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/

Walk away from Diabetes

Writing these articles about Diabetes management is also helping me a lot. I am reminded of the do's and don'ts myself. One change that I have made in my lifestyle is, that I have started walking regularly. After dinner I go out for a 30 min brisk walk. We normally have an early dinner, by 7 pm, which works in my favor. Another plus is that my husband accompanies me. It is always nice to have company. I have started checking my sugars more regularly and have noticed that the added activity has significantly lowered my blood sugars. I hope to keep this up.

I cannot stress enough, about how important exercise can be in your Diabetes management. If you already lead an active lifestyle, then you are on the right track, but if not, then I would like to guide you towards managing your blood sugars better, with the least amount of exercise. Let us first look at the benefits of exercise for blood sugar management.

1.  Insulin sensitivity is increased. This helps your cells to better use your insulin. The cells absorb glucose (in your blood) during and after the activity. This process happens easily in the body of a non-diabetic, but us diabetics need to give it a push.
2. Your muscles contract during activity. This mechanism allows your cells to take up glucose and use it for energy, even when insulin is not available.

These two activities in turn, lower/control your blood sugar in a natural way. Enough of the medical jargon now! Loosing, even 5 kgs of weight, can lower your blood sugar levels significantly. The insulin produced by your body may suffice, at a lower weight. I know from personal experience that loosing wt. is not as easy, as it is to prescribe it. So, let us look at ways to walk your way to health.

We have all had our doctors tell us how walking is the best form of exercise for diabetics. It is easy, can be done at any place, does not require any equipment and is safe at any age. 30 minutes walking a day is more than enough for us. And the great thing about this is, that this activity can be broken down into parts during the whole day. So, it is up to you, if you want to do 3 parts of 10 min or 2 parts of 15 min or a 30 min walk at one time. Let us look at how we can incorporate it into our daily life. I have a few suggestions, in order to efficiently exercise with the focus of controlling your blood sugar.

•  It is a good idea for every Diabetic to buy a glucometer. That way you can not only keep track of your blood sugars but also identify what works for your body.
• Once you have a glucometer, check your blood sugar levels before and after your workout.
• The best workout for a diabetic is any aerobic activity. The easiest of which is walking. Considering that, most of the diabetic population is middle aged or older people, who do not work out regularly; walking is an easy and gentle option.
• The best times to walk are: about 30 minutes after your meals. Blood sugars tend to peak 1 hr after a meal. This is the most challenging time. You want your sugars to stay in the normal range in this period as much as possible. Therefore, a brisk walk immediately after a meal is the best time for a walk.
• Walk as fast as you can. Even a slow walk will bring your sugar down a certain amount. Check your blood sugar after the walk and you will know how beneficial it is.
• Break your 30 minutes a day routine into 3 parts. Walk immediately after Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This is the best way to put your mild workout routine to work for you. If you can walk more, it will be even more beneficial. 

Ideally you want to be surrounded by nature. It not only has physical but mental benefits too. It has meditative powers. But, for those of us living in the cities, walking in the wild is a distant dream. So grab a friend and go for a walk. IT will keep you motivated. Even better, find somebody with medical background just like you and support each other in your journey. But, remember to walk. Leave a comment if you like my article.

Diabetic meals the Indian way

In my previous article I have written about my personal journey from the point of having a vague idea about this disease to knowing how to be in charge of it. Here I would like to write specifically about diabetic meals in the Indian context. Most medical research happens in USA and therefore there is more information available online about American meals and lifestyles to control diabetes. But, slowly India has become the diabetes capital of the world and sometimes we have our Indian doctors to thank for it. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and there is very little information provided to us about the changes one needs to make in the lifestyle and food habits in order to live healthy with the disease.

There is a lot of general information available about this online, so I am going to try to stick to information specific to Indian food habits. Before that, let me cover some of the basics of diabetes management. In simple words your blood sugars surge up when your body has not produced enough insulin to manage the carbohydrate intake (not sugar alone) that you took in the previous meal.  In addition our liver produces sugar, which can only be controlled by medication. We will not talk about that here. We will stick to the part that we can control or manage.  Let me point out that along with diet and exercise constant touch with your doctor to manage your medication is very important.

When I say that the insulin produced is not enough to manage the carbohydrate intake, you either, need to increase the insulin produced, or lower the carbohydrate intake. Increasing insulin means taking stronger drugs. So, why not try and reduce the carbohydrate intake. What is the recommended carbohydrate intake during the day? Let us call 15 gms of carbs = 1 unit.

Breakfast – 2 unit.

Lunch – 3 unit.

Snack – 2 unit.

Dinner – 3 unit.

Carb Counting:

This is a healthy intake for everybody. But non-diabetics can afford some cheating, not us.  Here comes the next question, How do you know how many carbohydrates a meal has. Let me cover all the commonly consumed food groups by Indians that have carbohydrate and this may surprise a lot of us.

Foods                                                                                                                    approx. Carbohydrate

Starchy or sweet veggies: potatoes, peas, carrots,  corn etc.        15 gms in ½ cup

Beans: Rajma, Chole, Moong, Chauli, etc.                                            15 gms in ½ cup

Pulses or Dals: Arhar(toor), Moong, Masoor, etc.                             15 gms in ½ cup

Milk: Milk, Curd (yogurt),  etc                                                                    12-15 gms in 1 small cup

Grains:

Chapti/Roti                                                                                                         15 gms in thin 6” round

Paratha                                                                                                                25 -40 gms 8” round

Naan                                                                                                                      22-25 gms one standard triangle

Tandoori Roti                                                                                                     25-30 gmsin 6” round

Rice                                                                                                                        15 gms in 1/3 cup cooked

Meats: Goat meat, Chicken, Fish, Shrimp, etc.                                    0 gms

Starch free veggies: Bhindi, Baingan, Karela, Doodhi, etc..           0 gms

The 0 gm carbohydrate foods can be eaten in unlimited quantities but the other foods have to be accounted for. Juices although may seem healthy are not recommended for diabetics as ½ or 1/3 rd cup of fruit juice contain 15 gms.(i.e. 1 unit) of carbs each and there is no fiber. Eat a fruit instead.

Substitution:

 I decided to write this article not only to help manage diabetes, but also to happily manage it. What I mean by it is, if you account for the carbs that you are eating, you can actually eat what you want once in a way. You can have 1 cup of juice if you do not mind letting go of your 2 units of carbs(2 rotis) during one of the meals. Have your juice and the veggies and dal. So you are substituting your foods but still staying in the allowed limit of cars. Since, carbs are the actual culprit, it is important that you carefully count and substitute them. Miscalculations will show up in your sugar levels. Minor ups and downs are ok. Diabetics are not expected to and should not control their sugar levels to those of non-diabetics. It can be dangerous.

Substituting your healthy meals for a treat once in a way is ok. But, you should avoid doing this often. Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Fruits have sugars and therefore carbs, but they are a far better choice than eating rabdi. When you eat fruits you get vitamins, antioxidants, fiber etc. whereas rabdi is full of saturated fats.

Make choices for a healthy body in the long run. Side effects of diabetes can shock you, since there are rarely any obvious symptoms. So, count your carbs and plan your meals. Avoid being spontaneous. Occasional cheating is totally acceptable.

My Diabetes

I would like to share with you, my journey as a diabetic, in short. I was diagnosed with borderline high blood sugar at the age of 18. At that time I did not believe the numbers and was told that, it may be an error in reading. I ignored it for a few more years until, I had a blood test again and realized that it was not a mistake in the first place. I visited several Diabetologists in India, but somehow even with medication, I was not able to bring my sugars completely under control.

Finally, after my marriage I moved to USA and for the first time I realized that blood sugars can be controlled. I attended a course that introduced me to carbohydrate calculation. It was covered by medical insurance and advised for every diabetic. They shared with us information about carbohydrates in all foods, including common Indian food preparations. We were given guidelines about how many grams of total carbohydrates were to be eaten at every meal and how to plan/calculate them. They also told us the importance of walking/aerobic activity and the significance of the time to do it.

I lost weight, strictly maintained my carbohydrate intake at Breakfast- 30 gms., Lunch- 45 gms, Snack – 30 gms, Dinner – 45 gms, as was advised, I walked daily for 30 min, after dinner and managed my diabetes perfectly for 7 years. Two healthy babies later, we moved back to India. On my return, I saw that the doctors only prescribed medication and advised people to walk, and cut down on sweets, rice and potatoes.

Diabetes management is much more than that. I had learned a lot and managed my health and pregnancies well, that I wanted to offer this course to Diabetics in India. I approached a doctor and he said that people were not informed enough to find value in a course like this. I don’t know how true that was, but I got discouraged. Now years later, I have found a way to share my knowledge with my dear fellow Indians. A diet meant for diabetics, is actually an ideal diet for everybody to follow. In my next article I share information about, the significance of carbohydrate counting and how to’s of it, from an Indian Diabetic’s perspective. 

Diabetics can eat sugar

Only a diabetic knows what goes on in the mind of another diabetic. It is not easy dealing with diabetes. First of all it is a disease which has no obvious symptoms. In most cases the patient is leading a fairly healthy life and some sudden serious problem leads to the diagnosis. 80% of the contribution to the disease is from your genes. To top it all managing sugars requires a good amount of consistency and self restraint, for the rest of your life. At times, failure is caused due to lack of accurate information.

Thorough, knowledge about the disease can help the patient relax and look at it more objectively. Most patients think that all sweets are off limits. Managing diabetes is not about avoiding sugars, it is about managing your carbohydrate intake for the medication you are taking, so that your blood sugars are under control most of the time. People try to do this for sometime but get tired of the constant control and watch by self and family. Without clear guidance it is not achievable in long term and therefore they rebel or give up.

 It is important to learn to count carbohydrates in a meal so that you can substitute it for a sweet treat once in a while. This keeps you from feeling discouraged during your blood sugar management. In India diabetics commonly avoid sugar in tea. But, they do not realize that a teaspoon full of sugar contains only 4-5 gms of carbohydrates whereas the milk in the tea itself has more carbs. Of course the milk is much more nutritional than refined sugar. But this knowledge can help you decide if you want to reduce your milk a little and take a pinch of sugar in your tea. Similarly one chapatti can have carbohydrates anywhere from 12 – 40 gms, depending on the size and thickness. So, stringently avoiding sugar and gulping down loads of chapattis, dal or beans, may not be the right approach. There is no doubt that there is difference between refined carbs and whole grains or fiber rich carbs. All carbs are not created equal. So, always follow age old nutritional information. But we need to strike the balance, so we can eat healthy as well as a satisfying meal. Eating our favorite food by substituting for some carbohydrates from a meal can help us stick to our meal plan even better in the long run. E.g. American Diabetic Association advices meal of 45-60 gms of carbohydrates. For one meal a week, you can eat a meal free of carbs like Grilled Chicken and Veggies (cauliflower, beans, broccoli, cabbage), then at that meal you can eat a whole cup(about 2.5 scoops) of regular ice cream which is approx. 35gms of carbs. And still be in your normal range.

If a patient is in denial about his disease, then this information can ease him. He can be handled by a sensitive family member or friend. Patient needs to be accompanied for the doctor visits and somebody needs to take charge of the diet and medication. The whole family needs to modify their eating patterns and diets, according to the doctor’s advice. Eating healthy is good for all. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and is caused since our lifestyle has changed to a great extent from what it should have been.

Take the patent for a walk. Say,”Let’s go for a walk regularly”, rather than, “Why don’t you go for a walk”. Don’t leave him alone to fight the disease. Lend him a supportive hand to live with diabetes.

Some interesting links:
http://www.joslin.org/info/fitting_sugar_into_your_meals.html
http://www.diabeticlivingonline.com/newly-diagnosed/getting-started/top-13-diabetes-food-myths?page=9&sssdmh=dm17.739983&esrc=dlowte01_13

                                                                             

Food Adventures in Dubai

My trip to Dubai was very pleasant, but food was somewhat of a disappointment. I being a foodie, food is a major attraction of my vacation. From that perspective, this vacation was less than satisfactory. The traditional Middle Eastern cuisine can be summed up by saying that, it is a creative use of salt and pepper in various ways to flavor meats and fish, period. So is most of the American cuisine. But in there, the saving grace is the fat they use. They use a lot of butter, fatty meats and cheeses, which covers up for the lack in cooking creativity. Of course I am exaggerating a bit or maybe I am not!

In our stay in Dubai we tried to mainly focus on the local cuisine. We had Shawarmas(lamb and chicken) and kabobs (again lamb and chicken) a couple of times in food courts. And I thought, hmmm…they could do better, but ignored the feeling and gobbled it down. After some uneventful eating here and there, I was suggested a place called, WAFI Gourmet for good Middle Eastern food, by a local relative. This time it was not so much the food that struck me, but the service surprised me and not pleasantly. This was a fairly upscale restaurant, with food counters as well as ala carte menu. Prices were high but the service was average. This is not uncommon in Dubai, as tipping much is not a norm. When you come from India or even USA, where the waiting staff is extra polite 80% of the times, you feel the difference more. I will have to agree that the food was as good as Middle Eastern food can get. The khoobj or the freshly baked flat bread was an absolute delight. Hummus was sour, a little heavy on tahini. Meat quality was above average. I noticed an interesting addition here. Along with the grilled meat pieces there were grilled pieces of lamb fat. Since I like most fats, it was a welcome addition. Did I mention that the food prices in Dubai were pretty high! That is worth mentioning again.

A friend took us out to dinner in the Abra area, one of the nights. This was an authentic Arabic eating place where you see all the locals coming. Service was fast, prices were reasonable and food was good. They had brain, liver and tongue sandwiches, which I wasn't brave enough to try. Their Irani biryani was mild and flavorful. I still believe that the best Middle Eastern eateries are found in the West. One of my all time favorites is in downtown San Francisco. Their Shawarmas are to die for. Dripping with their heavenly sauce and loaded with meat. But that is America for you (abundance). Some of the Indian Hummus can give the Arabs a run for their money, at a fraction of their price that it would be in UAE.

On other days we had a couple of trips to Burger King and KFC. These are places where you expect the food to be standard. But there too it seemed, just ok. Burger King Burgers were slathered with insane amounts of ketchup. This was the experience on 2 separate occasions. KFC fries were limp and unseasoned. An 8” pizza in Pizza hut was covered only on the centre 4” part with cheese. I had my fill on my favorite Garrett popcorn, straight from Chicago, just the way they should be.

I bought a lot of good spices at the Spice Souk (market). I wish they would use some of those in their foods too. Just kidding! It was overall a good experience. An absolutely different culture, as compared to the West or Asia. Locals are on the ruder side, no matter what color they are. A mix of the whole world in one place at one time, even more than London or New York City. Tall buildings, huge malls, lots of gold, a mecca for shopping, and all the popular restaurants and brands from world over are here. Display of some of the best modern architecture at a short trip from India.

 

Balanced Vegetarin Diet

There is a general consensus among doctors advocating a plant based diet. They are convinced that diets high in animal fats such as the American diet are detrimental to health. At the same time, a vegan diet high in carbohydrates much like an Indian diet can increase cholesterol, triglycerides and heart disease. There is loads of information available on the internet about, how carbohydrates are converted to triglycerides, which are in turn converted to VLDL and it is a plaque causing mechanism. I am a meat eater and I have followed a no carbohydrate diet myself and seen all my lipid profile numbers improve.

It is difficult for a vegetarian to follow a no-carb diet for too long. But to maintain a healthy lifestyle all you need is a well balanced diet, low in carbohydrates. Poorly planned vegan diets may be low in vitamin B₁₂, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc, riboflavin (vitamin B₂), and iodine. I have some easy to follow suggestions for Indians, on how to maintain a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.

What are the key foods that should be included in every Indian vegetarian’s diet and how to include them? I have carefully made a list of foods that are readily available in modern India and crucial to maintaining healthy levels of Vitamins and minerals that really fuel our body.

Walnuts, Almonds, Peanut, Chia seeds(Sabja), ground Flax seeds, sesame seeds, cilantro, beans,  Yoghurt, Milk, millets,(jowar/bajra), sprouts, leafy green vegetables, soya products, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, balanced mix of all fruits and vegetables and a mix of different healthy oils.

Consuming a small portion of all these foods in your daily diet can give you all the required nutrients that a difficult to get from a vegetarian diet as compared to a non vegetarian. I would like to share with you how I have personally incorporated these. I have a salad for lunch, but this is not any ordinary salad. I call it a SUPER SALAD. The reason behind this is, I cover almost all my essential foods in this one meal. And it is a high fiber, high nutrient, low carb like meal.

Eat your fruits for a snack or along with breakfast. I eat them with sprouted beans and some cheese. You can eat them as is.

I make a blend of:

Lettuce

Cucumber, zucchini

Green peppers (Capsicum)

Red and yellow peppers (Roasted and peeled)

Lightly boiled Cauliflower, Broccoli, carrots, French beans

Cherry or plum tomatoes

Wedges of Citrus fruits

Loads of chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons of beans (soaked and cooked/canned)

To this I add my Nuts:

2 Walnuts

2 Almonds (soaked overnight)

4 Peanuts (soaked overnight)

1 teaspoon of chia seeds / sabja(soaked overnight)

1 dry fig chopped smaller

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

 For the dressing, I use whichever dressing I like. It is important that it tastes good to you, if not; you will discontinue eating it. I love plain mayonnaise with an occasional hot sauce or ¼ spoon of some jelly or jam. That way you can flavor it differently every day. A good balsamic vinegar and olive oil is another of my favorites. It is a hearty wholesome salad like no other. Add your own twists with sautéed mushrooms and onions, jalapeños and olives. Add as many vegetables that you can, but try to add all the nuts and seeds. This needs some planning once a week, but it is well worth it. I have separate containers for all my nuts, seeds and dry fruits. With some prep work the night before, you can have a healthy salad every day of the week.

In this salad I have almost covered 70% of the required foods. The rest are covered in snacks and dinner. I take a salted lassi (yogurt+ water + salt + jeera powder). If you don’t like leafy vegetables, here is what you can do. Boil and puree spinach. Mix it with the jowar (millet) flour, without adding additional water. Add some seasonings, turmeric, ajwain, chilli powder and salt. Roll rotis and roast them until they are nice and crisp. I add a dash of olive oil and eat it as a snack or with dinner. Here you got your leafy veggies in.

For dinner, make a tofu or paneer or a bean burger, without the bun. They are hearty and taste really good. There are tons of recipes available on the net. Eat it with onions lettuce and tomatoes, with or without the bun. Or a healthy traditional meal made of 1 Jowar roti, dal and a vegetable.

There are loads of oils, other than olive oil, that are heart healthy. But the key is to not heat them to their smoking point or they go rancid and can clog your arteries. Use a blend of oils like mustard, Olive, peanut, Rice bran and sesame. For Indian cooking I recommend that you use a minimal amount of oil to make the tadka (tempering) and then add more later, for flavor.

This covers almost all my foods. Last but not the least is Vitamins D, D2 and B12. A good 10 min soak in the sun between 10am-4pm. If you hate the tan cover your face or take a supplement. It has been found that Vitamin D has been ignored since long, and there is a host of diseases that it can help you fight. Vitamin B12 deficiency is potentially dangerous and the most serious side effect of a vegetarian diet. Vitamin B12 is not found naturally in plant foods and therefore, milk products such as 1 cup of yogurt, and 1 cup of milk and some sprinkling of cheese should be taken daily. Get your Vitamin B12 and D levels tested. If they are low then consult the doctor about supplements.

If a vegetarian diet is followed diligently, keeping all the nutrients in mind, it has been believed to be a healthy choice.

Indian Vegetarians ALMOST eat right

By Indian standards, I am a pure meat eater. But my portions are smaller than most of the Western world. I read and write a lot about food and this has got me into researching about Vegetarianism. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietitians of Canada have stated that at all stages of life, a properly planned vegetarian diet is "healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provides health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases".  Large-scale studies have shown that mortality from ischemic heart disease is significantly lower among vegetarians, 30% men and 20% among women than in non-vegetarians. Vegetarian diets offer lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein, and higher levels of carbohydrates, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals.

31% of Indians are vegetarians, while another 9% consumes eggs. Even the ones who do consume meat, do so very infrequently sometimes for cultural and mostly for economical reasons. When I see so many Indians and even vegetarians die of heart attacks it makes me wonder, what we are doing wrong. By 2030, India will have the largest number of diabetics in the world. I have been one for the last 20 years and it scares me.

This may seem like a rather controversial topic. But, it being so close to my heart, I could  not avoid researching and sharing my views. The Western world is talking about avoiding processed food. Avoid GM foods. Avoid processed flour and eat whole grains. Avoid carbonated drinks and fast foods. Eat organic as pesticide use in their world is very high. Eat home-made meals, cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients. Eat freshly cooked foods. Wait a minute, aren’t we Indians already doing that?? For generations we have been eating home cooked meals, by our mother and grandmothers, freshly cooked before meal time, comprising of whole grain roti(bread), no GM allowed in India, most ingredients locally bought, no sodas or fast foods and lower use of pesticides. Of course, there has been a lot of westernization and some of the bad habits have influenced us. But, that will take a while to show effect on our new generation. But, we need to look at our parents and our generation too who have not been brought up on chips and coke.

The problem here is the high consumption of carbohydrates. The main staple of the Indian diet is carbohydrates (roti and rice). We eat the vegetables along with the roti and not the other way round. In other cuisines the starch is only a side dish. Indian meal has a large serving of rice and along with it is the veggie made with a whole lot of spices meant to be eaten in a smaller portion. Sometimes there is dal and pickle. A spoonful of pickle replaces a bowl of the vegetable you could have eaten. Dal and beans have protein but carbs too and they are eaten in small portions too. Traditionally an average meal would be 3 rotis, 1c rice, bean/dal, veggie, yogurt, pickle, salt, added sugar, ghee etc.

7” roti  = 23 gms carbs. 3 rotis = 70gms.
1 cup of rice = 44 gms of carbs.
½ cup of beans or thick dal = 15 gms 
Non starchy veggies = 0 gms,
Starchy Veggies = 15/20 gms,
½ cup of yogurt = 8gms 
One meal counts to approximately 147 -150 gms.

An average recommended carbohydrate is: Women : 45-60 grams of carbohydrate per meal (3-4 carb choices/meal) Men: 60-75 grams per meal (4 to 5 carb choices/meal). This varies with activity, total protein and calorie intake. There are good carbs and bad carbs but, the bottom line is that you need to control your carbohydrate intake and also choose good, fibre rich carbs. What we need to watch is that even beans, pulses, carrots, peas etc. have carbs. They are the fibre and protein rich carbohydrates and are a better choice than the refined flours. Nevertheless, they need to be counted.

Why talk only about carbs? Carbs are not the only culprit but they are the main one. Yes! Excessive carbs are converted into cholesterol and triglycerides, they increase your LDL cholesterol and therefore translate into heart disease and diabetes too. In my next article I will discuss the details of this claim and suggest the food choices keeping in mind nutrition for vegetarian diet.

Why Different Taste Preferences?

I have always wondered why foods taste different to everybody. Is it only that people are inflexible when they do not like a particular taste? Like olives or anchovies. My son is very picky with his food choices while my daughter is more flexible, pretty much like me. Observing him has made me think that there may be a physiological difference between the two, because there are tastes that he is genuinely not able to tolerate.

This made me look up the net a little and hit the concept of supertasters. Wiki: A supertaster is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average. This obviously, leads to picky eaters. And the other end of the spectrum are non-tasters. Non-tasters eat wider range of foods and mind you have higher BMI's. Now this hurts. I like all kinds of foods, enjoy various tastes and cuisines, so you call me a "non-taster". Completely contrary to what I think I am. And these picky, critical, choosy people who have some input or the other to improve every food item they eat, get to call themselves, "SUPERtasters". They are a challenge to every chef.

Research says that, whether you're a non-taster or a supertaster or somewhere in-between depends on your sensitivity to a bitter chemical called 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). Non-tasters can't taste the bitterness of PROP at all. Medium tasters sense the bitterness but do not mind it, while supertasters find the taste of PROP revolting.

Children taste PROP more strongly and therefore taste the bitterness of foods more. I guess when we say that people acquire state for bitter vegetables once they become adults, only means that our taste buds become less sensitive to PROP once we grow up. I pity my children for all those times that I forced them to eat their veggies and the bitter ones too.

Supertasters are not only sensitive to the bitter tastes but also to overly fatty, salty and sugary foods. This helps them make healthier choices in foods, but at the same time sometimes keeps them away from foods high in flavonoids as they can be bitter tasting.

Mothers have trouble raising kids who balk at many foods. They complain and worry about their child receiving the right nutrition. But in the wake of this information we can assume that such Supertasters have a higher chance of being healthier than their counterparts.

How and Why to use Chicken Base?

Chicken base is a must-have if you can find it in your side of the world. I get mine from USA. My sister-in-law is sweet enough to carry it for me every 2 years. I am sure it is available in some specialty store locally in India, I just haven't looked hard enough. The latest one that she got me is an Organic, low sodium chicken base. It doesn't get better than this!

The reason I call it a must-have for all pantries is, that it is a super-ingredient. A good chicken base can be the foundation for a lot of good dishes. It is simmered much longer than a stock and the flavor is much richer. May it be soups, gravies, pasta, or Indian curries to give them a deeper flavor, it works perfectly. You can add it to any gravy or saucy dish in place of salt, to enhance the flavour. It substitutes a fresh broth and requires less space to store as compared to a can of broth.

Sautee some onions and garlic in butter, add mushrooms and some chicken base, cream(optional), adjust the seasoning and you have a quick and easy pasta sauce. For all such recipes where you want a flavorful sauce but no cream or cheese calories, use the chicken base and little bit of any thickening agent. You have a healthy recipe. Add a tablespoon to your risotto and see the difference.

I use it for a chicken noodle soup, chowder or a cream of chicken soup. I use it for non-chicken soups too. A veggie soup can be cranked up a notch with this. Anytime I don't have an appropriate stock for my dish, I add a dollop of chicken base. It is a savior for all the emergency times when you want to quickly cook something but still leave a mark. I add a tablespoon full to all my Indian gravies and get loads of compliments. I have added it to my marinades, salad dressings, bakes and rice.

Add your ideas to my list and share them with me.

 

Quick Cooking Tips for Busy People

We are all too busy to relax, too busy to work out, too busy to eat healthy and too busy to cook. There is too much to do and too little time. All this is affecting our health. I do love to eat out, a lot!! But, I also cook at home on all weekdays. Indians traditionally cook at least 15 - 20 meals a week at home. And I am no exception. Indian food seems elaborate to most, so what are the short cuts that one can take to put a home cooked meal on the table almost every day?

I have a few tricks that I have followed when I lived in the US. Now that I have moved back to India, things are easier. I have a maid who can do all the prep work for me and all I have to do it prepare the meal and take the credit. But I still have some memories from my good old days. If my tips can help even a few people cook healthy meals for their family, then it is all well worth the effort.

1. Buy gadgets. A good quality food processor will go a long way. It will cut down the prep-time into half and make everything look professional. Do the chopping slicing for two batches at one time and store them in dated, ziplock pouches in the fridge.

2. Use the ice cube trays as much as possible. Now what would you use it for?? I sauté a large batch of a mixture of onions, garlic and tomatoes, and store them in individual compartments of the trays. Once they are frozen remove them from the trays and store it in plastic bags. Whenever you need some, all you have to do is, pop as many cubes as you need, into your meat or vegetable preparation or crockpot.

3. A home made spice blends are always nice and taste fresh. But then, you need variety from time to time. So, I use the home made spice as well as the ready-to-use spices available in supermarkets. There is a lot of variety in the indian brands as well as other cuisines. Some Indian ones are: Chole masala(used for Chick peas), Pav bhaji Masala (for mixed veggies), there are many different kids of Garam Masalas (to add a spoonful in the end as seasoning), Tandoori Masala for chicken or fish (mix it with yogurt and ginger garlic paste). There is a recipe on every box.

4. Fresh fish always tastes good even simply with some salt, pepper and olive oil, and takes only minutes to cook. For chicken, marinate it in the morning before you leave for work and throw it on the grill or pan in the evening. Pair it with a blend of sautéd frozen veggies and you have a meal ready.

5. When you cook pasta, cook a little extra which can be thrown into a wholesome soup. Take your frozen sautéd onions and tomato, salt, a can of crushed tomatoes, mixed veggies, some cooked beans, your leftover pasta, leftover chicken or meat. There you have it. And no matter what you are cooking always taste for seasoning. If this does not taste right, by all means add some tomato ketchup. How about freezing some leftovers of this too.

6. My favourite cooking pot is a pressure cooker. It builds the pressure inside and increases the boiling temperature. This helps in cooking the food much faster. It takes 1/3 the time to cook food in it as compared to other cooking methods. Make sure there is water added to the pressure cooker before cooking anything. Beans and meats cook in half the time. I even cook my veggies in it. But for veggies, switch off the heat before the pressure builds up completely.



7. That crockpot you received as a wedding gift; it is time to put it to use. The frozen onion, tomato, garlic paste will be right at home here. Add 3/4 cubes of that to meat, a blend of vegetables and some seasonings. Set it in the morning before you leave for work, and you have a piping hot one pot meal waiting for you when you get back from work. There are loads of crockpot recipes available online.



I hope you can use these tips to cook a healthy, hearty meal everyday of the week. Please share your tips with me.