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Dr Tan Wellness Academy, Singapore (2026)

04/01/2026

Do You Really Need to Avoid Gluten?

Gluten-free food has become trendy in recent years.

Many of my students are paying extra to eat so-called hypoallergenic meals, specifically avoiding gluten.

But when I ask why, most of them can’t give a clear answer.

So let’s reset the conversation.

Gluten is a group of proteins naturally found in certain grains, mainly:
• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• (and foods made from them such as bread, noodles, pasta, pastries)

Gluten gives dough its elastic, stretchy texture, helping bread rise and hold its shape.

⸻

Who Actually Needs to Avoid Gluten?

There are specific medical groups who must avoid gluten:

1️⃣ People with coeliac disease
• An autoimmune condition
• Gluten triggers immune damage to the small intestine
• Even small amounts can cause inflammation and nutrient malabsorption

➡️ Strict, lifelong gluten avoidance is medically necessary

2️⃣ People with wheat allergy
• An allergic reaction to wheat proteins
• Symptoms may include hives, swelling, breathing difficulty

➡️ Avoidance is required, but this is relatively uncommon

3️⃣ People with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS)
• Experience bloating, discomfort, or fatigue after eating gluten
• No autoimmune damage or true allergy

➡️ Symptoms are real, but diagnosis and triggers vary between individuals

Who Probably Does Not Need to Avoid Gluten?

Most healthy individuals do not need to remove gluten from their diet.

In fact:
• Whole-grain wheat products provide fibre, B vitamins, iron, and plant compounds
• Gluten itself is not toxic
• Cutting it out unnecessarily may reduce dietary diversity

⸻

The Hidden Problem With “Gluten-Free” Foods

Here’s the irony.

Many gluten-free products are:
• More ultra-processed
• Lower in fibre
• Higher in refined starches, sugar, or fats
• More expensive but without added nutritional benefit

So gluten-free doesn’t automatically mean healthier.

⸻

The Better Question to Ask:

Instead of asking:
❌ “Should I avoid gluten?”

Ask:
✅ “Why am I avoiding it and what am I replacing it with?”

Health is about food quality, balance, and context, not chasing trends.

Bottom line:

• Gluten is a problem for some, not for everyone
• Avoidance should be medically justified, not socially driven
• Whole foods matter more than labels

📌 P.S.

Many people tell me they feel better after cutting gluten, but gluten itself is often not the real problem.

In my next post, I’ll explain why removing gluten seems to work, even when gluten isn’t the trigger, and what’s actually changing in the body and diet.

👉 Post 2 coming next.

03/01/2026

Are you hangry?

Yes, you’re reading it right. Hangry 😀

We use this word jokingly when a friend looks unusually irritated, snappy, or emotional…

And then we realise: oh, they’re just hungry.

Hangry isn’t just a joke. There’s real brain biology behind it.

When you haven’t eaten for a while, blood glucose drops.

Your brain, which relies heavily on glucose, doesn’t like that.

One brain area reacts especially fast: the amygdala.

The amygdala is your brain’s threat detector.
It scans for danger, stress, and anything that feels “not okay”.

When fuel is low:
- The amygdala becomes more reactive
- Your brain interprets neutral situations as threats
- Emotional responses switch on faster than logic

At the same time:
- Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline rise
- The “thinking brain” struggles to keep emotions in check
- Emotional regulation drops

That’s why hunger doesn’t just feel like an empty stomach, it can show up as irritability, impatience, anxiety, or sudden mood swings.

This is also why:
😡You snap at people you actually like
😨 Small issues feel personal or overwhelming
😩You regret what you said after you eat

So next time you (or someone you love) feels unreasonably irritated, pause before blaming personality, attitude, or “bad mood.”

Sometimes the problem isn’t character.
It’s an under-fuelled brain.

The solution isn’t therapy…
It’s just food. 🙂

Not angry. Just hangry.

31/12/2025

🌱 Hello 2026.

As this new year begins, I just want to pause and say thank you.

Thank you for reading, questioning, learning, sharing my posts, and staying curious about food, health, and your own body.

Thank you for trusting me to walk alongside you on this wellness journey - not with shortcuts or hype, but with science, honesty, and real-life practices.

In 2026, we continue to focus on what truly matters:

🥗 nourishing food
🏃‍♀️ sustainable movement
🧠 calm, clarity, and resilience
💚 health that supports real life, not perfection

I’m grateful for every one of you who chooses to learn, reflect, and grow together with me.

Your support, be it likes, comments, quiet reads, and messages, means more than you know.

Here’s to another year of eating well, moving wisely, and taking care of ourselves properly.

Happy New Year.
With gratitude,
Dr Tan ✨

31/12/2025

How smart is our gut? 🐾🧠

This is my neighbour’s cat. But she’s been visiting my house for years.

She figured out very quickly that:
- I welcomed her ❤️
- And sometimes… snacks appeared🍗

Over time, she even learned where my bedroom was. And one night, she quietly sneaked in while I was asleep.

Very smart cat.

So what does this cat have to do with our gut?

I know - you’re probably scratching your head right now 😄

Here’s the link -
If you think this cat is smart, your gut might surprise you even more.

You may have come across popular science articles saying that the human gut has as many neurons as a cat’s brain.

This comparison does appear online but the real takeaway isn’t the comparison itself.

What truly matters is this:

Our digestive system contains its own independent nervous system, called the enteric nervous system, with hundreds of millions of neurons.

That’s:
- More neurons than the human spinal cord
- Enough to function independently of the brain
- Capable of controlling digestion, movement, secretion, blood flow, and sending signals back to the brain

This is why scientists often refer to the gut as “the second brain.”🧠

Your gut doesn’t just digest food.

It learns patterns, anticipates meals, responds to stress, and often reacts before your conscious brain catches up.

Just like the little cat learned:
- Where food comes from
- Who is safe
- When to show up

Your gut is constantly learning from:
- What you eat
- How you sleep
- How stressed you are
- How often you ignore its signals

So the next time your gut reacts before your brain does -
It’s not being dramatic. It’s being smart.

In future posts, I’ll touch more on neuroscience, nutrition, and how the gut–brain connection shapes our health.

Follow if this kind of science-made-simple helps you see your body differently ❤️

30/12/2025

Can we eat low-GI (Glycaemic Index) foods freely?

As more people struggle with hyperglycaemia and diabetes, more and more products in the market now label themselves as low GI.

Many of these products imply that because they raise blood sugar more slowly, consumers can safely indulge in desserts, beverages, and snacks without consequences.

This is a dangerous misconception❗️

What is GI?

The Glycaemic Index (GI) measures how fast a carbohydrate-containing food or drink raises blood glucose levels after consumption.

Foods are generally classified as:
- High GI
- Medium GI
- Low GI

Because low-GI foods raise blood sugar more slowly, many people assume they are safe and will not affect health.

👉 This assumption is wrong.

Slow rise ≠ no rise❗️

The real danger of low-GI foods is that we start to equate a slow rise in blood sugar with no rise in blood sugar. Once this happens, portion control disappears.

In reality:

Carbohydrates we eat are either digested into glucose and absorbed for energy or storage, fermented by gut bacteria if they are not fully digestible, or eliminated as waste.

These carbs are not “cancelled out” just because they are low GI.

Eventually:
- Digestible carbohydrates are still broken down into glucose
- The total glucose load still matters
- Excess intake can still lead to weight gain, inflammation, insulin stress, and long-term metabolic issues

Low GI changes the speed of glucose entry, NOT the final outcome.

👉 Sugar replacements: another hidden issue

To keep products sweet while lowering GI values, manufacturers often replace table sugar with:
- Artificial sweeteners
- Sugar alcohols (e.g. maltitol, sorbitol)
- Modified fibres (e.g. inulin)

While these ingredients may lower GI on paper, they are not problem-free.

Many people, especially those with gut sensitivity, experience:
- Bloating
- Excess gas
- Digestive discomfort

This happens because our gut microbiome cannot fully break down many of these ingredients.

Important clarification: low GI ≠ healthy

Another key point that is often missed:
Many products labelled as “low GI” are actually ultra-processed foods.

These products are carefully formulated to manipulate blood sugar response, but often contain:
- Refined starches
- Colourings
- Preservatives
- Emulsifiers, flavourings, and additives

While they may produce a slower blood sugar rise in the short term, regular and frequent consumption of ultra-processed low-GI products has been linked to inflammation, gut imbalance, metabolic dysfunction, and long-term health risks.

To be clear:
👉 This discussion refers to ultra-processed foods that market themselves as low GI, not whole foods that are naturally low GI.
Bottom line

Low-GI foods are not a free pass.

They may slow blood sugar rise, but they can still:
- Overload your system if eaten excessively
- Contribute to metabolic stress
- Disrupt gut health over time

Instead of asking:
“Is this low GI?”

Ask:
“How much am I eating? And is this a whole food or an ultra-processed product?”

27/12/2025

What does “natural” really mean?

I teach my students how to read food labels.

During practical sessions, they often light up when they see products claiming to be “natural” or made with “natural ingredients.”

I usually smile…then apologise, because I’m about to sabotage that excitement.

Unlike “organic,” which in Singapore requires recognised certification and supporting documentation, the term “natural” has no formal legal definition and can be used by food manufacturers, as long as the claim is not misleading.

This is where problems arise.

• Chemically extracted, still called “natural”
A flavour or active compound may originate from a plant but be extracted using chemical solvents or intensive processing- yet it is still marketed as “natural.”

• “Natural flavour” in ultra-processed food
A single flavour molecule isolated from a natural source is added to a highly processed product, allowing it to claim “natural flavour” despite little resemblance to the original food.

• Tiny natural ingredient, big natural claim
A product contains a small amount of a natural ingredient, while the main components are refined sugars, starches, or additives- yet the front label emphasises “natural.”

When it comes to ultra-processed foods, manufacturers often highlight one appealing fact to increase a product’s sellability.

As smart consumers, instead of relying on beautifully worded claims, it is always better to check the ingredient list to understand what is actually used to make the product.

To learn more about how to read food labels, read my post on food labelling.
👉 Link in comment 1

26/12/2025

Are Vitamin B supplements really safe?

Thirty years ago, when I was a university student studying food science and nutrition, my professors taught us that water-soluble vitamins , especially vitamin B and vitamin C, were generally safe, even when consumed in excess.

The reasoning was simple: because they are water soluble, the body can excrete the excess through urine.

However, more recent research suggests that this assumption is overly simplistic.

Nonetheless, fast forward to today, this idea still persists.

Many people believe that as long as a vitamin is water soluble, the body can “handle it” efficiently. so excess intake is not a concern.

I disagree with this view. ⚠️

In my classes, I often remind my students that anything we put into our body does not simply disappear.

Every nutrient or chemical we ingest will either be
– digested and absorbed,
– metabolised (largely by the liver), or
– circulate in the body before being excreted.

Water-soluble vitamins follow the same principles❗️

While a portion is absorbed and utilised, excess amounts are not eliminated instantly. They can circulate in the bloodstream for a period of time before renal excretion.

When we consume whole foods in moderation, the risk of vitamin B toxicity is generally low.

However, the situation is very different with supplements. ❗️

In my classes, when students show me the vitamin tablets they are taking, I often find that certain brands provide more than 10,000% of the recommended intake set by health authorities.

Yes, that number is correct. 😀

I’ll be honest - I wasn’t fully aware of how extreme some of these dosages were until a student once showed me a photo of the supplement they were taking.

The scariest part is that vitamin B toxicity can present with symptoms similar to deficiency.
This may lead people to misinterpret the signals and consume even more.

In reality, excessive intake of certain B vitamins can be detrimental.

Documented adverse effects include nerve-related symptoms such as numbness, tingling, burning sensations, as well as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal discomfort - particularly with prolonged high-dose intake.

Water soluble does not mean harmless.

Dose and context still matter.

23/12/2025

Do you really know ALL the sugars?

Sugar is one of the trickiest ingredients in modern food.

This confusion shows up very clearly in my classes.

Many students proudly tell me:

“I’ve completely cut out sugar.”

But when we look closer, they didn’t remove sweetness!

They just replaced it.

The replacements they usually share include:

• Sweetening agents (sucralose, acesulfame-K, neotame, stevia glycosides)
• Sugar alcohols (xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, inulin, etc.)
• Modified carbohydrates (maltodextrin, modified starches)
• Other forms of sugars beyond table sugar (sucrose)

Here’s the part many people don’t realise:

👉 Most of these ingredients are still carbohydrates.
👉 Most will eventually be broken down into glucose.
👉 They can still raise blood glucose and trigger insulin release… the difference is how fast and how much.

So while “white sugar” disappears from the label, glucose often does not disappear from the body❗️

“No sugar” does not automatically mean:
• better blood sugar control
• better weight outcomes
• better skin or gut health

How do we approach this for optimum health and skin❓

👉 What we really need to manage is not “sugar”, but our craving for sweetness❗️

Because every sweet ingredient comes with trade-offs:
• blood glucose effects
• insulin signalling
• gut responses
• skin and inflammation impact

Don’t ask “Is there sugar?”
Ask “What will this turn into in my body?”

❤️ We’ll be unpacking more hidden sugars and label tricks in future posts.

Follow if this kind of breakdown is useful to you.

21/12/2025

Sugar or acne?

A few years ago, a new coffee shop opened in a mall near my home.

As a tea-and-toast lover, I often brought my daughter there to enjoy their famous kaya-butter toast and drinks together.

Unlike me, she loved sweetened beverages.
While I ordered teh-C kosong (tea with milk, no sugar), she would choose drinks known to be high in sugar, on top of the kaya-butter toast.

Slowly, we began to notice changes in her skin.

What started as enlarged pores gradually turned into red, swollen acne, one after another.

Naturally, we were worried and tried to figure out the cause.

At first, I suspected makeup. She used it occasionally, so we stopped all products completely.

But her skin didn’t improve.

So I looked beyond skincare.

Being a food scientist, I traced the timeline carefully.

Her skin changes started around the same time we made those sweet tea breaks a daily habit.

That’s when the mechanism became clear.

Here’s what was likely happening:

Frequent high-sugar intake causes repeated spikes in blood glucose and insulin.

High insulin stimulates oil (sebum) production and promotes skin cell buildup inside pores.

At the same time, excess sugar increases inflammatory signalling in the body. Inflamed pores are more likely to clog, become irritated, and eventually turn into red, painful acne.

This isn’t about sugar once in a while.
It’s about repeated exposure, day after day.

When we reduced the sweetened drinks and adjusted the routine, her skin gradually settled.

The takeaway?

Acne isn’t just a skin issue❗️

For many teenagers, it’s a metabolic and inflammatory response showing up on the face.

20/12/2025

Are you afraid of aging?

I am.

Growing up, I witnessed how the people I loved , my grandmother, parents, uncles and aunties, aged.

I saw their health decline, their mobility shrink, and their independence slowly fade.

That left a deep impression on me.

When I entered my mid-forties, aging stopped being something I observed.

I started experiencing it.

My health became harder to manage.

Menopause added another layer of challenge.

And an old foot injury resurfaced - to the point where I genuinely worried about losing my ability to walk.

That moment was a wake-up call.

I realised I didn’t want to follow the same path I had seen in my family. I didn’t want aging to mean pain, limitation, or withdrawal from life.

I wanted to age with my physical strength intact, my mind clear, and my freedom preserved.

I wanted to feel good, stay active, and continue travelling - not just now, but decades from now.

That was when I began my search for what healthy, active aging truly looks like - beyond quick fixes, fear-based messaging, or unrealistic fitness ideals.

And that journey changed how I see my body, my health, and the choices I make every day.

If you’re in your 40s or beyond, what worries you most about aging - health, mobility, or losing independence?

19/12/2025

How many eggs can I eat per day?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions during my lessons.

People are understandably concerned about how eggs might affect their blood cholesterol levels.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that my students usually fall into two very different camps:

Group 1
They eat 6–10 eggs a day, and their blood cholesterol profile is perfect.

Group 2
They limit eggs to one per day, or avoid eggs entirely, yet they still fail their cholesterol test, sometimes badly ❗️

So what’s really going on?

👉 Eggs are rarely the real problem.

The better question is not:
“How many eggs can I eat?”
but:
“How is my body handling fats, sugars, and inflammation overall?” 💡

Here’s what that means.

⸻

1️⃣ How your body handles fats

Your liver determines how dietary fats are processed.

• When liver function and insulin sensitivity are good, fats, including cholesterol from eggs, are efficiently packaged, transported, and cleared.

• When the liver is overloaded (often due to excess sugar, refined carbs, alcohol, or chronic stress), fat handling becomes inefficient, leading to higher LDL and triglycerides.

This explains why some people eat many eggs with no issue, while others don’t.

👉 It’s about liver load, not egg count.

⸻

2️⃣ How your body handles sugars

Excess sugar doesn’t just affect blood glucose.

Chronically, it:
• drives insulin resistance
• pushes the liver to convert sugar into fat
• raises triglycerides and small, dense LDL particles

Ironically, many people who avoid eggs but consume:
• sweet drinks
• refined carbohydrates
• “low-fat” processed snacks

often end up with worse cholesterol profiles.

👉 Many cholesterol problems are sugar-driven, not egg-driven.

⸻

Bottom line

Two people can eat the same number of eggs and get completely different blood results because their:
• insulin sensitivity differs
• liver metabolic capacity differs

Food does not act in isolation.
Your metabolism decides the outcome.

So if your cholesterol numbers worry you, don’t start by blaming eggs.

Start by asking:
“Is my body metabolically healthy enough to handle fats and sugars well?”

That’s where meaningful, sustainable change begins.

17/12/2025

Is honey better than sugar?

Short answer: sometimes.
Long answer: it depends what problem you’re trying to solve.

Honey and white sugar are both sugars.

Your body still sees glucose and fructose at the end of digestion❗️

So if you’re asking:

“Can honey magically prevent weight gain, diabetes, or insulin spikes?”

👉 No❗️

But here’s where honey can be different.

Honey contains:
• trace minerals
• antioxidants
• polyphenols
• antimicrobial compounds

White sugar contains:
• calories
• and… that’s about it.

So gram for gram, honey offers slightly more biological benefits than refined sugar.

But (and this matters):
Honey still raises blood sugar.
Just often slightly slower, depending on the type and amount.

When honey may be the better choice
• You use small amounts
• You’re adding it to whole foods (tea, yogurt, oats)
• You don’t rely on it daily, mindlessly
• You’re choosing it for flavour and function, not as a “health hack”

When honey is NOT better
• “It’s natural so I can use more”
• “I switched to honey but still add it to everything”

That’s not a honey problem.
That’s a dose and context problem.

The uncomfortable truth

Your metabolism doesn’t care about food marketing.
It responds to:
• total sugar load
• frequency
• timing
• what else you eat with

Bottom line:
Honey is a slightly smarter sugar, not a permission slip.

Dr Tan Wellness Academy

04/01/2026

03/01/2026

31/12/2025

31/12/2025

30/12/2025

27/12/2025

26/12/2025

23/12/2025

21/12/2025

20/12/2025

19/12/2025

17/12/2025

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