Honest food v/s tasty food

I hear judges on the food competitions always using the term, 'honest food'. I was thinking to myself what honest food meant to me and came up with this comparison. Of course, honest food can be tasty and vice versa. But I think the goal that the chef is trying to achieve in both these kind of foods is distinct.                                                    
A typical example of honest food is, the food a mother cooks for her kids or a wife cooks for her husband, where the purpose is to serve the tastiest food that she can, but along with that she wants the food to be nutritious with the best quality ingredients which will not only please the taste buds but also warm the heart and soul, nourish every cell of the body to provide energy and health to her loved ones. She is not normally an expert cook but she is the Annapurna  goddess of food. She chooses the highest quality ingredients like the freshest vegetables and spices and cooks them in least oil(while caring for her husband's heart) and presents it with a dollop of home made ghee. Well as mothers have gotten busier and consequently some things have changed but not the purpose of her cooking. It is still caring and nourishing the family. I wish we could see this rather than judge her food on the scale of taste that too with the top chefs in competition with her.

People are eating out more and more and have exposure to various cuisines and restaurants with Michelin star chefs. Let me admit that there was no such concept when I was growing up and that kept me far more satisfied with my mother's cooking. To cook consistently tasty food, one has to be a professional. That is the job description of a chefs and he is trained to do that. A chef cooks his tastiest food to mesmerize your taste buds into speaking about the his/her skills to every living person you know. Fair enough, that is what he/she does for a living. A chef may be cooking the same recipe 50 times a day whereas a home cook may look up the recipe and cook it for the very first time. A chef cooks 15 recipes that he has on his menu everyday, but a home cook is trying new things everyday to please the family and sometimes catering to different needs at each meal. So, we need to remember the honesty of the love. This food comes from the heart and only such food can truly nourish you. This is what we are missing more and more in our diet. We need this positive energy that comes from love and care. If we could eat an honest meal at every time of the day no matter what the taste, we could keep all the diseases at bay.

My friend bacteria

Here is a picture of all my vegetable ferments, freshly made. These ferments will be ready to eat in a weeks time. They not only add crunchy, raw, loaded with nutrients food to my diet, but also feed my gut with the good bacteria. 

When we talk about bacteria, the first thing that comes to our mind is a bacterial infection, or something unclean. And the only positive thing we hear about them is a small mention about the good bacteria in our science text book, with one example of it, which is yogurt or curd or dahi. Nothing could be further from the truth. Each person carries about 2 - 6 lbs mass or 100 trillion of these good bacteria throughout our body. They are in our gut, oral cavity, and various places of our body. There are 10,000 varied species and not limited to the mere 5 strains present in home-made yogurt. Like every other thing in our body, these good bacteria also have a function or rather they carry out multiple useful jobs. They regulate several bodily behaviors like, digestion and nutrition absorption etc. They not only affect your gut, but also your brain. This is a complex connection, but a lack or imbalance of this gut micro-biome can cause, depression, multiple sclerosis, affect the immune system, cause systems of autism, and much more.

It is predicted that, gut health, micro flora and probiotics, is going to comprise the next 10 years of medicine. It is one of the most overlooked sectors, when looking at health problems. People struggle to rid themselves of problems like: Candida, chronic fatigue, depression, weight problems, early aging, ADHD, autism, hormone imbalance and auto-immune disorders; and sometimes surrender to living with it. But there is hope. There are many web-sites with information about how a diet, high in probiotic food, low in gluten (protein found in wheat, sometimes oats and barley) and casein (found in milk) can  significantly reduce the symptoms of these diseases. 

Since the day that I was introduced to it for my sons gut health, I was hooked. I bought myself some glass bottles of odd shapes and sizes, loads of veggies and knocked myself crazy. You have already seen the picture of my jars of ferments. I have been waiting to share my new discovery with all my readers, but it took me a while. I wanted to first experience it and then share. There is loads of information available online, but I would like to share my personal experience. 

To be fair, I started fermenting veggies, coconut water and also water kefir. Of these my son could only develop a liking for some water kefir from time to time. I started him off on probiotic capsules, food enzymes and kefir. He was off gluten and milk, occasionally he ate cheese. In about 3/4 months time we saw that his gut was calmer, fewer loose motions and his appetite was much lower. Now why is the appetite going down a good thing. Am I not a typical Indian mother who would rather over feed her child. Well, when I first thought that there is some problem, he had a healthy appetite but had trouble putting on weight. Most of my friends would complain that their child did not eat enough, but their children were all cutely cherubic. And here I had a 7 yr old who would eat two sunny side up eggs and 2 dosas (fermented crisp pancake) for breakfast, carry two tiffins, finish both and then come back home with a decent appetite. One thing I always maintained was that the kids ate home cooked meal most of the time. So, this observation lead me to think that he was probably  not getting the nutrition that his body needed and therefore he craved more food. I had ignored this and other symptoms like: often growing pain in legs, 5 minute discomfort after drinking milk (his favorite) and IBS symptoms. Mind you he was doing absolutely fine and was an extremely active child, who even today needs very little sleep. That is the reason doctors too pacified me saying that he probably has a good metabolism etc. And who doesn't like to hear that. I am glad I finally got out of the inertia and worked on his diet. Now he is at a healthier weight and no more stomach discomfort. But while all this correction was happening in his case, I lost about 7 lbs. I was religiously eating my fermented veggies, drinking kefir etc. Got plenty of compliments from everybody. I wish I was a little more consistent with it, that way I could have said I lost another 10 lbs and feel a whole lot healthier. Nevertheless I have settled at the 7 lbs lower weight.

These are a few ways in which probiotic food helps:

1. Nutrient absorption: When foods are fermented, they are converted to a predigested form, the sugars in the foods are consumed. This process increases the absorption of vital minerals in the gastrointestinal tract, thus preventing mineral deficiencies. On cooking such foods, we loose the live bacteria but still get the above benefits. Examples: Idli, dosa, dhokla etc.
2. Supplies good bacteria: What is even better is, when we can eat fermented foods raw. This not only gives us the above benefits, but also provides us with live bacteria which can colonize in our gut and thus help in the digestion and absorption of all our food.
3. Destroys anti-nutrients: Compounds called anti nutrients interfere with the absorption of nutrients. These compounds are destroyed by fermentation.

There are lots of good articles and videos about the benefits of fermented foods and how to prepare them. Some of my favorites are:

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/7_must_eat_fermented_foods_for_a_healthy_gut

http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/how-to-make-kimchi-in-5-easy-steps

Nuts on the Go!

When you are hungry and don't have the time for an elaborate snack, there is no better energy booster than peanuts and they are good for you too. Peanuts are easily available anywhere and are a much healthier snack than a sandwich or a thepla or any other gain rich food. Peanuts are rich in protein and satisfying.

The main pitfall for all diets is that they are full of unsatisfying foods. Satiation is an important factor which is often ignored while prescribing diets. If the food is not filling and satisfying then you will not last on the diet. Diet means a way of eating. It has to be a healthy lifestyle change that you can maintain in the long run, and not just a fad. So, nuts is one of the best additions to your diet. They are full of fatty acids which are required for our heart health and are satiating. Among those, peanuts are my favorites as they are cheap, and therefore affordable for everybody. They are versatile.  You can not only add them to salads, poha and upmas, but roasted peanuts are a good addition to vegetable preparations. Peanuts taste great in dry and wet chutneys, and increase the protein content of those. They can be added at the time of marination, gravies or dipping sauces. If you have a tendency of acidity, removing the sprouting end of the peanut helps. Also, according to Ayurveda, the best way to eat peanuts is by soaking them overnight and then eating them in the morning. This makes them easier to digest and also prevents peanut allergies. If you suffer from full-blown allergy of peanuts try it with caution. Soaked peanuts have a sweet taste and very different from their roasted counterparts. They can be added whole to salads and gravy preparation. Peanuts can also be sprouted slightly to increase their nutritional value multiple fold.


Carrying nuts in a bag is convenient and you are always prepared with a healthy snack. They are much healthier than grabbing a some random snack on the go and can be eaten anywhere. Even at your work desk or while driving. A handful at a time is the right amount. Ideally, a blend of walnuts, almonds, peanuts should be made and carried as a snack. There are many other wonderful nuts available in different parts of the world, but these are the ones easily available in India. Each nut has it own blend of MUFA and PUFA, the healthy fats. Add them to your diet and maintain your weight and health.

Ghee from Cow's milk -Supreme Satvik food

Cow's milk Ghee is considered by Ayurveda as the top most Satvik food. In India traditionally it is considered as the purest form of nutrition for infants and kids. It not only has physical, but also spiritual or mental benefits. There is a lot of similarity in the benefits of organic butter made from Cows milk and Ghee from the same milk. It contains high quantities of Bytyric acid as butter but, Ghee is considered far more superior to butter. It is rich in various vitamins like: A,D,K and E, and is an efficient  way of delivering and getting them absorbed into the body. It has CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid), a fatty acid with health benefits to the immune system, various types of cancers, diabetes, arthritis etc. Ghee also contains a good balance of Omega3 and Omega 9 fatty acids. These have a long list of health benefits too. It is good for joint lubrication and organ health. It has a cooling effect on the body and should be consumed in summer along with spicy foods. Recently Indian research team, headed by Dr. Vinod Kansal at National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), has observed that the initiation and progress of mammary cancer decreased in rats which were fed on cow ghee. 

Unlike butter, ghee has a high smoking point and hence is a great choice for deep frying. Heating fats to a high temperature can modify the structure of the fat molecule and it loses its nutritional value.  It can also turn rancid. Compared to a lot of cooking oils, ghee and coconut oil are therefore a good choice for high temperature cooking. One spoon of ghee a day is within healthy limits. Doctors believe that ghee poses no threat to Cardiac health as long as the total fat consumption is in the prescribed limits.

Similar to what I have mentioned in my article about Butter, there are two ways of making ghee. One is made directly from cream. The other one is the Ayurvedic way, which enhances the nutritional value of the Ghee. This ghee is made from curd culture. The normal butter that you buy in the stores, is not made from curd culture and hence should not be used to make Ghee. You need to either buy butter made from culture or Organic Cow's milk ghee can be bought in stores or online. There are couple of brands in the market in India. Originally people used to make their own ghee. It seems tedious in the beginning but, is fairly simple once you get into the habit. And I still make my ghee at home whenever possible. Recipe:

1. We buy raw full fat milk, bring it to a boil and store it for 24 hrs. in the fridge. This separates the cream and it can be skimmed from the top. This process is done for a month until you have a good quantity of cream. We use this cream for the butter making process and the rest of the milk is low fat and used for yogurt or tea.

OR

1. If you cannot find raw milk locally, buy store bought cream, bring that to a boil and use it for making butter. But make sure it is not ultra pasteurized. Bring this cream to room temperature and use.

2. Add the yogurt culture easily available in any dairy in India, or store-bought probiotic yogurt or buttermilk culture(stonyfield Farms and Organic Valley) or store bought probiotic buttermilk. Keep it in a sunlight window/warm place like your oven with the light on for 24 hrs. 

3. Now the cream will turn nice and thick. Leave this cream in the fridge for an hour and you can start using this. If you do not have the time to cool it down, keep a good amount of ice-cold water ready.

4. Throw the cultured cream into a food processor along with some of the cold water and let it churn. You can also use a manual churner(like the one we use to mash dal) After 3-4 min. you will see that the butter separates and hardens slightly.

5. Drain the water without loosing any butter fat. This drained liquid is actually buttermilk.

6. Repeat the above process 3 times, each time adding some ice water. Remove all the excess liquid and you have clean, soft and healthy butter. This is a good quality cultured butter(loni or makkhan) which can be used as is, on parathas.

7. Add a mineral rich salt to it and you can use it like Amul butter, but with much more nutritional value.

8. The unsalted butter is in turn used to make ghee. Take a clean stainless steel pot, place the butter inside and put it on a very low heat. It will start getting frothy and then eventually clear. Once the liquid is clear and the milk solids have settled down, the butter is ready. It is up to you, how nutty you want the flavor. I wait till it has a slight brown color and a toasty smell.

9. At this point it burns quickly, and needs to be guarded closely. So, switch off the burner as soon as it changes from colorless to light brown. It will have some residual heat and cook even after you stop the heat. Let it cool slightly, strain it and store. 

Interesting links: 
http://www.rebeccawood.com/food-as-medicine/ghee-clarified-butter/

Butter is better than you think

Butter can add sparkle to food, just the way, make-up can add to a beautiful face. Most foods can be improvised with the addition of a dash of butter. Butter has always taken a back seat to cheese, but the fact is that butter is much more versatile and adds just as much charm. It can be added to foods of all cuisines. A biryani, or kabob, steak or mashed potatoes, stews or pastas, French sauces, pastries or breads, all baked goods, chocolate sauces or stewed fruits. If you are cooking for a party, finish almost every dish with a dollop of butter and see the difference.

So far, the health food industry has blamed butter for a host of diseases. And all this, without any solid research backing it. Margarine manufacturers pushed it to us as an healthier alternative to butter. And, for a decade we have buttered our toast with margarine. I wonder, if it is even right to call it buttering? Margarine, healthier than butter!This could not be further from the truth. Butter is a natural food, consumed for thousands of years and it is essential to our body. It has Vitamin A,E,K and D, lauric acid, lecithin, essential for cholesterol metabolism, linoelic acid and long list of other goodies. Saturated fats in butter are actually better for you, than the ones in margarine. Butter contains medium and short chained fatty acids like Butyric acid, which are metabolized differently and have various health benefits, like protection from cancer, metabolic disease and gut health. Dr. Aseem Malhotra a cardiology specialist at the Croydon University hospital, London, writes in the British Medical Journal, that trans-fats, and not the naturally found saturated fats, are the culprits. In fact, saturated fats have been found to be protective to our body.

So is it wise to start eating tubs full of butter? Of course not! Every food should be eaten in moderation. Only then can we balance our nutrition. If we start filling ourselves with broccoli alone, however healthy it is, we will not get complete nutrition. A blend of oils and fats when consumed moderately, gives the maximum benefits. The best way of eating butter, is home made from organic milk, by using culture. Butter can be churned from, organic cream alone or by adding culture to the cream, letting it get sour and then churning butter from it. This is a more superior form of butter. This butter when heated on low flame to make Ghee, gives the pure form of ghee, which is recommended for all medicinal purposes in Ayurveda. In my next article I will write about Ghee. Please leave your comments, if you find the article interesting.

Some links:

http://www.sott.net/article/219981-Is-Butter-Healthy

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2274747/At-truth-Butter-GOOD--margarine-chemical-gunk.html

http://authoritynutrition.com/7-reasons-why-butter-is-good-for-you/

Managing Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is a condition where the blood sugar of a patient falls below 72 mg/dl. Mg/dl is the measurement of blood sugar, and in simple terms it is the reading that you get in your blood report or on your Glucometer. Hypoglycemia is as much or more serious a condition as compared to high blood sugar. It can be an emergency. Extremely low blood sugars, can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and (rarely) permanent brain damage or death.

It is most common with diabetic people, with the reason being that they are taking, either higher than required dose of medication or insulin or someday they did not have a regular meal. There can be other reasons for this too, like some kind of infection, organ failure, hormone deficiency, inborn metabolism error etc. Some of the symptoms are: 

• blurry vision
• rapid heartbeat 
• sudden mood changes
• sudden nervousness
• unexplained fatigue
• nausea
• pale skin
• headache
• hunger
• shaking
• sweating
• difficulty sleeping
• skin tingling
• trouble thinking clearly or concentrating
• loss of consciousness

In my experienced, it may be difficult to recognize that your blood sugar is dropping. One of the main symptoms is: trouble thinking clearly, and this makes it difficult for you to analyze your own condition properly and treat it. Sugars can drop so quickly that, you may not experience any warning signals. I have taken insulin in past, and therefore I have figured out that, for me the most common symptoms are nausea, blurred vision and trouble thinking clearly. If I get confused, and start wondering about what is happening to me, then it is clear that my sugars are dipping. It is always advisable for diabetics to maintain slightly higher blood sugar levels and not strive for the non-diabetic levels, as we are manually managing the blood sugars, which can never be as precise as it is in nature. In non-diabetics it is a natural process that is working fine.

If you have a high risk of hypoglycemia due to any of the above mentioned reasons, you need to be alert and always ready to treat it. If you experience it often and suddenly, then carrying a glucagon kit with you may be a good idea. I have added a link below, where it explains about, how you can use a glucagon kit. If it is not a common phenomenon, you can carrying sugar sachets in your purse or wallet. Sugar candies also work well, but there is a chance you will finish them, and will not be left with any, for when you actually need them. A regular cola like, coke or fruit juice also have high sugar content. But the easiest to carry are the sugar sachets.

How to use a glucagon kit: http://www.novonordisk.com/diabetes/public/diabetestools/hypoglycaemia/howtouseaglucagonkit.asp

Coconut- The misunderstood fruit

 I am a fish eating coastal girl. There is no doubt then  that, Coconut is my favorite fruit. Its sweet  creaminess, adds a different level of flavor to any dish.  And now that it is know to be good for you, I want to  share its benefits with everybody. Somehow, unlike  other fruits, over the past century, it has a got a bad  reputation. In India coconut has always enjoyed the  love and respect it deserves, but the western  brainwashing has made us believe otherwise.

 Coconut has earned a bad name, because of its high  content of Saturated fats. But, what has been over  looked is that there are different kinds of saturated  fats and different ways of classifying them. One such method is by the molecular size of the fatty acids. Most oils and fats coming from plant and animal sources contain Long chain fatty acids (LCFA). But the fat in coconut oil is Medium Chain fatty acid(MCFA), and it is differently metabolized by our body. MCFA does not have the ill effects on our health that LCFA have. It infact, protects us from heart disease and lowers the risk of Atherosclerosis (thickening of the artery walls). 

The coconut tree is superior to all other plantation, as each and every part of the tree comes of use to us humans; may It be the fruit the leaves, bark or husk. Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Traditionally people have used coconut oil to cure a wide range of health problems and now, slowly modern scientists are relearning its powers and unlocking them.

There are many ways of using coconut in your food. Coconut oil has a high smoking point, which means it can withstand higher temperatures without going rancid, as compared to other oils and therefore is a good cooking medium. People from the coast like us, garnish every food with coriander and grated coconut. Coconut milk is a staple in our fish preparations. We use roasted dried coconut in our meat dishes. But, the latest addition to my ways of consuming coconut is Virgin coconut oil. This oil is cold pressed from coconut milk. It is the purest form for gaining the benefits of coconut and it has a host of health benefits that have been discovered. Other than heart problems and increased cholesterol levels, it helps depression, weight, digestion, weak immunity, metabolism, stops sugar cravings and last but not the least, helps manage Type II Diabetes.

Recent studies have found that coconut oil protects against insulin resistance, reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. MCFA fats are small enough to be absorbed into the cells where they are quickly converted to energy. This process not only reduces the amount of fat we pack into storage, but also improves insulin sensitivity. I have started taking 2 tablespoons of Virgin coconut oil in the mornings, to regulate my blood sugar and help with weight loss. If you have found this information useful, please leave a comment.

Some Interesting links: 
http://www.philly.com/philly/health/Coconut_oil_water_milk_Healthy_or_hype.html
https://www.coconutsecret.com/coconuthealthsecrets2.html
http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/coconut-health-benefits/