUR favourite time-related movie or show? What do you like best about it?

If you found this edition useful or if you think it could be better, just leave me a comment below. I read every single one of them.

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Reference

‘What Is Time? A Simple Explanation’. 2012. ThoughtCo. 22 November 2012. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-time-4156799.

Hello!

The last time I fell down the coffee rabbit hole, I talked about caffeine. This time I discovered interesting things (to me) about coffee proper. And here’s what I learnt.

TL;DR

1. Coffee beans from different regions have distinct flavours because of the soil, climate, and altitude where they are grown.
2. Different methods of processing the beans can also give rise to very different flavour profiles.
3. Different brewing methods have different pros and cons. So choose one that suits your lifestyle and taste.

How It started

A spur of a moment purchase of a Hario coffee grinder sent me down the path of learning more about coffee. I bought a Moka pot (because I’ve been wanting one for years) and went a little overboard with buying beans from different regions.

I could taste the differences in the flavours but I didn’t know why. Every time I embark on something new, I NEED to learn more about it. So I started to find out more.

All about the Beans

When I started looking at coffee bean packages either at the supermarket or online stores, I saw different terms like ‘single-origin, ‘blends’ and traceability. And then there were flavour profile descriptions like caramel, chocolate, and fruity. What do they all mean?

Regions of coffee beans

Before we go into that, we need to understand the types of beans, and where coffee comes from. Or at least, where they are grown.

Most of the coffee beans that are grown commercially come from the Bean Belt. This refers to specific areas in Central and South America, Africa and the Middle East, and South-East Asia.

Due to the difference in the soil, climate and other factors, coffee that is grown in Java, will have a different flavour profile compared to the coffee that is grown in Kenya or Guatemala. This is the first reason why coffees from different regions taste different.

In the Central and South American regions, the coffee beans mostly come from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Panama. The coffees from these regions are known to be fragrant, mild, and medium-bodied in flavour.

Coffee from the African and the Middle East region mostly come from Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Arab Peninsula. Kenyan coffee is known to be fragrant and full-bodied in flavour. Ethiopian coffee mostly comes from the Sidamo, Harer, or Kaffa region. The beans are harvested from wild coffee trees. The coffee from these beans is full of flavour and full-bodied. Arabian coffee is known to have a fruity flavour.

In Southeast Asia, the countries that are popular for their coffee are Indonesia and Vietnam. Indonesian coffee is mostly from the islands of Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi, where the coffee is full-bodied, rich and has earthy notes to it. Vietnamese coffee is light and medium-bodied.

The different regions grow different species of coffee beans, mostly Arabica and Robusta beans. And within these species, you have different varieties too. These varieties have distinct flavour profiles.

Arabica usually has a smoother, sweeter taste, with tones of chocolate or sugar, and often, with fruits or berries flavour notes. Robusta has a stronger, harsher and more bitter taste.

So, what do the terms “Single Origin’, ‘Tracebililty’ and ‘Blends’ mean?

Single-origin means that the coffee is sourced from one single producer, crop, or region in one country. It's generally more expensive as compared to blends.

Traceability means that you can literally trace that bag of beans to a single farm or producer in a specific region. So these beans are limited in supply.

Blends just mean that the coffee is made up of beans from different regions to give a preferred flavour.

Processing of the beans

Next, we need to understand what the different processing methods are and how they affect the flavour.

Washed

The coffee cherries are immersed in water. The skin and some flesh are removed by pressing the cherries through a screen in water. The remaining pulp on the seed is removed by fermentation for up to 36 hours. The fermented pulp is scrubbed off in the water before the bean is dried. The resulting coffee has a cleaner, brighter, and fruitier flavour.

Dry processed (unwashed or natural)

The harvested coffee cherries are sorted and cleaned. Then they are placed in the sun to dry on tables or in thin layers on patios. While the cherries are drying, they are raked or turned by hand to make sure that they dry evenly and to prevent any nasty mildew or fungus from growing. Once the cherries are dried, the outer layers are removed. The resulting coffee has heavy body, sweet, smooth, and complex.

Semi-dry ( Pulped Natural, Honey processing)

This method is a hybrid of the first two. The skin of the cherries is removed by pulping machines. The cherries with some of the flesh still on, it is allowed to ferment for a day before it is washed off and dried. The remaining dried outer layer is then removed before the roasting process. The resulting coffee is sweeter than wet-processed coffees, has some of the body of a dry-processed coffee, but also retains some of the acidity of a wet-processed coffee.

Different brewing methods

Another thing I discovered while making coffee at home, is that different methods will give you slightly different flavours in your coffee. Even if you use the same beans!

Here are 2 different brewing methods that I tried.

Percolation

Percolation means to a percolation extracts coffee with clean water. An example of percolation method is the drip or pour over coffee.

You place the coffee grounds in a filter cone and literally pour water over the coffee grounds in a circular motion. This will allow the water to fully come in contact with the ground coffee and extract all those wonderful flavours. When the coffee passes through the filter, you will get a lighter, smoother drink. You won't get the silt and grit from the grounds in your cup.

Because the filter clears the grit and silt from your coffee, the flavours you get are lighter and smoother. Which may not be something that is preferred by those who like their coffee strong and intense. But cleaning up is a lot easier since you just throw the filter paper with the coffee grounds into the bin. If you're using a reusable cone, just knock out the grounds into the bin and rinse. Fuss free clean up!

Immersion

Immersion extracts coffee with water that is gradually becoming more and more concentrated, because water sits in with the coffee grounds for the whole brew. An example of this brewing method would be the French press.

How it works: Put the ground beans into the the carafe. Add hot water. Steep. Push the plunger down. Enjoy coffee.

It's great for those who like strong, bold and rich flavours in their coffee. This immersion method extracts more of the coffee oils, so you get a more intense flavour. If you play around with the ground size of the coffee, you can basically customise the flavours that you get from the coffee. One of the disadvantages of this is that cleaning it is a hassle. It requires some dismantling, and you'll get wet coffee grounds everywhere if you're not careful.

My coffee kits at home

So what do I use to make coffee at home? Here are the 4 ways that I make coffee at home.

French press

This is my preferred way to make coffee from beans that are darker roasted, with deep, full-bodied flavour. I love Sumatran coffee beans brewed in this method.

Moka Pot

A stove top coffee maker, where you put in the water in the bottom portion. Add in the coffee in the middle basket, and boil the water on the stove. The boiling water will pass through the ground coffee and you get the extracted coffee at the top portion. I discovered a hack where you can get really clean tasting coffee with no sludge, if you put a coffee filter paper on top of the coffee grounds before you place it on the stove. It enhanced the flavour of my Kenyan coffee beans and brought out the lovely fruity, floral notes to it!

Clever Dripper

This is like a hybrid of the immersion and drip coffee. And this is my preferred way of having beans that are known to have fruity, flavour notes. This is also one of my favourite ways to brew coffee at home because it’s faster than the rest. 2-3 minutes of brew time and then, place the dripper on top of a carafe to drip the coffee.

Automatic bean to cup coffee machine

This is the latest addition to the coffee paraphernalia that I have at home. With a push of a single button, it will automatically grind the right amount of coffee beans and depending on what you like, either a long black or an espresso. This is purely for convenience and it really helps on mornings when I’m in a rush.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, I think coffee is really interesting and finding coffee that you like is possible. You just have to go out and taste it all. And I think , once you’ve found the kind of coffee you like, making it at home using what ever method, can be meditative. At least for me.

Further reading

James Hoffmann is my currently go to guru for coffee. His Youtube channel has equipment reviews and coffee how-tos. He also wrote World atlas of coffee. It’s a book about how coffee is grown and brewed all over the world.

I don't like coffee. Can James Hoffmann change that? - I love this video because it helps a guy go from not liking to coffee to discovering the kind of espresso that he likes. All within 1 video!

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Hello!

A few months back, my daughter turned to me and said, “Mama, I want to be a scientist like you when I grow up.”

I told her, “Ok baby. You can be a scientist if you want,” But on the inside, I was screaming.

 

I don’t want my kids to be scientists.

Here's why.

How it started

When I started my journey into science, it was at a point in time when the Singapore government was trying to get people into biotechnology. They were pumping in funds to create new research institutes and bringing in big international companies to set up shop here.

I never really thought about what options were there for me when I graduate because I always thought that I was going to go into research and academia. The goal was to get a university degree (I was doing a technical diploma then) after I graduate and then go into a research lab at the university.

I didn’t really know what was out there. What little internship experience that I had didn’t really do much to let me know what was out there. Heck, even the lecturers didn't even tell you about it.

However, after a decade and a half in various research labs in academia and burning out while doing my graduate studies, I realised a number of things.

1. I didn’t really want to be someone’s lab slave for the pittance I got.
2. I didn’t want to do a PhD.
3. I didn't want to spent the entirety of my career begging for funding for my projects.
4. I didn’t want to be in academia anymore because if I wasn’t going to get a PhD, there was no point.

Staying in academia requires a certain amount of passion that I sadly lack.

I was not going to give up the time that I could spend with my kids while they are still small, just to get another piece of paper.

You see, I'm not against my kids going into STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math), but I am against them staying in academia as a career.

The amount of time that you spend on obtaining those papers versus the amount of pay you get in return just doesn’t balance out. Passion can only get you so far.

(This is just a personal opinion. If you don’t agree, let’s have a conversation about it over coffee and see where the discussion takes us.)

And that is why, when my daughter said that she wanted to be a scientist, my knee jerk reaction was to say no.

 

Now what?

So what else is out there? Is there life out of academia?

I didn't know.

So I started looking around at what is available for me since I have a science degree.

So here’s what I found.

1. Government sector

In Singapore, we have a number of different government agencies that require those with a background in science, for their labs. For example, food safety, ecology-related issues, forensics. They are who I consider to be the backbone of science-based government work.

They need people with science backgrounds in the administration too. They need people to write the grants, to evaluate if certain things meet the scientific criteria of projects. And patenting is a big thing too.

2. Teaching

There are tertiary institutions looking to hire for their own internal research labs or to do both the research and teaching. Especially in the polytechnics and the private institutions. It's not really that easy to get a job there since lecturers rarely leave.

Or there's contract teaching, where you teach with the primary or secondary level schools to get some experience. Then you go into the teaching college (National Institute of Education, NIE) where you get the qualifications to teach in the government schools.

3. Private sector

This is where the bulk of the jobs are. Everything from sales, to R&D, and even manufacturing.

This is also where a lot of the interesting things, in my opinion, happen. Here is where you see the research is taken into the product phase, manufactured and sold. You see workflows that you never thought were possible.

This is where I am right now. I’m taking my years of experience with certain technology platforms and applying it into another context. I moved from working with human samples, to working with plants. And I’m learning a lot more now.

4. Influencer or consultant

This is the most interesting application of that skill and knowledge. Over the past few years, I’ve been following a few of these science influencers that I just have to share with you. Their work inspires me to do what I do with my newsletter.

Lab muffin

Michelle is a science educator with a chemistry PhD, who breaks down the beauty-related things into easy to understand posts. She gives a great breakdown of the different active ingredients and debunks myths about beauty products. She also gives great recommendations on products.

Raven The Science Maven

Dr Raven Baxter is really the science maven. She’s a molecular biologist, science communicator, rapper and she even has her own line of science theme clothes and sparkly protective gear. I love her rap songs because it really helps bring the science concepts in an interesting way.

Food Science Babe

Erin is a food scientist with a chemical engineering background. She does a lot of work to address the different myths and disinformation about food labels. While her stuff is mostly US-centric I find it absolutely when she addresses things about nutrition for children and families. I follow her on IG and have absolutely no regrets.

The Leveraged PhD

Mel Bruce shows you how you can turn your PhD into a business. She does consulting and coaching and I think that is absolutely fabulous because I don’t think, at least in the circles that I interact with, that it is something that may have occurred for them to go into.

I’m sure that there are more out there. If you’ve found a science influencer that’s really interesting, I would love to hear about it from you. I’m always looking for interesting ways to learn things.

Laurel Bristow

Laurel Bristow is one of the most informative social media accounts I've encountered so far, especially during this pandemic. She teaches you how to spot bad science and debunking the disinformation that is floating around right now.

Ultimately, I want my kids to find a path that they will love doing and be passionate about. I won't push them to a path just because it's where the money is. Hating what you do is the fastest way to burnout.

If they do want to make a career in academia, I will still support them. I just want them to be happy.

Are you happy with your career? Did you get pushed into doing what you're doing now because of reasons?

Do you need help to navigate through your career choices?

Just reply to this email and let's have a conversation about it. I read every single one of the replies.

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Hello!

When I started this newsletter, I thought that it was going to be something fun. I wanted to read and research the things that struck my fancy. And I was going to share what I read and learnt.

But over the past few months, as I spent doing what I envisioned the newsletter was going to be, I learnt a few very important lessons.

1. Writing and research the way I did was not sustainable for me to do it all alone.
2. I didn’t set a limit to how deep I wanted to go when I researched.
3. That made it stopped being fun and started to feel a lot like work. Like my work work.
4. The burnt-out I had writing the bread chemistry was bad enough that just the thought of going back into reading the papers made me physically ill.

 

So what does this mean?

I took the past few weeks after publishing the previous edition to reflect on how I want to move forward with this newsletter.

I want to share about the science that I find interesting. But I learnt that what I’m sharing isn’t about turning YOU into an expert. It’s not even about turning ME into an expert. I just need to make sure that the information is either really interesting or at least applicable.

And I want to share more about me, about my life and my experiences too. I’m not just a person in science who writes about it. I am also a parent, a spouse, an employee, a friend, and a daughter.

I am a believer that everything you do and everyone you meet, has a lesson to teach you.

And learning from someone else’s mistakes usually means that we learn how to avoid it, and if we can’t, at least how to fix them.

 

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could teach you or show you how you can avoid the same pain they went through?

So what does this really mean?

It means I’m shifting the content of this newsletter a little, to include my experiences and the lessons I learnt in reflection.

The science topics that interest me will still be Fuss Free, just that it won’t be as in-depth as I envisioned it. I’d rather it just be superficial info and be fun to write, than going too deep and burn out.

I want to take you on a journey with me to learn as I learn, about science and about myself. To tell you my stories. And I hope that my stories can help you avoid the same mistakes I made.

I know that this may not be what you subscribed for initially. But if you are with me on this journey, just reply with a YES to this email. I read every single one.

 

 

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Hello!

Now that I’m learning how to bake bread, I went down the rabbit hole of bread science to share with all of you.

TL;DR

1. Yeast was first commercialised for brewing beer.
2. The 4 basic ingredients of bread are: flour, water, yeast, salt.
3. The magic of the bread reaction starts when water is mixed into the flour.
4. Enzymes breaks down the sugars for the yeast and bacteria to create the gases that make bread rise.
5. Keeping bread in the fridge makes it go stale faster.

The idea for this topic came up because of lockdown baking. Last year, when we had the 8-week long Circuit Breaker, I remember not being able to get any of the ingredients to bake because it was all sold out.

History of bread

Bread has been around for a very, very long time. So far, the oldest evidence of bread dates back to 14,400 BCE, from the archaeological dig site in northeastern Jordan called Shubayqa 1.

All across different cultures, bread has been a staple. It comes in many different forms, shapes, sizes, leavened and unleavened. At this current moment, we don’t know if the bread-like artefacts found in Jordan are leavened or unleavened bread.

There are 2 ways to create leavened bread. The first way is to use commercially produced baker's yeast. This type of yeast is pure. Which means that it is not mixed with other types of organisms. And these are used by mores bakers and bakeries(1).

History of yeast and commercial yeast production

Yeasts are microscopic, single-celled organisms. They feed off sugars by breaking them down into carbon dioxide, alcohol, and molecules that give you flavour. This process is known as fermentation (2).

The word yeast derives from Late Old English gist, derived from the Middle German words gest, meaning dregs or dirt, and jest, meaning foam, as well as the Old High German word gesan/jesan, meaning to ferment (1).

Yeast has been used in bread as early as 1300-1500 BCE, in Ancient Egypt. In fact, the use of yeast, and the species of yeast used in bread and beer, originated from China before it was spread to the west 14-16 thousand years ago, via the Silk Road.

Yeast was first 'commercially' produced in the 1700s, mostly for the use in beer brewing than for bread-making. These 'commercial' yeast came in fermented hops, rye and malt. They were pressed together to make blocks. And these blocks only contained as low as 6% yeast. It was these beer dregs or the yeasty foam from beer brewing that was used for baking bread.

The first commercially sold dried yeast for baking was sold in Vienna, in 1822. The first patent to create a sterile environment to culture yeast was by Alfred Jorgensen and Axel Bergh, in 1891. They created a sterile aeration system to grow and maintain the yeast cultures. The yeast was mostly used for brewing as Axel Bergh owned several breweries.

The second way is to use a 'starter', which is produced by allowing the naturally occurring yeast and bacteria in the environment. The starter is used to ferment in the mixture of flour and water. This starter is then used as a leavening agent for sourdough bread making.

The yeast used in sourdough is different. It is not cultured commercially and comes from the air, the flour and the hands of the baker. This is termed wild yeast. The wild yeast cannot break down maltose the same way the commercial yeast does. It needs the help of the bacteria in the sourdough to break it down for them. The same bacteria will feed on the dead yeast, and creates lactic acid that gives sourdough the sour flavour (3).

Sourdough starters usually begin with adding water and flour together and then just allowed to stand at room temperature. This will allow the yeast and bacteria present in the flour and water mix, to start fermenting the mixture. Most of the microorganisms in the starter are originally on the flour itself, and in the air and dust where the starter was first made.

Some of the bacteria and yeast in the starter also originates from baker's hands and their environment. Because of the different mix of bacteria and yeast between each kitchen and baker, this influences the flavour of the bread they make. This would be why the loaves of bread from different bakers may taste slightly different from each other, even though they use the same recipe(4).

Chemistry of Bread-making

Now that we know about the history of commercial yeast, and the difference between cultured yeast and wild yeast, let’s look into what happens when you add water into the mix.

The 4 main ingredients of bread are made up of :

1. Flour
2. Water
3. Yeast
4. Salt

There are basically 4 steps to making bread:

1. Mixing
2. Kneading
3. Leaving to ferment
4. Baking the bread

 

Mixing

When water is added to flour, this process is called hydration. This starts some chemical reactions that are very important for bread making.

The water will activate the protein, and this starts the enzymatic reactions, as well as gluten formation. Gluten is made up of proteins called glutenins and gliadins (3).

Kneading

When you start kneading the mixture, the protein gets activated. The proteins form bonds and chains. The more you knead, the more the protein gets loosen, the more the protein will interact with each other and form more bonds (3).

Gluten has a very important role in the process of making bread rise. Gluten traps the gases. Kneading the dough also helps to make the gluten matrix, plus, making sure that the carbon dioxide bubbles are evenly distributed throughout the dough (5).

Usually, the kneading process of making dough will help in the formation of gluten. However, in no-knead bread recipes, it's the enzymes that do all the work. The enzymes will break the gluten proteins into smaller pieces.

The small pieces of gluten protein will be pushed around the dough mixture by the movement of the bubbles of gas that yeast produces during fermentation. So this takes the place of kneading. And that is why no-knead bread needs that length of time in the fridge or on the countertop to create the same kind of dough as the regular kneaded dough (2).

Fermentation

It is during the fermentation process, that’s when the magic happens. One of the major gasses in making bread rise is carbon dioxide (CO2). That is why the dough increases in volume (2).

In unleavened bread, the source of CO2 is the reaction between the sodium bicarbonate with the acidic ingredients or conditions in the dough. In the case of leavened bread, CO2 is produced when the sugars are broken down by enzymes and the yeast.

An enzyme is a molecule that is usually large and made up of protein, that increases the speed of a reaction. Because enzymes are activated when water is added to flour, bread doughs with higher water content (higher hydration), will ferment faster as more enzymes are able to move around the dough to break down the substrates that help with fermentation (6).

One of the first enzymes to start a reaction when water is added to flour is amylase. The amount of amylase in the flour depends on the weather and how the wheat was harvested. So to make sure the quality of the flour is maintained, the flour mills will test to see if they may need to add more amylase or blend it with other flours to reduce the amount.

What amylase does is break down the starch chain in the flour, into maltose. Maltose is a type of sugar with 2 glucose rings. Yeast in bread doughs need sugars with a single glucose ring to start fermentation. So they use the enzyme maltase, to break down the maltose that the amylase enzyme had broken down earlier, into sugars that they can use.

Protease is another enzyme naturally occurring enzyme in wheat that the flour mills will check for. They will check if they need to add more protease to increase or decrease the amounts to the industry standard. Protease breaks down the bonds between amino acids. Too much protease will break down the gluten in the dough, making it too soft. Just enough will allow the dough to be just soft enough to work with. Because the protease takes time to work, that is why the resting time between kneading is important (6).

All the above processes involved flour, water and yeast. What about salt? Salt ions help to stabilise the gluten structure, so you have a stronger and more stable dough. Without the salt, the dough you get will be sticky. Salt strengthens the bonds between the proteins, making the dough elastic. And it adds flavour to the bread too! If you’ve ever made under-salted bread, you’d realise how important salt is.

Baking

Now that you’ve mixed and proofed and shaped the dough. What happens when you bake it?

When the dough is baked, the heat from the oven expands the CO2 further, so the bread rises even more and sets(2). That is why even a small bun can grow up to twice its size during baking. The remaining sugars that aren’t broken down by the yeast undergo another chemical reaction called the Maillard reaction. This gives us the browning on the crust that we associate with bread(3).

Now that we know that the basic ingredients of bread are made up of just 4 ingredients, why do we see commercially made bread have more ingredients, specifically additives? Additives are added to bread as a way to make the appearance more appealing, regardless of the ingredients used. This was a way to make it cheaper. This was so that they could make bread that was soft and nice, even if the wheat they used were lower in protein.

Traditionally, it takes a lot of time to make bread. It took 3 hours for the dough to rise the first time, and then "knocked down" to remove most of the gases. The dough is then portioned out to then proved a second time. To cut down the amount of time, some bakers add more yeast to increase the gas formation and, and oxidising agents like ascorbic acid, which will help in gluten formation(5).

So additives aren’t necessarily bad. They are just added so that commercial bakers can make more bread, with less time, and the same nice quality. Though I do recommend that you read the labels, in case you are allergic to any of the ingredients.

Can bread stay fresh longer?

We all know that the bread goes stale after a few days. What causes it to go stale? During baking, the heat breaks down the microstructures made from a type of sugar called amylose. Over time after breaking, the structure reforms into a crystal form that contains a lot of water. These structures reduce the amount of 'free' water in the bread, making the bread less springy and appears dry out. This is what we see as stale bread.

Putting it in the fridge makes it go stale faster. As fast as overnight! But if you leave at room temperature or in Singapore weather room temperature (30°C-34°C) in an airtight container, it can remain soft for up to almost a week!

Adding fats to the dough will improve the texture and the volume of the bread as the fats, being hydrophobic (afraid of water) slows the movement of water during the reformation of the crustal structure. This keeps the bread moist for longer and stays 'fresh' for a longer period of time. So this means that it takes longer for the bread to go stale.

Previously, animal fat and fish oil were added to the dough to delay it from going stale. But in the modern baking process, palm oil is widely used instead. However, the growing of palm for oil production has negative environmental effects like loss of habitat for wildlife when forests are cleared to make way for palm plantations. Another alternative is to use vegetable oils(5).

Ultimately bread-making can be easy and fuss-free, if we take the time to understand the process and practice. I hope that I’ve dispelled some of the mysteries of bread-making that I hope will help you start making your own bread without fear.

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Further Reading

Foolproof Pan Pizza Recipe: This pizza dough recipe has been tried and tested by yours truly and it's a hit with my family. 100% recommend it if you want a no-knead pizza base.

How to Transform Flour and Water into the Fluffiest Dinner Rolls| What's Eating Dan?: What's Eating Dan is a favourite series of mine when it comes to nerdy food things and easy to follow recipes.

References

1. Lahue, Caitlin, Anne A. Madden, Robert R. Dunn, and Caiti Smukowski Heil. 2020. ‘History and Domestication of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae in Bread Baking’. Frontiers in Genetics 11 (November). https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.584718.
2. The Science Behind Yeast and How It Makes Bread Rise’. n.d. Kitchn. Accessed 3 June 2021. https://www.thekitchn.com/the-science-behind-yeast-and-how-it-makes-bread-rise-226483.
3. ‘‘Baking Bread: The Chemistry of Bread-Making’. 2016. Compound Interest (blog). 13 January 2016. https://www.compoundchem.com/2016/01/13/bread/.
4. Reese, Aspen T., Anne A. Madden, Marie Joossens, Guylaine Lacaze, and Robert R. Dunn. 2020. ‘Influences of Ingredients and Bakers on the Bacteria and Fungi in Sourdough Starters and Bread’. MSphere 5 (1). https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00950-19.
5. October 2009, Bryan Reuben1. n.d. ‘Bread Chemistry on the Rise’. Chemistry World. Accessed 5 June 2021. https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/bread-chemistry-on-the-rise/3004720.article.
6. Buehler, Emily. n.d. ‘Enzymes: The Little Molecules That Bake Bread’. Scientific American Blog Network. Accessed 5 June 2021. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/enzymes-the-little-molecules-that-bake-bread/.

Hello!

In this edition, we’re going to learn about coffee and caffeine. Now that Ramadan is over, I can drink coffee again! This month we’re going to cover:

1. What happens to your body when you take caffeine?
2. The side effects of caffeine.
3. Other applications of caffeine.
4. What’s the best way to brew coffee to get the best flavour and the most amount of caffeine?

TL;DR

1. Caffeine kicks in about 15 to 45 minutes after you’ve taken it, but starts to wear off after 2 hours.
2. Side effects of caffeine include palpitations, anxiety and overdose of caffeine can kill you.
3. Caffeine is used in cosmetic products like eye cream to reduce puffiness.
4. Espresso maker is the best method to extract the most amount of flavour compounds and caffeine.

Coffee is a really popular drink worldwide. There are over 70 different species of coffee. The most important ones are Coffea arabica, which gives us Arabica coffee, and Coffea canephora, which gives us Robusta coffee[1].

Up to 80% of the coffee produced in the world is made up of Arabica beans. Robusta and the rest make up the remaining 30%.

Coffee is popular for its taste and also how our body reacts to caffeine.

Coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine. Other than coffee, we can find caffeine in tea, yerba mate leaves, guarana berries and cacao beans [2]. So that means that chocolates are also a source of caffeine! So if you can’t sleep after drinking hot cocoa, now you know why!

What happens to your body after you have caffeine?

When you drink coffee or tea, it takes up to 45 minutes for your body to absorb the caffeine. For some people, the effects kick in as fast as 15 minutes. This depends on how sensitive your body is to caffeine. Once the caffeine is in your system, the effects can last up to 2.5 to 4.5 hours [2]. But this depends on your metabolism. If you have a higher metabolism, the faster it breaks down the caffeine. This means that the effects don’t last as long, compared to someone with a lower metabolism.

So what happens after your body absorbs all that caffeine? The diagram below shows a summary of how caffeine affects the different organs, both positive and negative effects[2].

 

1. Brain - You are more alert, and your brain works better. Caffeine may also boost the effectiveness of the pain medications you take for headaches. But may also cause insomnia and anxiety.
2. Lungs - May improve your lung function a little.
3. Heart - Increases the blood pressure but the more coffee you take, you can develop some tolerance to it.
4. Endocrine system - It might affect the body’s ability to know when to release insulin into the bloodstream. So the body may not be able to break down the sugar in the blood. But, over time, the body develops a tolerance for it.
5. Liver - May reduce risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis.
6. Kidneys - The diuretic effect of caffeine means that you will need to pee more. Can lead to dehydration if you don’t watch your water intake to compensate for that.
7. Reproductive System - Caffeine may affect the growth of the baby and increase the risk of pregnancy loss.

Pregnancy and caffeine

One of the first things a doctor will recommend a pregnant person to do is to cut down on caffeine. During pregnancy, the caffeine isn't broken down by the body as efficiently, so that can cause large amounts of caffeine to linger in the body. Since caffeine can pass through the placenta easily, the high concentration of caffeine can then affect the baby.

Too much caffeine intake has been linked to lower birth weights (smaller than normal babies) and a higher risk of losing the pregnancy.

Personally, I switched to decaffeinated coffees and teas throughout both pregnancies and only took a cup of fully caffeinated drinks a day.

What happens when you take too much caffeine?

Too much caffeine (> 2-4 cups of coffee a day) can induce anxiety, or bipolar disorders in caffeine-sensitive people.

We know that caffeine is a drug that we can be addicted to. So what happens when you have a caffeine addiction and you're not getting your required fix?

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include headaches, tiredness, depressed mood, you can't focus. And these can last from days to weeks, depending on how badly your body is dependent on caffeine.

It's possible to overdose on caffeine. When you take too much caffeine, it may kill you. However, you can't kill yourself by overdosing on coffee or tea because you will need to drink about 75 to 100 cups of coffee to do that. The deaths are usually attributed to taking too much caffeine in the form of tablets or powdered supplements [2,3,4].

So watch your caffeine intake if you’re supplementing with caffeine pills!

Are there any other applications to caffeine?

More than 85% of women aged 21 or older have cellulite. When fat tissue develops deep in the skin, it pushes up against the connective tissue to create the dimpling or 'orange peel effect.' How caffeine works to reduce cellulite is by breaking down the fatty tissue and draining it into the lymphatic system.

Caffeine has also been used in the formulation of eye cream to reduce puffiness under the eyes, by improving the circulation of the blood vessels.

Caffeine has also been used in hair products to help with male pattern baldness. How it works is that it stops an enzyme (5-a-reductase) from changing testosterone into its more active form (dihydrotestosterone, DHT) that is responsible for baldness. Caffeine relaxes the muscles near the hair follicles so that it's easier for the hair roots to get nutrients from the blood vessels. Like in the eye cream, when caffeine is applied to the scalp, it increases the blood circulation in the blood vessels. With more blood flowing, more nutrients go into the hair roots. More nutrients mean healthier roots and stronger hair. This helps to stimulate hair growth [5].

So, look for caffeine as an ingredient the next time you’re looking for a shampoo to help with hair growth and to reduce puffy eyes.

What’s the best way to make coffee?

Everyone wants to know how to make the best coffee. Other than beans, the quality of the coffee you get in your cup is dependent on:

1. how much time the grounds spend in the water
2. the ratio of water to the ground coffee
3. Temperature of the water
4. How much pressure (if you're doing espresso coffee)
5. What kind of filter you are using (Paper or fine mesh, like in a Moka pot or french press )
6. The brewing process itself.

A research paper that compared 8 ways of making coffee. They compared 3 types of espresso makers, pour-over method, Aeropress, French press, and a Moka pot [6].

The diagram below gives a summary of their findings.

 

Of the 8 types of ways of making coffee, using the espresso maker will give you coffee that has the highest concentration of caffeine, and all the compounds that give coffee the wonderful flavour. This means that espresso will give you the most bang for your buck. Cold brew coffee will give more caffeine and flavours, only because it’s usually served in a bigger cup.

Q&A

Some of you has asked some questions about coffee and I answered them in audio format!

Click here to listen

Ultimately, coffee and caffeine are basically drugs. And with any drug, there’s always a chance of getting addicted. So use it in moderation and cut back when you think you are consuming too much.

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding the effects of caffeine.

Further Reading

Caffeine Overdose: How You Can Die: Learn more oh how NOT to overdose on caffeine.

Creating the Perfect Espresso Recipe : Everyone loves a good cup of coffee. Here’s how you can learn how to make it.

23 Coffee Recipes That Let You Be Your Own Barista : More coffee drinks you can do at home

How to Get Rid of Cellulite on Thighs: Home Remedies and More : If you’ve ever wondered how you can DIY some beauty treatments here’s how you can do it.

Roast It Twice: Malaysian Coffee: Local coffee isn’t the same as what we would normally get at a barista cafe. This article is really informative about how different our local coffee is.

References

1. Butt, Masood Sadiq, and M. Tauseef Sultan. 2011. ‘Coffee and Its Consumption: Benefits and Risks’. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 51 (4): 363–73. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408390903586412.
2. Dam, Rob M. van, Frank B. Hu, and Walter C. Willett. 2020. ‘Coffee, Caffeine, and Health’. New England Journal of Medicine, July. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1816604.
3. ‘Caffeine Overdose: How You Can Die’. 2017. Healthline. 25 May 2017. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-you-can-die-from-caffeine.
4. ‘Caffeine Overdose: Symptoms, Treatment, and How Much Is Too Much?’ 2019. 16 January 2019. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322933.
5. Herman, A., and A. P. Herman. 2013. ‘Caffeine’s Mechanisms of Action and Its Cosmetic Use’. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology 26 (1): 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1159/000343174.
6. Angeloni, Giulia, Lorenzo Guerrini, Piernicola Masella, Maria Bellumori, Selvaggia Daluiso, Alessandro Parenti, and Marzia Innocenti. 2019. ‘What Kind of Coffee Do You Drink? An Investigation on Effects of Eight Different Extraction Methods’. Food Research International 116 (February): 1327–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2018.10.022.

Welcome to the first edition of the FFS newsletter. It took me a while to decide on a topic to dive into this month and since the Month of Ramadan starts on the 13th of April 2021, let’s take a look at what is fasting and how learning from Ramadan fasting can help you with the other types of fasting.

TL;DR

1. Fasting has many benefits that include weight loss and increases insulin sensitivity, which means you are less likely to get diabetes.
2. Bingeing on cheat days puts more calories back in than what you burn by fasting, which means you gain more weight.
3. Overall caloric restriction is proven to help in weight loss, not just the fasting itself. This means that to lose weight, just eat less.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar when they observe fasting from before dawn to sunset. The typical fasting hours lasts between 9 to 22 hours [1], depending on the location and season. During this month Muslims are encouraged to deepen their faith and work on being a better person. Ramadan fasting is an obligation for all healthy adult Muslims. However, menstruating persons, those who are sick, pregnant and lactating persons, and travellers and given an exception.

How does Ramadan fasting differ from other types of fasting?

The biggest difference between Ramadan fasting and other types of fasting is that Muslims are not allowed any food or drinks during those fasting hours. This is also known as a dry fast. Other types of fasting are mostly about not eating, or reducing the amount that you eat, but water and fluids are encouraged so that you don’t get dehydrated.

The figure below shows what are the different types of fasts, and what are the different times during that fast that you can eat [2].

 

1. Normal feeding: You can eat throughout the entire day.
2. Caloric Restriction: You can have 3 low-calorie meals between 6am to 6pm. Plus 2 optional snacks in between.
3. Intermittent fasting: You are only allowed to have low-calorie meals in a 6 hour window. In this case between 9am to 3pm. You can shift this window later, to skip breakfast and just have lunch and dinner.
4. Ramadan fasting: No food or drinks during the daylight hours from dawn to dusk. Once the sun has set, you’re allowed to have anything you want, with no restrictions.
5. Prolonged fasting and starvation: No food at all during the entire 24 hours.

Are there any effects of Ramadan fasting on the body?

Research shows that there are some temporary changes to the body during Ramadan fasting. Most of these changes include a significant drop in weight, fat and non-fat mass.

They found that people with higher BMI (BMI >25) seem to show more weight and mass loss compared to people who have BMI within the normal range (BMI 18 - 25). One theory is that people with higher BMI have more glycogen stores. Glycogen also stores water. So the weight loss is most likely due to water weight lost through dehydration, and the body using up those glycogen stores [1].

The weight and mass loss effect of Ramadan fasting is similar to when a person reduces their daily intake of calories (caloric restriction) to ~500-800kcal a day [2]. However, because Ramadan is a month of celebration for Muslims, there’s usually a lot more good food and delicacies that are prepared. So people tend to eat more too. Eating more than what you burn off, means that your body will store all the extra calories [3]. Bingeing after you break your fast won’t help you if the goal is to fast to lose weight.

Unlike other fasting regimes, Ramadan fasting affects sleep as well.

The figure below shows the different factors that may affect sleep during Ramadan [4].

1. The fasting itself.
2. Less exercise in the daytime.
3. Starting work later.
4. Exposed to more light in the nighttime.
5. Meal timings are shifted.
6. Doing more activities in the nighttime.

 

In some majority Muslim countries, the general timings for work get delayed. Work starts later, the shops and restaurants are open later and longer into the night. These changes in timings make it harder for people to fall asleep [4]. When you couple that with waking up early for the pre-dawn meals, and other optional religious activities, Muslims generally sleep a lot less in the month of Ramadan. They also tend to be sleepier in the daytime.

What are the benefits of fasting?

After reading this article so far, you might be asking if it’s worth it fast at all. This article lists 8 benefits of fasting that has is backed by science:

1. An increase in insulin sensitivity, so that you can control your blood sugar levels better.
2. Your body fights inflammation better so that you are generally healthier.
3. Improves blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels
4. May boost brain function and prevent brain degeneration illnesses.
5. Helps with weight loss when you reduce calories and increase your metabolism.
6. Increases growth hormone secretion, which is needed for growth, metabolism, weight loss and muscle strength
7. Could delay ageing and maybe live longer.
8. May aid in cancer prevention and increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy

Any recommendations before starting a fast?

1. It is always recommended to see your doctor before you start any form of fasting, especially if you have any underlying medical conditions. This is to make sure that you are able to do the fast safely.
2. Plan your meals. This helps you become more aware of what you are eating. In Ramadan, 30-40% of your daily energy needs during the pre-dawn meals, and 40-50% during the evening meal. If you’re still hungry, you can have snacks, which makes up 10% [2,5].
3. Planning meals ahead will also reduce the mental burden of thinking up about what you want to eat. Trying to think of what to eat when you’re hungry is always hard, speaking from experience. You’ll want to eat everything! Planning ahead also helps you plan your groceries list and budget.

I made a template for weekly meal planning just for you. You can make a copy of it and use it however you see fit for your own lifestyle.

Get your free meal planning template by clicking on the button below.

Ultimately, it's the overall caloric restriction that is proven to help in weight loss, not just the fasting itself. Beware of the hidden calories in drinks. Read the labels on the packaging to find out how many calories you’re consuming.

Until the next edition,

~ Lina

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding fasting.

Further Reading

6 ways to do intermittent fasting: Figure out which is the best type of fasting is best suited for your body and lifestyle.

Ramadan Meal Planning: Once you have a meal planner, it’s time to start planning some meals. There are some very interesting and delicious recipes to try, even if you don’t practice Ramadan fasting.

Intermittent Fasting: Read more of a medical professional’s take on fasting research, the benefits and if it’s all cracked up to be

Tools

The 10 apps for making IF easier: Fasting takes commitment, and wouldn’t it be great if there was something to help you stay on track? Here’s a list of 10 apps that can help you track your fasting hours and meals to achieve your goal.

Zero App: Co-founded by Dr Peter Attia to help plan and track your fasts, plus great information to learn more about how fasting is beneficial to you.

Interesting Science Around The World

Baby tardigrades hatching Utah Dinosaur Graveyard Indicates T-Rex Was Social Predator Octopus sleep includes a frenzied, colorful, ‘active’ stage

References

1. Fernando, Hamish A., Jessica Zibellini, Rebecca A. Harris, Radhika V. Seimon, and Amanda Sainsbury. 2019. ‘Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Weight and Body Composition in Healthy Non-Athlete Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’. Nutrients 11 (2). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11020478.
2. Lessan, Nader, and Tomader Ali. 2019. ‘Energy Metabolism and Intermittent Fasting: The Ramadan Perspective’. Nutrients 11 (5). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051192.
3. Qasrawi, Shaden O., Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal, and Ahmed S. BaHammam. 2017. ‘The Effect of Intermittent Fasting during Ramadan on Sleep, Sleepiness, Cognitive Function, and Circadian Rhythm’. Sleep & Breathing = Schlaf & Atmung 21 (3): 577–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-017-1473-x.
4. Collier, Roger. 2013. ‘Intermittent Fasting: The Science of Going Without’. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal 185 (9): E363–64. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-4451.
5. DAR Alliance, and International Diabetes Federation. n.d. IDF-DAR Practical Guidelines 2021 – Diabetes and Ramadan. Accessed 14 April 2021. https://www.daralliance.org/daralliance/idf-dar-practical-guidelines-2021/